FORMER England cricket coach and lifelong Accrington Stanley fan David Lloyd is backing a fundraising push to see the Reds' changing rooms brought up to modern standards.

The Official Accrington Stanley Supporters Club has launched a drive to see £25,000 raised to spruce up the club's Store First Stadium training ground.

And Accrington-born Lloyd, who grew up a stone's throw from Stanley's former Peel Park ground, is supporting the raffle that is helping raise the cash.

He said: "Accrington Stanley's been my life since I was about seven years of age, but we need to bring it up to date, the players need better changing facilities."

Lloyd even had a spell playing for the club in the 1960s in the Lancashire Combination, before his talent for cricket took his sporting career in a different direction.

The supporters club has launched a grand raffle, aiming to raise the money needed to rebuild and refurbish the outdated changing rooms. It has already passed the £5,000 mark, with Lloyd happy to put his hand in his pocket for his own tickets.

And it's not the first time the club's loyal fans have done their bit to improve their 'second home' - the changing rooms at Peel Park were built by the supporters club in 1937.

Tickets, at £5 each, are being sold by supporters and from the club shop, with the winners to be drawn at a Saturday home game in October this year.

First prize is £1,500 cash, with other prizes including £500 cash, a new season flexi ticket, a colour TV, signed club merchandise, a day out at a professional racing stables and a round of golf with two of the Accrington players.

Supporters club chairman Nick Westwell said he was delighted with how the raffle was going so far, with a great response at this month's Accrington Food and Drink Festival. But he also urged more fans to follow David Lloyd's example and buy their tickets.

He said: "We are trying to bring everyone together as one and to get the local community, and anyone who loves football, right behind this bid to make our club more comfortable and welcoming for players and visitors alike.

Raffle tickets can also be bought direct from Nick by emailing n.westwell@sky.com.