A Suffolk football club which can not be promoted unless it raises £15,000 for floodlights has taken a big step towards its goal.

Stowmarket Town FC are on the cusp of ending 12 years of hurt and earning promotion back to the Thurlow Nunn Premier League.

However, rules for the ninth tier have changed since their relegation in the 2004/05 season, with the club requiring upgraded floodlights or they cannot compete.

Stowmarket Town Council’s service delivery committee, which met on Wednesday, April 5, have now unanimously voted to recommend the club is given £10,000 of developer contribution funding, which the club applied for.

The £10,000 would come from a pot of money secured through section 106 agreements with housing developers. Mid Suffolk District Council manage the ringfenced fund, with the town council asked to aprove the grant.

The club raised around £4,000 through crowdfuning, and also applied for a £1,000 grant from the town council, which is likely to be accepted.