BURNLEY Football Club is building a new supporters’ shop as part of the regeneration of Turf Moor.

The expanded Clarets Store will be three times bigger than the current premises despite the club’s relegation.

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Work has begun on the building of new open-plan offices, which will bring all departments together under one roof for the first time and help improve and speed-up the service to supporters, corporate clients and community organisations.

The new store will be opened once staff have been rehoused into the new first-floor offices, which will link to existing function rooms in the Bob Lord Stand and house all club staff.

The work is not expected to be finished before the start of Burnley’s promotion push in the Championship, with the opening of the new store earmarked for October.

Temporary retail and ticketing facilities will be in place while the work is ongoing.

Darren Bentley, Burnley’s media manager, said: “The problem is we haven’t got a big enough shop.

“The existing store will stay open until the new one opens in October.”

Last August the club revealed fans snapped up 5,000 home and away shirts ahead of the Premier League season – 500 more than the previous season.

Last year’s accounts showed the club had an income of £19.6 million for the promotion season, £3.9 million from matchdays, TV money worth £11.9 million, with a commercial revenue of £3.8 million.

But figures released yesterday demonstrate how lucrative being in the Premier League is – Burnley picked up more than £65 million before ticket sales and merchandise.

As part of the Turf Moor development, turnstiles will be installed at ground level beneath the new build and long-term access to the Bob Lord Stand entrance will remain unaffected.

The main reception remains unaffected and will be open during normal office hours.

However, the club’s catering department will be relocated into the UCFB Student Services offices at the east end of the James Hargreaves Stand.