Cup boost may get club on track

Bosses at Chasetown FC could be set to re-ignite plans for a Sports Village at the club in the wake of the recent FA Cup success.

Burntwood councillor Paul Atkins, who himself played with the club as a young man, believes the club's fortunes could mean the multi-million idea could be revived.

The plan had stalled because the club's stadium was in greenbelt, which prevented any development but now Councillor Atkins, who watched Chasetown progress into the second round, believes the current run could get the project going again.

Bosses at Lichfield District Council have been working with the football club and Burntwood Parish Council to try and develop a way around the problems.

It is thought the stadium is only 100 yards inside the greenbelt boundary which the council could re-designate as land for community use. The sports village idea will cost as much as £4.5 million. No funding can be secured until the problems have been dealt with.

Councillor Atkins said: "Hopefully we can use the success in the FA Cup as a platform to get the sports village plan moving."