MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Ray Ingleby faces a fight for control of Burnley Football Club.

The New York-based tycoon is set for further talks with the Turf Moor board over the next few days on his return from a family holiday in Florida.

But Burnley director Clive Holt today stressed that other parties were still interested.

Mr Holt refused to reveal their identities but confirmed: "There are a number of people interested.

"Mr Ingleby is just the one that has been publicly revealed.

"All will get fair consideration.

"Then the board will make a decision for the good of the football club.

"And that is to get Burnley to the highest level of football that we possibly can.

"It is all just starting and that's all there is to it."

Manchester-based company Apax Partners have already bid £1million for a controlling 51 per cent of issued shares - and their offer is still open.

Spoon-bender Uri Geller also expressed an interest earlier this season.

But Ingleby is still the name on everyone's lips. The Lancashire-born businessman is chairman of a huge worldwide business organisation, Caribiner.

He owns one and a half million shares, each with a current market value of $44.5 dollars.

Ingleby has also sold stock worth millions of dollars in order to spread his portfolio.

Michael Ellman, of New York investment analysts Schroders who were involved with Caribiner's stock market flotation, values Ingleby's personal fortune at around £60 million.

He said: "This is a guy who could find a few million pounds to put into Burnley.

"But he would regard that as something a little more than pocket change.

"For the sake of Burnley Football Club, I hope he comes to the rescue."

While talk of possible multi-million pound takeovers continues to dominate, player-manager Chris Waddle is maintaining his search at the economy end of the transfer market for an answer to the team's shortage of goals.

"We are just not scoring as many goals as we should be doing," he said.

"That's why we have been searching for another striker to put pressure on the two we have got.

"We have been talking to people but other clubs are also involved at the top and bottom and they don't want to part with them.

"But, hopefully, we will be able to get somebody in soon."

Waddle is stepping up his efforts in the loan market and he might also have to consider promoting either Colin Carr-Lawton or Kevin Henderson. Next Tuesday's Auto Windscreens Trophy tie against Notts County would seem to be an ideal opportunity for him to experiment.

But the manager is also wary of gambling on the only cup competition left open to the club.

"We want to beat Notts County and make progress in the competition because a good run can help confidence and it isn't going to cause us any problems with fixtures," he said.

"At the moment, we only have one game to re-arrange, the one at Oldham.

"A good cup run could help us and I am sure that players would rather play games than train anyway."

Waddle's lack of competition for the striking positions is clearly a problem and a new recruit could make a significant difference.

But he also wants more quality from the rest of the team around the opposition penalty area.

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