THE Football League have secured a £95million television deal with Sky - and the Clarets are expecting to receive around £750,000 of it.

Clarets chief executive Andrew Watson today described the deal as 'a step in the right direction' as the club fights for the £2million owed to them from the failed digital TV channel ITV Digital.

The deal means Sky will show Nationwide League games and Worthington Cup matches for the next four seasons - and a highlights package is still up for sale.

Watson said: "ITV Digital owed us £2million which was due in August and we would have got about another £1million during the season as games were shown.

"It looks like we will get £750,000 from this new deal and it's a step in the right direction.

"But we are by no means out of the mire yet. We still have to find the rest of the money.

"But the League can sell a highlights package as well so there should be another chunk of money heading our way which would be another step."

The League are pressing ahead with their High Court action against Carlton and Granada on July 26.

"If there was some type of settlement from Carlton and Granada that would be another step," said Watson.

"But it's a start and it's better than having nothing coming in. We thought we had £3million and we have budgeted for that but at least it is something."

Watson said he still wanted the fans to hold their protest outside the Carlton offices next Friday.

Watson will be joining Football League chairmen from around the country on Wednesday outside their Knightsbridge headquarters and he urged Burnley fans to do the same two days later.

"The protest must continue," he said. "And we will be going to court on July 26 to try to get the money owed from Carlton and Granada.

"They set ITV Digital up and we believe they should be liable for its debts.

"But they have never offered a settlement. It is a stalemate."

The Sky announcement came as some relief to clubs left out of pocket by the collapse of ITV Digital, who folded owing the League £189.5million from their TV deal.

The rights reverted to the League after the collapse, and they have now returned to Sky in a deal which will see more than 300 live matches shown between now and the end of the 2005-6 season. Football League chief executive David Burns: "This is great news for the Football League and its clubs and we are absolutely delighted to be returning to Sky Sports.

"This agreement will help to provide financial stability to clubs at a very important time, as well as top-class coverage of our games."

The deal will see:

60 live Nationwide League matches per season, with 50 from Division One.

the three play-off finals screened live, and the possibility of showing six other play-off games live.

two live games from each round of the the Worthington Cup plus the semi-finals and final.

live coverage of the LDV Vans Trophy final.

The matches will be screened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Vic Wakeling, managing director of Sky Sports said in a statement: "Sky are delighted to be involved with the Football League.

"We hope that the clubs can now plan for the future and we will soon schedule the first live matches, with the League and the clubs, so that fans can plan their opening weeks of the season.

"We also look forward to the play-off finals - which produce some of the most exciting games of the season - and the Worthington Cup final - which grants the first European place.

"This season Sky Sports will offer viewers over 300 live matches. Viewers will know where to find live football and can enjoy games from across the League alongside exclusively live matches from the Premiership."