ONE of the oldest football clubs in Lancashire are looking to create a brighter future.

Breightmet United, who were founded in 1880, are looking to expand by increasing its number of junior players.

The Bury Road club are calling on boys and girls to give them a try in a bid to grow their junior section.

The club, whose seniors play in the Manchester League First Division, currently have one junior team.

But they have ambitious plans to offer more sporting opportunities to local youngsters which could add up to seven more junior sides.

Club secretary Marlene Murphy has issued an invitation to boys, girls and parents to visit their training complex.

As part of the plans they have refurbished the ground and training complex.

Old chairs have being ripped out and replaced with new ones and an artificial pitch has been improved in a bid to increase the club's appeal.

Breightmet are looking to set up teams in several age groups from under-8s to u17s and introduce a girls' team for the first time.

If their plans come to fruition they hope players will be able to remain at the club throughout their junior football years and progress through the age groups all the way to the senior side.

Mrs Murphy said: "We’re historically built around senior teams but we want as many junior teams as we can, and we want girls on board too.

“If we have so many different age groups, it’ll allow players to continue at the club and move through the ranks for the next 10 years.

“We need coaches as well, and there are plenty of parents who would love to coach but simply don’t know where to start.

“We hope they will come along and bring their children. Come on, let’s make it happen.”

Breightmet coach kids aged four, five and six on Friday evenings.

First-team manager Paul Roberts, who is also on the club’s 10-man committee, said: “Our ambition is to become successful, make the best team possible and reach the Premier Division of the Manchester League.

“We need to find ways of making money because we’re funding ourselves.

"The people here care about the club – I played for the under-18s team when I was younger.

“I have a full-time job and I have lost my assistant manager Simon Wilcox to the reserves, and with me managing the financial side of the club, too, we’re stretched.”