ACCRINGTON Stanley are planning ground improvements to gear up for possible promotion to the Football League.

More than £100,000 is to be spent on covering the Clayton Terrace but the club is also planning other improvements which will have to be made if the team wins promotion from the Conference League at the end of the season.

Stanley briefly went to the top of the table at the weekend after beating Forest Green, but moved back into second place when rivals for the top spot, Grays Athletic beat Exeter City.

The team remains just one point behind the leaders.

Rob Heys chief executive of the club, said around £400,000 had been spent on the main stand and the terraces behind the goals in the past seven years and the next significant step would be to cover the Clayton Terrace.

But with Stanley's promotion chances looking strong the club also has to ensure that the ground meets the requirements for it to take its place in the Football League.

He said: "The ground is very close to Football League standard but would require one or two additions such as a police control room, a spectator first aid room and a seated area for away fans.

"Although these can be arranged fairly quickly it is important that we have plans in place and ready to be put into action as soon as we know at which level we will be playing next season.

"It would be tragic if we got promoted and then couldn't play in the Football League because we didn't have these things."

Looking ahead, Mr Heys said the club would like to spend up to £1million more on the ground to provide extra seating and cover the whole ground.

He added: "One of the biggest things for Accrington is that, unlike many other clubs, we don't have any debts.

"We can work to a budget and anything we make over and above that can be put back into projects like this."

The new canopy over what will be come the Sophia Khan stand, after the mother of a fan, Ilyas Khan, who was born in Accrington, but now lives in London and has helped fund the work, is expected to be finished by the end of the season.

This development will also include new turnstiles, toilets and a bar area.