Burnley's quiz champ builds up to final countdown

7:10pm Friday 8th August 2008

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WHITTLING down Burnley’s 24-man squad to select the 11 who will kick-off the new season is an equation even maths genius Carol Vorderman would struggle with.

With only Clarke Carlisle out of the reckoning for the opening week, while he serves a two-match ban, Burnley boss Owen Coyle has a plethora of options to choose from.

And central defender Carlisle has hailed his manager’s astute dealings in the summer transfer market as the key cause in creating such intense competition ahead of the 2008-09 campaign.

“I think every one of the new signings has been excellent. There have been some very good additions made to the squad,” said the former Watford stopper, who is forced to sit out Saturday’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday as a result of his early red card on the final day of last season at Crystal Palace.

“We have players who can cover multiple positions, and do it well, so no-one can be in their comfort zone, and that bodes well for the squad. We’ve all got to be on top of our game “When you’ve got a small squad you need competition in all positions, and the gaffer’s provided that in abundance.

“There’s strong competition among the goalkeepers as well. Beast (Brian Jensen) has been on fire in training and stopping everything - he’s like Batfink!” continued Carlisle, likening the Danish stopper to the cartoon character whose famous slogan was ‘My wings are like a shield of steel’.

“Diego Penny has come in as well and he’s a strapping lad and an excellent shot-stopper, and Gabor (Kiraly) has put in a good shift also.

“There are tough decisions for the gaffer to make all round, but it’s an excellent problem to have.”

Away from football, Carlisle is contemplating an altogether different problem.

Countdown was once the stable diet of the 28-year-old’s television viewing as he topped up the grey matter which made him Britain’s Brainiest Footballer six years ago. But not any more.

It has suffered, he feels, for the loss of original host Richard Whiteley, who died in the summer of 2005. But Vorderman’s imminent departure has become a hot topic following last week’s revelations that her salary was to be slashed by 90 per cent. And it is a conundrum that Carlisle is convinced even Countdown cannot recover from.

“I think it’s shocking!” he said in defence of one of his favourite television personalities.

“I think she’s worth every penny!

“When Richard Whiteley died it changed the dynamics of the show.

“I’ve gone from watching it every day to once or twice a week, which isn’t a good thing because I love it!”

MASTERMIND

SIX years after Clarke Carlisle was crowned ‘Britain’s Brainiest Footballer’ Lancashire Telegraph Sport put him to the test again. And the defender didn’t let the side down...

Q1. Blood is filtered by which pair of organs?
A. The kidneys

Q2. What is the capital city of New Zealand?
A. It is ... Wellington.

Q3. What nationality is the tennis player Lleyton Hewitt?
A. Australian.

Q4. Which pop singer married British movie director Guy Ritchie?
A. Madonna

Q5. Which vitamin is abundant in citrus fruits?
A. Vitamin C

Q6. Antarctica covers which of the earth’s poles?
A. (pause) I’ve got a 50-50 chance of getting it right. I’m going to go for ... (pause) ... I’m going to go for ... the South Pole.

Q7. In which sport would you use a ‘sand iron’?
A. Golf

Q8. Which rock group is Michael Stipe the lead singer of?
A. REM

Q9. Which travel faster, light or sound waves?
A. Light waves.

Q10. What is the longest running race in the Olympic Games called?
A. It’s the marathon.

10/10.