FOOTBALL'S coming home -- to Darwen -- with more than half a million pounds on its way to improve pitches and changing facilities in the town.

Blackburn with Darwen Council today announced it had been successful in securing a grant from the UK's largest sports charity, the Football Foundation, for improvements to Blacksnape playing fields.

This cash will go towards building state-of-the-art changing rooms and improving drainage at more than half of the pitches at the site.

The council was supported in its application for the grant by the borough's football development group, local clubs, leagues and the Lancashire Football Association.

Council officers will now start det-ailed drawings and invite companies to tender for the work, which is expected to start early next year and be completed by the end of 2006.

Councillor Dave Smith, executive member for culture, leisure and sport, said: "The playing fields have been a popular site for many years and the improvements will ensure that the pitches and changing rooms are of a high quality.

"We hope to encourage more teams to use the facility, especially juniors, girls and women's football."

One of the groups which will benefit from the development will be Darwen Rangers, wo use the pitches and the rundown changing rooms.

Bill Stemp, chairman of Darwen Rangers, said: "We have more than 230 members from our under sevens to under 16s, including an under ten girls' team. They are all going to benefit from this development and it is well overdue.

"Some of the mini-pitches which were done initially are okay but the others have been badly in need of drainage for several years. Last year we had a three or four month period where they could hardly play at all."

The Football Foundation, funded by the Premier League, the Football Association, Sport England and the Government, aims are to improve facilities, create opportunities and build communities with their grants and the Darwen project fulfilled all the requirements.