AN East Lancashire football club has released the first images of how its £1million new stadium might look. Colne FC has submitted the coronavirus delayed planning application for the redevelopment of its Holt House base to Pendle Council. It includes computer-generated graphics of proposed new ground off Birtwistle Avenue. The redevelopment scheme would see the current 1,300 spectator stadium demolished and new ground with a potential for three new stands taking up to 1,750 fans initially built in its place. It would have an floodlit 3G artificial pitch, bar area, function and changing rooms and a two smaller 7-a-side grass pitches. Chairman Ryan Haigh said only the proposed North and South Stands, with a capacity similar to current ground, would be built initially but gaining planning permission would permit the building of a third West Stand to increase capacity if the club progressed up the football pyramid.
The duo have committed to the Borough Park club until the summer of 2023. It follows the impressive work done by Grainger and Rudd over the last two campaigns. They were denied promotion from the Northern Premier League North West Division last season by the curtailment of the campaign after the Covid-19 outbreak. Reds were top of the table then, and sat third when the current campaign came to a halt. Former Carlisle United captain Grainger, 34, said he was over the moon to have extended his stay with the west Cumbrian club. We are excited in the direction the club wants to go, and can’t wait for next season whatever challenges lay ahead, said the man from Eamont Bridge near Penrith, who took charge in 2019 shortly after ending his playing career.