Stanley chairman Ilyas Khan said the club’s dream of building a new £5 million ground could become a reality – if £1 million can be raised by its share issue.

Mr Khan said that if the £1 million figure was reached it would allow him to contribute £2 million towards a new stadium.

But he warned that the club could not survive without eventually leaving the Crown Ground.

Mr Khan told the Observer: "If we raise £1 million over the next three years then the club will not require any capital from me, which means I can then contribute to the stadium development, which I estimate to be £2 million from myself towards the total of £5 million."

At an open meeting last week, Mr Khan said the club was still hopeful of a potential move to a new stadium near Hyndburn Sports Centre.

Mr Khan said: "We still need to move. If we stay here we will not survive, but that’s a few years away.

"A new stadium will cost millions of pounds and we can’t hope to raise anything like that.

"However, with the help of the council and other people we might be able to move to another site with a partner or commercial entity who would then pay for the redevelopment.

"But there’s so many ifs along the way that it would be wrong to assume we can do it in the next year or two."

The club has issued 9,999 shares which at £100 each could raise up to £1 million for the coffers. If that happens Mr Khan has pledged to give away his own shares.

He said: "Then the club will be owned by everybody. We’ll then have enough to be able to build our own home."

Stanley fan Rob Russell said fans had faith in Mr Khan’s vision for the club’s future. He said: "I’m not altogether sure what the short term and long term goals are but, having said that, in Ilyas we trust. The man has a plan and has saved us once or twice before.

"I would like to be able to stay at the Crown Ground but there’s no real room for developing it."

The share issue was given a glamorous town centre launch by pole dancers, Serena Smith, owner of Dance Finesse, wowed shoppers along with Alice Molyneux, 18, and Nic Harbord, 19.

Church grandmother Freda Pickavance became the first Reds fan to pick up her share certificate during the half-time break of the Cheltenham game. To order a brochure on the share issue, visit www.wearestanley.co.uk or text Robert Houseman on 07754 665730.