A FOOTBALL stadium has announced plans to build a huge wind turbine as part of a £1m scheme to supply its own power.

Middlesbrough Football Club is hoping to build the 130ft turbine outside its Riverside Stadium.

It would be twice as tall as the neighbouring stadium, and will be seen from across the borough.

Club officials will today meet representatives from the Carbon Trust -promoters of environmentally friendly energy - to discuss its transformation into an "eco stadium".

Although the turbine is expected to cost £1m, the club hopes it will lead to long-term savings on electricity.

With a typical yearly bill of £130,000, it could save more than £15,000 - the equivalent of 445 home game tickets.

The club could also sell surplus electricity to nearby businesses.

Operations manager Terry Tasker raised the idea after approaching the Carbon Trust to improve the stadium's energy efficiency.

A feasibility study will now be carried out into building the two-megawatt turbine.

Mr Tasker said: "We are working with Renew Tees Valley on funding initiatives for the wind turbine and we are also considering the use of photovoltaic cells to generate the stadium's own electricity.

"Our ultimate aim is that the Riverside will be known as the 'eco stadium' of the Premiership."

Dr Garry Felgate, of the Carbon Trust, said: "We welcome Middlesbrough FC's commitment to reducing their carbon emissions and urge other local organisations to follow in their lead."

Rob Nichols, editor of Boro fanzine Fly Me to the Moon, said people's response to the idea had been positive.

He said: "People think it is quite exciting. It is good that Middlesbrough is going ahead with something like this -for the town and for the North-East.

"A lot of people have been asking about it and there is certainly a lot of interest. For a football club to lead the way on something like this sort of thing is good. Hopefully other football clubs and businesses will follow."

Mr Nichols said the feature would help away-fans find the stadium. He said: "Up until the last five years, you would look for the floodlights sticking up, but you do not have them any more, so sometimes they can be quite hard to find.

"You will certainly find ours with a wind turbine outside."

At 130ft, the turbine would still be dwarfed by a proposed 375ft apartment block to provide student accommodation in Middlesbrough. If approved it will be the tallest building in the North-East