Clarets Trust Petition-Credit Card Scandal

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Please sign the petition mentioned below, over 100 now signed up

CLARETS TRUST PRESS RELEASE- 13.04.06

Clarets Trust to Raise Profile of Season Ticket Credit Card Scandal

Burnley FC Chairman, Barry Kilby, at the Clarets Trust Members meeting last Saturday confirmed a significant banking problem concerning Season Ticket sales by Credit card. He also expressed his concern highlighting the detrimental affect this could have on the Club’s financial planning.


It would appear that it’s the policy of banks to hold back money for season tickets paid for by Credit cards .Debit Card payments are also affected. This is due to banks being worried that a club may not complete its fixtures in a season and that the bank would have to refund money paid through the Cards. This means that the club is paid in instalments throughout the year for sales taken directly off a customer’s card. The club are thus still receiving payments for THIS season’s tickets!!! It should be noted also that this affects all Premiership & League Clubs


Clarets Trust were first made aware of this situation at a meeting with the Club earlier this year when the Trust urged the club to publicise the problem. This the Chairman formally did at last Saturday's Clarets Trust Members Meeting.


This situation is considered to be unfair on both the Club, with the potential for cash flow problems, and on the fans that in good faith are paying money to the Club for which they expect them to immediately benefit. This also would appear to be a ploy by the banks to make money based on a feeble excuse.



Which clubs in modern times have not completed fixtures in a given season? Clubs threatened with administration at our level in the League have always completed their fixtures. You have to go back to 1992 when Aldershot were unable to complete the season’s fixtures and before that to Accrington Stanley in 1962. The banks are therefore penalising all 92 Premier & Football League Clubs, based on an argument that has affected only two clubs in over 40 years. If a club goes into administration during a season now, it will have points deducted and may face relegation but in all cases where this has happened since the law was introduced the fixtures have been completed. The most recent example of this being Wrexham.


Clarets Trust are disgusted by this situation, so much so, that Clarets Trust Chairman, Peter Pike has approached our new Burnley MP, Kitty Ussher to see if she can raise the profile of this issue. She has agreed to investigate further so hopefully something can be done for the benefit of both Club and fans alike.


The Trust have also approached Supporters Direct to widen this issue across other clubs and have now devised a petition for anybody to protest about this issue. All football fans are asked to go to the Clarets Trust website address below and sign the petition electronically online by following the links


http://www.claretstrust.co.uk


The petition will be sent to all major banks and credit card companies, via our MP Kitty Ussher. The Trust will report on progress in due course once information becomes available.