BURNLEY have been handed a massive financial boost after Barry Kilby's near-£1m proposal to buy the club's Leisure Centre was given the green light.

Shareholders at last night's annual general meeting at Turf Moor voted unanimously to back the venture, which would see £925,000 flow into the coffers to improve cashflow and help offset an estimated £2.3m loss for the current year.

Under the proposal, Kilby will take over ownership of the Leisure Centre in the form of a cash 'loan', with Burnley Football Club able to buy it back at the same price two years from any original sale.

Little, if any of the money, looks like being made available to help manager Stan Ternent boost his squad for the second half of the season.

But it does allows Kilby to provide some breathing space by bailing the club out following a gloomy AGM, where club chiefs painted the picture of the club's parlous short-term financial state.

This year's projected losses have already risen from £1.5m to around £2.3m through a loss of revenue through season ticket holders and a reduction in 'walk-ups' - those fans paying on the day.

That was the main thrust behind the recent 'Walk Up for Burnley campaign, aimed solely at winning back lapsed supporters.

But Kilby, who has repeatedly tried to stem that flow with regular cash injections, warned shareholders that the short-term "won't be pleasant."

Vice-chairman Ray Ingleby, who was unanimously re-elected, praised Kilby's latest cash commitment, and made his own emotional appeal for fans to throw their weight back behind the club.

Ingleby said: "It's another huge show of faith by Barry Kilby and everyone, including the members of the board, should be thanking him for what he is going to do.

"If anything has come from the meeting, it's the fact that we have a great club here that is going to get greater.

"But what we do need is the continued and enhanced support of fans, both the general public of Burnley and wherever there is a Burnley fan.

"We can't do everything here, so we do need people to come to the games and support their club in voice and spirit and financially so."