PLANS are being put in place for another meeting between the Football League and officials from Carlton and Granada in an attempt to finally resolve the ITV Digital crisis.

Clarets boss Stan Ternent is certainly hoping for a swift resolution so that he can start the rebuilding process ahead of next season, knowing his budget is in place.

Possible targets such as David Johnson and Marlon Beresford are waiting in the wings, but Ternent's hands are tied until the Clarets know exactly how much money they will have for the coming campaign.

Two days after the plug was finally pulled on the ailing company, the 72 Football League clubs got together for a meeting at Birmingham City's St Andrew's ground yesterday.

Clarets chief executive Andrew Watson explained: "We had a three hour meeting where the League again went through our legal case against Carlton, Granada and ITV Digital.

"They re-iterated that it is a very strong case but they hope that there will be a meeting one day next week when they get together the chairman of the Football League and the television companies.

"The chairman of the League will come back to the clubs with the reports of the meeting and we are still hoping to agree a settlement but if that does not happen we will have to get legal."

Meanwhile Monday's third division play-off final might appear to have nothing to do with the Clarets but the two sides battling for promotion have one thing in common.

This season both Rushden and Diamonds and Cheltenham Town produced giant-killing acts to knock Burnley out of the domestic cups.

On Monday they go head to head at the Millennium Stadium with the two newest clubs in the Football League hoping to clinch another promotion.

Ternent was upset with his players after both the defeats, 3-2 at Turf Moor in the Worthington Cup by Rushden and 2-1 at Whaddon Road against Cheltenham in the FA Cup.

But the two clubs have impressed throughout the season and are now just 90 minutes from Division Two.

Former Claret Mark Yates, who is Cheltenham's skipper claimed: "It just shows how good the Conference is, the fact that us and Rushden are there.

"It is a great advert for Conference football.

Rushden only came up last season and now they are contesting the play-off final, it is great.

"When I was at Birmingham I played in front of 57,000 in the Leyland Daf final in 1991. But this is much bigger. The reward at the end of the play-offs is huge, you are playing for so much more.

"It is a massive game and it will be the biggest I have been involved in. I still can't believe it, it is fantastic.

"We were disappointed to miss out automatically, to finish fourth. We let the third place slip out of our grasp. we should have gone up automatically but we lost a couple of games towards the end.

"But we have a second chance and we want to take it. The players are determined and it is a massive opportunity."

Cheltenham boss Steve Cotterill was full of praise for Ternent and Sam Ellis and the way they took the defeat in January and he has admitted to admiring them both after enjoying an FA coaching course alongside them. Victory on Monday would enhance the growing reputation of the young manager.

Having lost at Rushden and drawn at home Yates is hoping that it will be their turn to taste victory.