BLACKPOOL and Brewers supporters are joining forces to help pay for a new community facility at the Pirelli Stadium.
Burton Albion Community Trust has recently secured nearly £850,000 from The Premier League & The FA Facilities Fund towards the £1m cost of building an artificial pitch.
BACT has received additional support from Trent and Dove, The Consolidated Charity of Burton and East Staffordshire Borough Council Local Neighbourhood Development Fund and has now started a major funding drive to bridge the £100,000 shortfall.
This will begin with a collection at the Blackpool home game with fans asked to support a project that will provide a much-needed community facility which will be used not only to deliver the trust’s programmes but also by a wide range of clubs and organisations in the Burton area.
The Blackpool Supporters Trust is supporting the collection and is asking fans visiting the Pirelli Stadium for the January 2 fixture to also put their hands in their pockets.
Andy Taylor, head of community, says: “It’s far greater than Burton Albion Community Trust and the football club. It’s about supporting the development of football, sport and community engagement in the Burton area.
“The collection will be the first step in a major fund-raising drive that will help us deliver the facility. We are hoping as many Burton Albion supporters as possible will get behind the project and we are delighted that visiting Blackpool fans will also be getting behind us.
"We thank the Blackpool Supporters Trust for their backing and encouragement.”
Andy Higgins, of the Blackpool Supporters Trust, said: “The Blackpool Supporters Trust is right behind these kind of initiatives and if we get the word out and have a joint presence on the 2nd, I’m sure the travelling Blackpool fans will dig deep.
“It’s always good to show unity between football fans and this is a good-news story to start off 2016.”