CHORLEY are hoping to increase attendances at Victory Park with a 'bring a mate, double the gate' when Stocksbridge Park Steels are the visitors in the resumed First Division programme on Saturday.

The club has targeted the match against the South Yorkshire side to introduce the scheme to boost crowds which have dipped to below the 200 mark several times this season.

With financial support from the owners at half of last year's level, the club is desperate to see attendances increase to at least an average of 400 to allow more funds to be available to team manager John Hughes.

The supporters' group, Magpies Trust, is backing the scheme, hoping more fans will be enticed to the match as there is no competition from neighbours Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End.

Mark Rees, acting chairman of Magpies Trust, said: "The Stocksbridge match is a great opportunity for the club to attract new support.

"Quite a few fans of local league sides come to watch Chorley anyway, and we are hoping that more will come down this Saturday. If you've never been to see Chorley before, this is a great chance to try it out."

While the team has struggled to pick up points this season and currently lie third from bottom in the Unibond Division One table, the side has won plaudits for their style of play and have at least shown more consistency lately drawing their last four league matches.

Particularly impressive has been midfielder Jamie Vermiglio although John Hughes was forced to deny this week that he has been approached by Nationwide Conference side Morecambe.

Hughes was expected to ring the changes for Tuesday night's postponed game in the Unibond League Challenge Cup second round against Mossley with Phil Power, Ryan Hutchinson, Neville Neslon and Paul Posteraro all expected to get an outing for the first team.

The second-round winners go through to the last 16 and the 16 losers will fight it out, also on a knockout basis, for the President's Cup. As the League Cup third-round stage won't be over until December 7, when Bamber Bridge meet Burscough, the President's Cup line up won't be known for a couple of weeks.

Midfielder John Borland has been sidelined for six weeks after being injured in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brigg Town, when Daniel Douglas-Pringle scored the second-half equaliser.

Borland, a recent signing from Colne, was taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle, and, although John Hughes said the injury was not as bad as it was first feared, he is not likely to be back in action until the new year.