MORE than 2,500 people have signed a petition urging West Lancashire League officials to allow Turton FC to be promoted to the Premier Division.

The amateur club finished second in Division One, which should have been enough for promotion, but they’ve been denied the chance to go up.

League bosses said it was because they failed to meet a ground improvement deadline.

The club has been backed by some big hitters – including West Ham boss Sam Allardyce and Bolton’s very own celebrity Vernon Kay.

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It comes after West Lancashire League sides were told at their annual general meeting last June that improvements to grounds had to be completed by March 31 this year.

But Turton chairman Peter Gray insists they could not do ground developments, which includes female changing facilities, during the season as heavy machinery driving across the pitches would have seen games called off.

He said: “We have been in discussion with the FA this week but no decision has been made.

“We had had a lot of interest around it and the petition has really gathered momentum.

Turton were outraged as Hesketh Bank were allowed promotion to the top flight last year and able to get ground improvements completed by the start of the season.

“We will have completed the work by the end of June – well before the start of the season.

“Hopefully common sense will prevail.

“At the moment we’re being told ‘the rules are the rules’.”

“On every level of football you know that if you finish first you get promoted and if you finish last you get relegated. It seems that we are being punished despite our success.”

John Brown, general secretary of the West Lancashire Football League, said: “The management committee meeting at the end of the season said that under the national league system clubs going into our Premier Division must have Step 7 graded by March 31.

“Turton are not in that position so our position is that they would not be promoted.

“Hesketh Bank’s improvements were only cosmetic.

“It was stated in the grounds chairman report the deadline was March 31 and we would not be extending that date and all clubs must abide by it.”