THE Football League is hopeful that a deal for a highlights package will be in place by the end of the month, giving the Clarets and other clubs a much needed injection of cash.

But Burnley, along with all other first division clubs, has demanded that they are given the chance to look at any proposal before pen is to put to paper.

Chief executive Andrew Watson explained: "As a club we have demanded that we have some form of input because deals in the past have been presented as a fait a compli.

"That is exactly what happened with the ITV Digital deal but I am sure that if the clubs had been given the chance to scrutinise it someone would have picked out that there was no written guarantee from the parent companies Carlton and Granada.

"The figures that have been bandied about in the past have been very high and as clubs we want the opportunity to have our say.

"It should be down to the chairmen of the Football League clubs whether to accept an offer from any broadcaster.

"We believe it is in the League's interest to have us look at and ratify any deal because if things did go wrong again they would have covered their backs."

It is inevitable that any cash received will still leave Burnley far short of the £4million deficit in the club's budget and one figure that has been suggested is just £50,000 for the season.

But the club is hoping that the negotiation process will end with a significant sum being secured and is also aware that some money is better than none.

Having missed out on the signings of Marlon Broomes and Marlon Beresford, a windfall could allow Stan Ternent to bring in a new face with the keeper still a target.

Also a highlights package would guarantee much needed exposure for the club and help them to promote their commercial ventures.

League spokesman Ian Christon admitted: "The League is in detailed negotiations with more than on company and we are confident that a deal will be concluded before the end of the month.

"The negotiations have deliberately been kept close to the chest and we don't want anything to leak out.

"But we will not be consulting all the clubs because getting 72 people to agree on something is going to be almost impossible.

"All clubs have had an input because they set-up a commercial committee to handle the negotiations and we assume they will keep everyone informed.

"But that committee will make the final decision along with the board of the Football League."

The Clarets banned ITV Digital's Goal Rush programme from Turf Moor and Christon explained: "It is up to individual clubs to decide which journalists they will admit.

"But ITV has absolutely no right to have its cameras at any Football League ground and that will be the case unless they come up with a deal."