TABLE-TOPPING Clarets take on Grimsby Town tonight in front of a packed Turf Moor and the television cameras.

But with the threat of a players strike threatening their next match at Crystal Palace manager Stan Ternent has warned: "The repercussions of a strike could be horrific."

On Tuesday the PFA called for strike action to start on December 1 and Ternent stressed: "I want to avoid it and keep going, because the season's short enough in any case.

"If the players go on strike, the season could go on indefinitely."

The Burnley boss hopes that both the PFA and the FA and Football League will reach a sensible conclusion in their dispute over the distribution of television money.

And he has a word of warning for PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor.

"The history of strikes suggests that the only people that suffer in the end are the workers, which in this case are the players," he said.

"The clubs could not pay players' wages because they would be in breach of clause two of their contract, which says something to the effect that they must give of their best endeavours at all times, and play in the first team when selected. It's a very complicated issue.

"I'm sure, with the best will in the world, Gordon Taylor and the people representing the FA and the Football League, would want a satisfactory conclusion and I'm still hopeful that will happen."

Ternent is also aware that in the final analysis it is the fans who will be disrupted and having been delighted to see Burnley seats sold-out for tonight he does not want to see the momentum lost.

A former PFA member himself he admits he is now "on the other side of the fence" although the overwhelming support for action did not surprise him.

A massive 99 per cent of players backed a black-out of all games where television cameras were present which, in today's game, means any professional match.

"It was no great surprise that the players came out to a man because the PFA is held in high esteem by its members," he said.

"But I'm on the other side of the fence and I don't want the season disrupted under any circumstances.

"The TV money is vital. When you have the TV money, which is filtered down the league, then the chairman, when he gives me my budget, takes that into account.

"Some of my budget will be television money to pay wages and so there is an argument with chairmen saying that they pay the players partly on the back of the television money.

"Without that money, the wages couldn't be that high.

"But I'm sure there will be a bit of give and take, and hopefully it will sort itself out. I hope that common sense will prevail."

As for tonight, there is only one form of striking that Ternent is interested in, the sort that has seen the Clarets blast back to the top of the table.

Glen Little and Gareth Taylor are currently the club's in form strikers, with seven goals apiece and seven between them in the last five games.

And there is no need for a ballot to know what the 18,000 plus home fans think about that.