Bilston Town Football Club submit improvement plans
Bilston Town Football Club have submitted plans for a major improvement of their ground.
Bosses want to build a new fitness room and toilets at the ground in Queen Street.
They are hoping the money will come from a football stadium improvement grant from sport charity Football Foundation, which is funded by the Premier League, FA and Sport England.
Bosses at the charity are set to decide before the end of the month which clubs across the country will benefit from the grants.
Bilston Town chairman Graham Hodson said: "The Football Foundation have already accepted our application so we are in a strong position and are part of the conversation, but we will find out before the end of the month if they are going to give us the amount we asked for in its entirety.
"If they decide that isn't going to happen then we will go back to the drawing board and look at how we can improve our ground through our own budget."
The proposed improvements would signal the start of a new era of facilities for the club.
Bilston Town was founded in 1894 after Bilston Rovers and Bilston Wanderers merged to form Bilston United and have played at Queens Street Stadium, which has a capacity of 4,000, including 300 seated spectators, since 1919.
The current toilet block has been in use for more than 50 years and the plans would see it knocked down and replaced with a new building. It would be behind a new boundary wall, which would face on to Queen Street, with the current wall being knocked down.
Mr Hodson said: "We believe these improvements would benefit both the club and the local community going forward.
"The toilets have fallen into a state of real disrepair and these improvements would benefit the experience of our regular supporters and any newcomers.
"A fitness and physio room would really help our playing staff.
"The new wall facing on to Queen Street is something that the public would benefit from, because at the moment, the outward facing wall isn't aesthetically pleasing."
Bilston Town will host a charity game tomorrow for a young girl battling quadriplegic cerebral palsy.
The club will contest the John Martin Trophy against Willenhall Town with the annual local derby being played to raise cash for Willenhall toddler Lillie-Grace Scott.
The game takes place at Bilston's Queen Street ground at 7.45pm, with entry costing £3.
