THERE was an early Christmas present for Thornton Cleveleys FC and ladies football when the club was awarded a £5,000 grant from the National Lottery Awards For All programme.

The grant will be used to buy new training equipment, kit and coaching aids with the aim of having a ladies team ready for the start of next season.

Said club spokesman Mick Foulkes: "We are thrilled to get this award. For a club like ours this is a large sum of money and it will really help us to start a ladies section.

"We are also working with the Football Foundation and hope to get further funding for ground improvements and provision of better training facilities. We have worked very hard to develop this project and to formulate the application.

"Now we have the money it's time for the real work to start. We hope to be working closely with the local schools, but if anyone is interested in playing ladies football they can contact me or the club."