BARNOLDSWICK Town officials are hugely confident that their club will join the Vodkat League for the 2009/10 season.

The West Close Road outfit – currently plying their trade in the West Lancashire League – have officially requested an application form for membership to the Vodkat League.

To gain admission to the Vodkat League, Barnoldswick must ensure that their Silentnight Stadium meets the minimum ground requirements before April 1 next year.

Several hurdles, including the installation of floodlights and car park access, have recently been overcome.

But they must also provide a 30-seated covered area for visiting teams, and improve upon their existing hospitality facilities, ahead of a ground inspection from the Vodkat League’s ground-grading committee.

If Barnoldswick are given the green-light, after also applying to the FA, they will be join East Lancashire’s six other clubs in the Vodkat League – Bacup Borough, Padiham, Colne, Nelson, Ramsbottom United and Darwen.

Town secretary Lynn James said: “It’s always been in the club’s constitution to reach the minimum standards of the North West Counties League.

“We are very confident that we’ll have the ground ready for next season.”

Barnoldswick Town was formed in 2003, being an amalgamation of Barnoldswick United and Barnoldswick Park Rovers.

By taking the name Barnoldswick Town, they re-adopted a name used by an earlier club in the Lancashire Combination in the 1920’s and 1930’s.