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Barry Kilby gave the strongest hint yet that Dean West would not be returning when he said that the Clarets had cut their playing staff from 28 to 21 meaning Fred had been added to the six released in April.
Although none of them would actually say it directly there was certainly no real support for the way the Football League had got them into this mess and Barry added that he was refused when he asked to see the TV contract.
It was clear that Burnley had been hit the hardest of the three but only because Preston had been able to pick up money for Jonathan Macken and David Moyes in March that has helped them through this crisis. Oyston was quick to point out that the loss of the deal had not hit 2nd Division clubs as hard as those in the higher division.
Derek Shaw was the only one of the three chairmen to attend the picket last week with Kilby and Oyston both out of the country. Karl Oyston did admit that he would not have attended had he been available whilst Barry Kilby was not asked the same question. Shaw admitted that the turn out was disappointing given the massive support it had received initially at a chairmen's meeting.
There was also some debate on the news that broke over the weekend relating to the problems with the club’s web sites. Premium TV are scheduled to pay the clubs £35 million but are now trying to get that waived in return for the clubs receiving 80% instead of 50% of future profits.
All three said they would prefer to receive the money rather than go for any increased profits but Derek Shaw went further by suggesting that Preston were ready to take their official site back in house. He said that they had run an excellent site before and that they could do it again. Without actually saying the same Barry Kilby gave the impression that the Clarets could consider doing the same.
The clubs virtually sold their souls two years ago when they signed up to a deal for their sites for a period of around twenty years. This is another area where it now looks certain will see a major difference between the League’s Chief Executive David Burns and the clubs.
It was a reasonable discussion but one that could give us no answers. Derek Shaw though said that it wouldn’t be the fans who would foot the bill at Preston for the shortfall and he said they had reduced prices this season because you just can’t keep putting a pound or two on year after year.