A PROLONGED players' strike could cost Wanderers millions in television revenue.

As the war of words hotted up in the dispute between the Professional Footballers' Association and the Premier League, Football League and Football Association, officials at the Reebok were sweating on the financial implications.

Each live game they feature on Sky Sports is worth a staggering £500,000 to the club whose success in the Premiership could see a variety of their fixtures in the second half of the season picked out as feature games.

Although they have only featured in two showcase fixtures up to now - the home game against Liverpool in August and Sunday's match at Ipswich - they could figure prominently if a strike is avoided.

But they did not even know whether the threatened strike, called by the PFA, would affect the game at Spurs on Monday December 3 - their third scheduled "live" match.

Statements from the players' union have been ambiguous - some claiming the dispute would affect matches ON the weekend of Dec 1 and 2 while others have suggested the dispute would affect all games FROM those dates.

Wanderers' secretary, Simon Marland admitted: "We don't know one way or the other, but we are sweating on the money."

It became increasingly clear as the day wore on that the leagues and the FA would take the matter to the courts in an effort to obtain an injunction that would buy time for further negotiations to take place.

But the war of words was becoming increasingly bitter with PFA chief executive, Gordon Taylor blasting the Premier League's negotiators as "patronising and arrogant" while Birmingham chief David Gold accused Taylor of "empire building".

ITV Sport bosses, meanwhile, pleaded with the two parties not to leave huge gaps in the station's schedules in 10 days' time.

Despite the chaos caused by Taylor's move - to increase the union's cut of TV income - ITV Sport insist there is "still time" to halt the walk-out.

Spokesman Paul Tyrrell said: "We maintain that and hope an amicable resolution can be agreed. We still believe there's time.

"It would affect all broadcasters as the threat of strike action is at all grounds with TV cameras."