Accrington Stanley have been left reeling after its main backers pulled the plug on a five-figure annual sponsorship deal.

Stanley officials were left stunned when bakers Holland's announced its decision yesterday.

The Baxenden-based company has supported the club for the last five years and has its name on the team's shirts.

The company is now keen to continue its links with the club on a smaller scale and there are no plans for it to transfer sponsorship to another club.

The decision leaves the Crown Ground club desperately searching for a sponsor before the kick-off of one of the most important seasons in its recent history.

The club is planning to bring its ground up to Vauxhall Conference standards in a bid to put the town back on the soccer map. Stunned commercial director John Demaine said: "Holland's have been good supporters of Accrington Stanley but we have now got to look for another main sponsor as soon as possible.

"This is money that we need to keep the club going, more so at this level because we don't get the gates that other clubs in higher leagues attract.

"Sponsorship is a big part of football these days and clubs have to be run as a business.

"We are having a lot of work done to the ground to get it up to Vauxhall Conference standard ready for a big push next season."

Holland's marketing manager Dials Day said: "We have sponsored the club for five years, which is a long time in the world of football sponsorship.

"It is well known that sponsorship has a natural cycle, usually a period of three or four years.

"Holland's has valued the associations with such a well known, historically important team and will look back on the last five years with pleasure. We have both benefited and enjoyed the partnership but feel that it is time to let another company take on the role of being the official sponsor of the famous team."

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