IPSWICH Town are encouraging supporters not to use credit cards when renewing season tickets after a proposal by Premier League sponsors Barclaycard to only pay football clubs small amounts over the course of a season, writes Derek Davis.

IPSWICH Town are encouraging supporters not to use credit cards when renewing season tickets after a proposal by Premier League sponsors Barclaycard to only pay football clubs small amounts over the course of a season, writes Derek Davis.

Blues chairman David Sheepshanks last night confirmed supporters will be encouraged to pay by cash, cheque, debit card or a 0% direct debit agreement, when season ticket renewal forms are sent out in the next few weeks.

And Sheepshanks insisted that despite reports elsewhere, Barclays bank have not refused Blues access to their season ticket revenue due this summer.

He said: “That is simply not true, we will have access to season ticket revenue just as any other club would.”

Barclays have agreed to restructure the current £5m debt owed by Ipswich over 12 years but do not have any say in how season ticket sales are used.

The bondholder, Norwich Union, has also agreed to restructure the £25m to beyond the original 25 years; this bond is guaranteed against the sale of 8,000 season tickets.

In a completely separate issue, the club will not get the full amount of season ticket revenue up front from people who pay using a Barclaycard or a NatWest streamline card under new proposals. In a move which will affect virtually every club in the country, the credit card companies are refusing to pay the whole amount to league clubs up front but instead will pay in increments either by negotiation or pro rata to games, even though supporters will have paid the full amount.

Sheepshanks said: “We are not refusing to accept credit cards but we would encourage supporters to use other means of payment.

“The reason for this is that Barclaycard, in common with other credit card companies such Streamline NatWest, are adopting an increasingly strict approach to the whole of the football industry and not just Ipswich.”

Barclaycard are the sponsors of the Premiership but their proposals will affect all clubs, including those in the Premiership.