BACUP and Rossendale Borough are targeting a place in the Football League after rebranding under a new name.

The club has adopted Rossendale into its name in a bid to appeal to football fans across the Valley, and ambitious manager and owner Brent Peters is eyeing a place in the Conference National, one tier below the league, in the next decade.

Peters has appointed two new non-executive directors to try and bring a more professional approach, with Rob Carder looking after commercial development and Paul Fitton in charge of finance.

Peters said: “When I came here some 16 years ago the club was in complete disarray and I made a statement at that time that there was no reason why this football club couldn’t be competing in the Conference in 10 years.

“One or two people since then have said one day you’ll wake up, saying it’s a dream, well it wasn’t a dream and it’s still not a dream.

“We’ve got to get the imagination of the people of Rossendale. With the people in Rossendale it could house a Football League club, there is no reason why it can’t.”

The idea to bring Rossendale into the club’s title came following the demise of Rossendale United, a club close to Peters’ heart.

“Sadly our neighbours Rossendale United have gone,” he said.

“Being a lad brought up on the Staghills estate, I lived across the road from the ground all my life, I was a ball boy, I actually played for the club and then to see that club no longer in existence, it’s soul destroying.

“They declined because there was nobody as passionate as myself and my staff to make it survive. Had there been they would have been here today.

“Bacup are now the most senior football club in this Valley, we are flying the flag so it is important we incorporate and adopt the name of Rossendale.”

The club has set a target of promotion from the North West Counties League within the next three years.

“In the league we are in at the minute, we are five promotions from the Football League,” said Peters. “But the hardest league to get out of is this one.

“One of the reasons for that is that everywhere else in the football pyramid there are play-offs, but here there is only one team that gets promoted.

“We’ve set our target of three years to get out of it and then hopefully a promotion every two years after that.”

The final piece in the jigsaw for Bacup could be relocation to Rawtenstall, although Peters said that was for the future.

He said: “In an ideal world if we’re Rossendale you would like to be central to the area.

“I’ve always had my eye on the end of the bypass in Rawtenstall.

“At the minute we’re at the Brian Boys West View Stadium and we’re proud of the stadium, but who knows in time?”