Town are encouraging fans not to buy their season tickets with credit cards when they renew their Portman Road seats in the summer. Barclays, Natwest and other card providers are holding back clubs' summer revenue from season tickets and paying them instalments throughout the season.

The move is not specifically aimed at Town with the policy being implemented across the all professional leagues. Previously financially struggling sides have been individually stopped from receiving their entire revenue up front in the summer, Oldham being one such club.

Town chairman David Sheepshanks says that the club would prefer it if fans paid for their tickets by cash, direct debit, cheque or debit card. He says banks are protecting themselves: "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 as Streamline NatWest, are adopting an increasingly strict approach to the whole of the football industry and not just Ipswich."

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