FOOTBALL fans took part in a dramatic race through cyberspace to grab a piece of Accrington Stanley history.

In an auction on Internet site ebay that ended on Wednesday night, at least a dozen people bid hundreds of pounds to get their hands on the "holy grail" of club memorabilia.

They had their eye on an extremely rare matchday programme from Stanley's last-ever Football League game away to Crewe on 2 March 1962.

The club went out of business three days later, so the result - a 4-0 defeat for Stanley - was deleted from records, making the programme even more valuable.

After nine days of tense bidding, ebay user Rick Chapel was sharper than the rest, snapping up the programme for £312.29.

Stanley was reformed in 1968 and is now in with a terrific chance of regaining League status after 44 years.