CRAWFORD Rae has pleaded with Morton fans not to seek refunds over 2019-20 season tickets as it could financially cripple the club.

The Ton chairman revealed plans to offer partial refunds to season book holders after the coronavirus caused football at all levels in Scotland to be abandoned four months ago.

It meant fans missed out on four of 18 home games they had paid up front for.

A fund has been put in place to cover payments but Mr Rae stressed the importance of people declining to ask for refunds.

If the Ton were forced to pay out for the remaining games, it could leave the club in financial turmoil come the start of next season, with fans not expected to be allowed back into games for some time.

He said: “There is no getting away from it, this year will be incredibly tough.

“The country is still in the middle of a pandemic which has played havoc with football at all levels. “Whilst we are still unsure of when supporters can return for the new season, we are acutely aware that we have a number of season ticket holders from last year that lost out on the four remaining home fixtures.

“As we now look to finalise budgets, we have sought to allocate a reserve to address this.

“With this in mind, the club is prepared to make partial refunds available to those supporters who wish to apply, although it is important to note that should all season ticket holders claim a refund, it would put a significant financial strain on the club at a time when we have little to no income stream.

“We would ask the fans who can afford to decline this offer to please do so, which would be a great relief and enormously appreciated by us all.

“We fully understand, however, that given the current circumstances, some households may need this money more than others and we will fully support any fans wishing to claim a refund for the four missed games.

“For any season ticket holder who does not get in touch we will assume that you will not be claiming the refund and we thank you for this.”

The Ton owner meanwhile says he believes the club is on the cusp of something special as work continues to hand it over to fans’ investment group, Morton Club Together.

He has urged punters to sign up and support the chance of community ownership.

He said: “We have the best manager in place and if we can give him the resources and the backing that he deserves then we will succeed.

“We want this momentum to continue and if we all stick together and trust one another, then our collective goodwill gives us the best possible chance of success.

“Let’s all get behind MCT, keep your pledges coming and help open up this exciting new chapter for Inverclyde and the future success of Greenock Morton Football Club.”