http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/leeds-united-news?articleid=3072122 By Paul Robinson HARD-UP Leeds United are having to turn away customers from their Elland Road superstore because the club cannot take debit or credit cards. Leeds have confirmed they are currently only able to accept cash or cheques due to the uncertainty surrounding their so-called 'golden share' in the Football League.
United's merchant services provider the unnamed bank or finance firm which processes card transactions for the Whites has said it will not be handling any more of their business until the share is returned. It withdrew the facility when Leeds went into administration at the start of May with debts of £35m. Yesterday a sign in the window of the superstore at United's Elland Road ground warned fans that it was operating on a "cash only" basis. Another poster read: "Customer Notice: Please note we cannot accept payments by credit/debit cards. We apologise for any inconvenience caused." The situation also means that at present Leeds are unable to take money from the accounts of supporters who have paid for their season tickets by card. A spokesman for United said the withdrawal of the card facility was "normal procedure" when a business went into administration. He also said ticket payments would be processed as quickly as possible once the problems with the club's golden share were resolved. The share is, in effect, Leeds's right to membership of the Football League. It has been withheld by the governing body since United went into administration. League chiefs refused to give the share back to Leeds at a meeting on July 12 after expressing concern at the way the club's resale to chairman Ken Bates had been handled by administrators KPMG. On Friday the League announced it would be inviting the club and KPMG to a meeting early this week to discuss the matter further. Today, though, a spokesman for the League told the YEP that a day had still to be set for the talks. He declined to comment on why it was taking longer than expected for the meeting to happen. The lack of a share has stopped Leeds making any signings during the summer. They have warned that it will be "practically unachievable" for them to start the new season without it. And that possibility may be a factor in their merchant service provider's current unwillingness to handle their card transactions. Finance experts say providers take all manner of risk levels into account when deciding whether to continue working with companies which have gone into administration. The League has stressed, however, that technically a club can play in its competitions without a share for up to 18 months. _______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist Join The Leeds United Supporters Trust at www.lufctrust.org
