A new European-style fan zone is to be built at Accrington Stanley FC.
By building the area the club aims to strengthen the club’s ties with the community and make home games a proper day out for families.
The project is being run by the Official Accrington Stanley Supporters Club (OASSC) and is already off to a £22,400 head start.
OASSC chairman Nick Westwell said: “Since last March we’ve been raising money to refurbish the changing rooms at the Wham Stadium and we were getting close to our £25,000 target.
“But everything changed for the better when the club’s new owner Andy Holt came on board in October, wiping out £1.2M in debt and bringing a significant cash injection to the club.
“Andy has plans for a more comprehensive redevelopment of the ground, including the changing rooms. I met with him and said we had this £22,400 already raised, but he said he’d rather see money raised by the fans spent on something that would bring a tangible improvement for them.”
Andy Holt said: “The fans and the supporters club have done a magnificent job raising this money, so I’m keen they feel the benefit of it. When the appeal started the changing rooms were the priority, but things have moved on and they need to be part of a much more comprehensive plan for the club, which is now taking shape.
“Accrington Stanley has always been a real community club and I think the Fan Zone project will build on that. It will engage the fans and help reinvigorate the club and its role in the community. It’s something the fans can get directly involved with and enjoy the benefit of for many years to come.”
The OASSC have set a fundraising target of £40,000 by June 2016.
The Fan Zone would be a permanent structure built on Accrington Stanley’s Livingstone Road ground, where fans could gather two hours before home games and for an hour afterwards.
Fans could go to the zone for something to eat and drink and be entertained before and after the match.
Mr Westwell said he wanted the zone to have a real family atmosphere, and be somewhere that could be used by the wider community for a range of different events.
To get involved with the Fan Zone project, call Nick Westwell on 07730 373433 or email n.westwell@sky.com.
