BARRY Kilby today revealed that his bid to buy Turf Moor was pitched to avoid slashing the wage bill to League One levels.

The Burnley chairman is spearheading a £3m proposal to purchase the ground and the training facilities at Gawthorpe in a bid to rid the club of crippling debts.

The Clarets still owe the bank over £1m for the redevelopment of Turf Moor, with other creditors - including loan companies still being paid following the purchases of Robbie Blake, Ian Moore and former striker Dimi Papadopoulos - taking the amount owed to £3m.

Kilby's solution, which will be put before shareholders at next month's AGM, would eliminate all outside creditors and transfer all existing debts to a new company set up by the chairman and fellow director John Sullivan.

Some supporters have expressed reservations at seeing Gawthorpe and Turf Moor - the club's ground for well over 100 years - under new ownership.

But Turf Moor supremo Kilby, who has invested around £5m of his personal wealth into the club, insists his latest proposal provides the best alternative to a potentially catastrophic wages cull.

He explained: "I see this option as a sensible way of securing the football club's long-term future.

"We had a respite from payments following the ITV Digital crash and since then, we have just been paying the interest on the debts.

"We still owe £1.1m on the stadium, a debt that was three times that amount when I took over as chairman.

"But shortly we have to start paying back the capital again and those repayments are crippling to the extent that I would have to drastically slash the wage bill to League One proportions.

"That is one league below where we are now and I'm confident that nobody wants to see us end up back there."

Kilby, who along with Sullivan will not be voting on the proposal at the AGM on December 20, added: "Some fans are saying Turf Moor is already ours and I understand that sentiment.

"But just as your house is not yours until you pay off the mortgage, so Turf Moor is not ours until we pay off our debts.

"At least this way, the future of Burnley Football Club is secured, even if I get knocked down by a bus tomorrow.

"It is entirely sensible and one day soon, I genuinely hope that the club finds itself financially secure and the assets can be bought back again.

"But this has to be voted on at the AGM and it is entirely up to the shareholders to decide whether they want to see this deal or not."

Bob Blakeborough has tendered his resignation from the Burnley FC board of directors.

Kilby revealed that his replacement, Ray Griffiths, will be voted onto the board in due course.