A LIFELONG Accrington Stanley fan has backed the club's quest for glory with a major sponsorship deal involving the renaming of the Crown Ground.

And Stanley chairman Eric Whalley today defended the decision to adopt The Interlink Express Stadium name and told any sceptical fans: "Give me £100,000 and you can call it what you want."

Mr Whalley revealed the Reds will ditch the Crown Ground name after a five-figure, three-year sponsorship package was announced with parcel delivery company Interlink Express. The money from the deal will be ploughed into improving the ground with plans to build a 1,700-seat stand, complete with conference and function rooms and a gymnasium, in the pipeline.

Interlink Express, which has a base on Huncoat industrial estate, operates a parcels collection and delivery service through more than 100 franchises throughout England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands.

It is owned by La Poste, which is the second largest operator in the European parcels and logistics market

Graham Charnleyowner of the North East Lancashire distribution centre for Interlink Express and also a life-long Accrington Stanley fan said: "The association and renaming the Crown Ground as the Interlink Express Stadium provides vital funding to the football club in its quest to regain full football league status. It also gives us a firm foundation in continuing to be one of the UK's leading parcel carriers."

Mr Whalley said the deal was purely about business and said that without money there would be no progress after Stanley';s promotion to the Conference last year. He said: "It's about business and financial stability for Accrington Stanley."

Mr Whalley was adamant that the money would not be spent on players and wanted the deal to benefit the Accrington community who would. hopefully. be able to use the facilities which the deal should help build. He said season ticket sales had doubled and all next season's matches had been sponsored, a testament to the huge interest the club's promotion hadprovided.

The Interlink deal follows last week's announcement of a £45,000 three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Hyndburn Borough Council.