FOOTBALL fans will soon be able to watch the action unfold from the comfort and safety of a new seated stand thanks to a £57,000 grant.

Shildon Amateur Football Club (AFC) received the cash from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund to replace the 70-year-old wooden stand at its ground in Dean Street in Shildon, County Durham.

The grant boosts the £57,000 already raised by the EBAC Northern League club and means work can now begin on site.

It is hoped the new 200 seat stand will be completed before Christmas.

Nicknamed the Railwaymen, Shildon AFC was formed in 1890 and has enjoyed in success in recent years, winning the league two seasons ago and securing fourth place in its last campaign.

Attendance at matches has also started to rise and there are teams catering for players as young as four.

Officials are keen to improve the facilities to enable the club to continue growing and, along with the new stand, there are plans to improve the clubhouse.

This makes a significant contribution to the club’s income but has has remained unchanged since the 1980s.

It is hoped that upgrading the building will encourage more members of the community to make use of the facility in the future.

Shildon AFC chairman David Dent said: “Thanks to the support of the Premier League through the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, we can now offer our supporters and the wider community a much improved experience when they come to the game.

“Shildon AFC prides itself on being a true community focused football club and the improved facilities will not only benefit supporters watching our first team but also all of those who attend academy games and our development centre days.

“This is an important milestone for the club and hopefully will be the catalyst for further improvements to the ground as we seek to go as far as we can up the non-league system. “

The new stand will have disabled access and will also be more manageable for people with less serious mobility issues.

Various fundraising events have been held to help raise the funds, along with contributions from the Supporter’s Club and campaigns such as Seat For Life. This invited supporters to donate £100 in return for having a loved one or business name engraved on a seat on the new stand. The club still has funds to raise for the project.

  • To find out more about Shildon AFC and the Seat For Life campaign, visit shildonafc.com