Accrington Stanley fans are celebrating after smashing their fundraising target for a big screen in the stadium.
The Reds’ official supporters club (OASSC) launched the ‘UpInLights’ campaign in November last year to raise £20,000 to fund a large LED screen at the Wham Stadium.
The screen will be used to display matchday information and allow fans to re-live highlights of some of Stanley’s greatest moments.
Fans have been given the chance to buy signed shirts and calendars, pay for the rare opportunity to become the director for the day, or sign for the club and be pictured with manager John Coleman and assistant Jimmy Bell.
Peter Leatham, chairman of the OASSC, said they have now raised over £22,000 with more funds expected to flow in.
He said: “It’s been a great effort by everyone and it’s also rewarding to see how far and wide we have had donations.
“They have been coming in from America, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, France, and all four corners of the UK.
“It’s nice to know the strength of the brand of Accrington Stanley.”
Peter said they were aiming to install the freestanding screen over the summer in time for the start of next season, but it could now be in place before the end of the current campaign.
He said: “We are now talking with structural engineers about the installation and there is a reasonable chance we can get it in before the end of this season rather than waiting until the start of next season.
“We have still got the fans’ golf day in April and the end of season presentation dinner.
“If we end up getting over £30,000 then what we will look to do is put some kind of small screen in the Fanzone area. We have been aiming to do that since it was created last year.”
The 4m by 2.4m screen will be installed next to the control box between the Whinney Hill away terrace and away seating and club bosses say it will be ‘extremely visible’ to home fans in the Clayton End and Jack Barrett stand with up to 500,000 views every season.
The Observer reported last month how David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd threw his support behind the campaign in a bid to get local companies involved.
Businesses are being urged to sponsor different highlights, alerts and team news on the large screen to help promote their firms on matchdays.
