Everton: BBC journo shocked by what Burnley fans did to Dwight McNeil
BBC journalist shocked by what Burnley fans did to Everton winger Dwight McNeil in first half at Goodison Park
BBC Sport journalist Shamoon Hafez was surprised by the reaction of Burnley supporters towards Everton winger Dwight McNeil during their EFL Cup tie.
McNeil joined Everton from Burnley in a reported £20million deal [BBC Sport] in July 2022 following the Clarets’ relegation from the Premier League.
The 23-year-old started against his former club in Wednesday’s (1 November) EFL Cup last-16 tie at Goodison Park and received a negative reaction from the travelling fans.
“Burnley fans are booing former player Dwight McNeil every time he gets on the ball,” Hafez said on BBC’s live blog [1 November, 20:05].
“He didn’t leave Turf Moor on bad terms, did he?!”
Fickle
As is the fickle nature of football supporters, this is hardly a surprising development.
McNeil was too good for Burnley in their relegation campaign and earned his move to Goodison, with the large payment also helping Burnley balance the books.
As pointed out in that BBC Sport report at the time of his transfer, he made 140 appearances for the Clarets and missed just two Premier League games between December 2018 and the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
If those travelling Burnley fans had forgotten about McNeil’s quality on the ball, he delivered a pinpoint delivery into the box for Everton’s breakthrough goal in the tie.
Just to add insult to injury for the Clarets, it was another of their former players in James Tarkowski who converted McNeil’s delivery.
It is a type of pain the Everton faithful know only too well, so we’ll enjoy it all the more when it goes in our favour.
