BURNLEY Football Club has asked all office staff if they are willing to take voluntary redundancies amid a major restructure of the club's finances.

And the club's town centre shop has closed as part of the cuts.

Club bosses have stressed that any job losses are to be voluntary at this stage and that consultation with employees will continue over the next fortnight.

Financial constraints have forced the club to close its Turf Moor in Town shop, which operated in St James's Street since December 1999.

Club spokesman, Eduardo Abiss, said: "As part of the restructuring, all staff have been asked if they want to take voluntary redundancy. We are still going through consultations, which will be happening over the next two weeks."

Mr Abiss added: "The shop has served the club well in its five years of trading. "We are having a complete re-structuring of the club because of the financial difficulties. We want the club to be more robust financially.

"The shop doesn't make enough money for us to justify keeping it open. There are two members of staff at the shop, but they will not necessarily be made redundant." The club has been boosted by the news James Hargreaves has renewed its sponsorship of the ground's North Stand. The local plumbers' merchants' deal was due to expire at the end of this season but they have now agreed to another five years of sponsoring the stand at a "substantially increased" amount.

Speaking about the deal, chief executive, Dave Edmundson, said: "This is a fantastic deal for the club and is the continuation of a superb partnership."

Gordon Rothwell, managing director of James Hargreaves, added: "We're thrilled to be able to continue our long standing association with the football club."