BURNLEY are hoping fans will talk a good game to help fund playing success at Turf Moor.

One of the money-raising schemes about to be launched by the Clarets to continue the financial restructuring of the club is a telecom package.

Burnley are set to join forces with a telephone company and will take a cut of the income generated by callers switching to the network.

"It's a unique programme. We will be selling telecom services, Burnley branded, with the club receiving a commission.

"The benefit to companies and individuals will be that it will be on lower rates than BT," claimed Clarets' vice-chairman Ray Ingleby.

It's planned to launch the scheme in the New Year in one of several deals Burnley have been working on in conjuntion with service providers.

As well as the opening of the new town centre club shop, a number of other 'affinity programmes' are also in the pipeline involving financial institutions, who will provide financial services such as mortgages, insurance and credit cards with the Burnley brand. "One of our big on-going revenue streams is affinity programmes where we sell fans products and in return get commission from the product producer.

"The club will get commission on this which we hope, over time, will be substantial. And all the money will be injected back into the playing side," added Ingleby, who has become increasingly involved in the commercial side of the club since being appointed as the club's vice-chairman in the summer and scaling down his business interests in the United States. He explained: "My role is working with Andrew Watson, who has been an incredible find for us and who has completely turned around the behind-the-scenes operation of the club.

"I am the representative on the board looking at the commerical and financial activities of the club and generating new revenue streams for the club.

"In a lot of clubs, the vice-chairman is the person who gets involved in the financial side of the club."

The Clarets are still losing money every week and are set to announce a record loss of £1million for the last financial year.

But the situation is being addressed, while also looking to provide funds for team manager Stan Ternent.

"I think next year, whichever division we're in, we will be financially viable. We have to be," said Ingleby.

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