HIGH-PROFILE Clarets fans have given the club's fight for ITV Digital cash a boost by urging the bosses of Carlton and Granada to pay up.

Clarets chief executive Andrew Watson said the five famous fans had written to the two chairmen, Charles Allen of Granada and Michael Green of Carlton, to support the club in its fight for the payment of money still owed after the collapse of the digital TV station.

The Clarets are due £2million next month and should have received more during the season as and when matches were screened. Football League clubs are owed £178.5million in total.

But they were left to fight for their money after ITV Digital went into administration in April. They are taking Carlton and Granada - the companies who set ITV Digital up - to court, claiming that they are liable for the TV station's debts.

As revealed in last night's Lancashire Evening Telegraph, Clarets chief executive Andrew Watson will join a mass protest by Football League chairmen outside Carlton's Knightsbridge headquarters next Wednesday.

Watson said Labour press secretary Alistair Campbell, BBC Head of Sport Peter Salmon, award-winning TV producer Stuart Binns, weather man John Kettley and Daily Sport editor Tony Livesey had made their protest in writing - and Watson is urging all fans to do the same.

"We have written to each supporters club to give them the names and addresses of Granada and Carlton and fans can also find the addresses on our website.

"We also urge fans to write to their MP."

The Clarets Independent Supporters Association are backing the request and have even taken it a step further by writing to the Football League for help to organise a mass protest by the fans of all 72 clubs.

The CISA wants fans from all clubs to write to Carlton and Granada bosses to show their contempt at the way the TV companies have disassociated themselves with ITV Digital since the company went bust.

The CISA have written a dummy letter for fans to copy and send to the bosses of the TV companies.

CISA Treasurer Angus Williamson said: "We suggested a set letter on a postcard that fans could sign and send to Carlton and Granada.

"We wrote to the Football League this week to ask if they could distribute the letter to all the clubs and ask them in turn to distribute it to their fans.

"There must by hundreds of thousands of fans of League clubs. That is a lot of pressure we could be putting on Granada and Carlton."

The copy of the letter for Burnley fans reads: "I am a long time supporter of Burnley Football Club.

"This club, which I cherish, is now threatened by your failure to live up to the agreements you as owners of ITV Digital entered into two years ago.

"I am aghast that companies of your size and stature could contemplate actions which leave even one Football League club in a perilous position, let alone them all.

"I must urge you to reconsider your position. Football clubs are a vital part of the local communities and economies they serve. They give expression to the aspirations of so many, inculding often disadvantaged members of the community.

"Your actions will also damage the youth development programmes, which have clearly become so important in the modern, competitive world in which our children live.

"Please think again. The damage being done could be incalculable."

The dispute centres on the collapse of ITV Digital, which was set up by Granada Media and Carlton Communications.

The Football League last year signed a three-year £315million deal with the digital TV station for the rights to screen League matches.

The Football League filed a claim for the money in the High Court against Carlton and Granada, claiming that they were liable for ITV Digital's debts.

The case is due to be heard at the end of the month.