Four Four Two - UK (2022-06)

FourFourTwo June 2022 81

reignited the Lancastrians’ listing survival bid.

Switching off remains vital to Dyche’s sanity,

and music plays a central role.

“It’s strange, as while I’m obsessed with

music, I don’t buy albums and know all the

words of a song; I’m more obsessed with the

feel of it, the atmosphere,” he continues. “I’ve

got to know members of K-Klass. That was

brilliant because I’d enjoyed their music for

years. Serge from Kasabian has become a bit

of a friend. I’ve got to know the family via his

dad, who was a really respected youth coach.

“I enjoyed the Britpop era. The growth of

Madchester, the Stone Roses, Oasis, a great

era on the pitch for me and off it, too. Now

I get some fantastic invites because people

know my love for music. I’ve seen Metallica,

an unbelievable experience even if they’re

not necessarily my bag. I can go from that to

Simply Red. I’ve got an amazing friend who’s

a physio for a lot of bands - he got me some

great tickets for the Foo Fighters, who I love.

I’ve seen Drake with my kids. Not my thing,

but he delivered well.”

Dyche takes a back seat with the pre-match

music in the Turf Moor dressing room.

“The players today are more into the Ibiza

scene, the R&B and dance songs – in our day,

it was the more upbeat stuff like Oasis,” he

says. “People go to gigs for a good time. But

in football, if it’s not going very well it can be

a harsh business. People at gigs aren’t there

to have a go at the band. The feelgood factor

is almost premeditated. I’ve been to gigs on

my own at times. Stuart Pearce goes to loads

by himself because he likes these little punk

bands. I did get some stick at a gig in Leeds

but, really, it was just friendly fire.”

SEAN AND THE FAMILY STONE

Dyche recently moved his family back to the

Nottingham area, and recalls his early Forest

days with Brian Clough in the late ’80s fondly.

“It was a good era of mature professionals

and youngsters coming through,” he says.

“I thought I had a bit as a player, but these

were guys who were at a top level. My peer

group was Des Walker, Nigel Clough, Stuart

Pearce, among many others.

“I broke my leg when I was 17, in a youth

team game at West Brom. Steve Stone did

his four days later – that’s how we became

best mates. Pearcey called us Tweedledum

and Tweedledee, because we stuck it out for

nine months together recovering from our

injuries. We’d go out to the car park, pushing

one of the physio’s cars to help strengthen

the leg muscles. You’d take the handbrake

off, but there’d be messing about – someone

would quietly put it back on.

“Forest were getting to cup finals at that

time, and finishing in the top three. It was an

incredible period for me as a young pro.”

It also included being summoned to do

some gardening for Old Big ’Ead.

“We had a house for apprentices right next

to the ground - he used to call and have us

working in his garden,” says Dyche. “It must

be said we didn’t end up doing a great deal

of gardening - there’d be some lawnmowing

and leaves to sweep up. There could be me,

“IT’S ABOUT WInnInG GAMES

AnD KEEPInG THE CLUB In THE

PREMIER LEAGUE. IT’S SIMPLE”

SEAn

DYCHE

Clockwise from

above Going up

with the Clarets

in 2016; Dyche

has kept Burnley

there, too; “Like

my trophy?” He

tasted third tier

glory at Millwall

in 2001; during

a 500 game pro

career as a solid

central defender