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Help with new stand

4/ 7/2008

ACCRINGTON Stanley are hoping to get help with their new stand from the Football League’s "Football in Community" body.

The club have to have 1000 more seats in place according to Football League rules.

They did apply for special dispensation not to build them as they do not need the extra seats but have been told it has to be built by the May 2009 deadline.

The club expect to put up a new stand on the Whinney Hill terrace and are in talks with the Football in Community department, which is part of the Football League Trust, about the plans for a stand.

And the aim is for it to be a community-based stand - available to the people of Hyndburn as a whole for a wide range of uses.

Chairman Eric Whalley said: "They are helping us with plans and the bid to make it a community and football venture."

General Manager of the Football League Trust Dave Edmundson said: "We will be working with Accrington Stanley and help with the redevelopment of the stand as we are doing nationally with a lot of football clubs.

"We did it with Preston North End’s stand and the Primary Care Trust."

Preston’s new stand at Deepdale was in partnership with the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust and includes a long term conditions health centre as well as 3,700 seats and hospitality areas.

Edmondson continued: "We hope, at Accrington, it will be used for a multiude of ways for the community and not just to be sat in on a Saturday afternoon.

"We would work alongside the football club as the parent body and help schools, local authorities and Primary Care Trusts to get involved with the club and make it a magnet for the community."