AN antique scrapbook which chronicles the history of Euxton Villa Football Club has finally been beamed into the digital age with the creation of a website for the club.

Richard Knight, of Yew Tree Avenue, Euxton, is the manager of the club's under 11s team, and it was his idea to give the team an on-line presence as the scrapbook was just too good to waste.

He said: "The book dates back to about 1960 and contains a report of the first ever Euxton Villa match in which they lost 3-8 at home to Kingston Rovers in front of just 30 fans!

"From then on it is incredibly detailed and someone has put a lot of time and effort into writing reports and putting photographs in."

It book was mysteriously handed down over the years until a friend at the club thought Richard might be interested in it.

Richard, a computer software trainer, said he sees the website -- www.euxtonvillafc.co.uk -- as a latter day version of the scrapbook. The site contains historical information on the team and tells how the club's ground, The Jim Flower Memorial Ground, Runshaw Hall Lane, was named after local man Jim Flower, who set up Euxton Villa in 1963.

Richard said: "The site also charts the careers of players who went on from Euxton Villa to play for bigger teams, such as Everton's David Unsworth, Preston North End's Mark Wright and Cardiff City's Chris Bonner."

Apart from archive material and a record of the old boys, the site also provides a regularly updated on-line diary, directions to away games, even a map for out-of-towners.

Having clocked up more than 5,000 hits since last July, some from as far away as Australia and Greece, the site is clearly popular.

But Richard said he is keen to make it even more so by arranging sponsorship with a local company.

If anyone is interested in sponsoring Euxton Villa's website, they can call Richard on 01257 262544.

ON-linesman: Euxton Villa aficionado Richard Knight holding the original scrapbook and checking out the website.