MEMBERS of a Blackrod football club are celebrating after plans for their first clubhouse have been approved - nine years after they first came up with the idea.

Jim Monks, aged 57, joined Blackrod Town nine years ago as a player and remembers initial talks about building a club house at that time.

But setbacks meant that plans for the £300,000 project were only submitted to Bolton Council this year.

Now president of the club, Mr Monks is thrilled that the club house - which will include changing rooms, kitchen, function room and store room - has been given the go-ahead.

The project to be built on a play area off Vicarage Road will also involve upgrading the existing junior football pitch to form a top quality, full-size pitch and relocating the play area that will be lost in the development.

Two-thirds of the funding is from Sport England and the Football Foundation, but Blackrod Town has to raise the final £100,000.

The team, which plays in the West Lancashire Premier Division, plays on a council-rented pitch and uses the nearby community centre as a base.

Mr Monks said: "It will be great to have somewhere to call home at long last.

It also means we can offer ladies football and can concentrate more on bringing in junior teams, who will eventually play for the first team.

Building work should start in the spring.

The next fundraising event is a sportsman's dinner at Aspull Village Club, Aspull, from 8pm on Friday, October 15.

Tickets cost £25 and include a three-course meal and entertainment featuring former Manchester United player Paddy Crerand and comedian Venn Tracey.

Contact Ron Haydock on 01204 695662 for details.