A FOOTBALL club in Northwich have changed the name of their home ground to show solidarity with a campaign that supports survivors of child abuse.

Barnton will play matches at the Offside Trust Stadium for the rest of the season.

“We’re driven to help an organisation that has already achieved amazing things,” said chairman Steve Lloyd.

“We also wanted to do something different to some of the excellent work other clubs have done to raise awareness of the issue.”

The Villagers, who play in the North West Counties League’s second tier, announced their plans on Sunday.

They host FC Oswestry Town at their base on Townfield Lane next weekend, when dozens of children who play for the club’s junior teams have been invited to watch the game.

Lloyd added: “With our kids’ section now established we felt the timing was right to make this move.”

The Offside Trust describes itself as an organisation committed to supporting survivors while working to make sport safer for children.

Former Crewe Alexandra midfielder Steve Walters, among the first to speak out about former coach Barry Bennell – a serial paedophile who was jailed in February for abusing boys, is one of its founders.

He said: “To have a stadium named in our honour is certainly a first.

“We’ve had some fantastic support from across grassroots football, with several teams wearing our logo and more than 50 grounds displaying one of our boards.”

Walters, now 46, is a name familiar to football supporters in the town following a five-year spell with Northwich Victoria, who he joined in 1995.

Vics have backed the Offside Trust since establishing a partnership before the start of last season, and their first-team players are among those to wear shirts with a distinctive green and white logo.