BOSSES at Accrington Stanley have not ruled out changing the club's name after claiming the town 'doesn't deserve' a Football League team.

As an April Fool's joke today, the club website announced that from next season the League Two side would be known as Lancashire Stanley.

But club chairman Eric Whalley said that behind the humour was a serious point.

He said: "We've had emails and telephone calls from all over Lancashire from people saying they support the idea since we put it on our website.

"Our attendances this season have been awful.

"The 1,200 people we get week in and week out deserve a medal.

"But the people of Accrington don't deserve a league team."

Chief executive Rob Heys added: "Without doubt it was a bit of fun and an April Fool.

"But the more we think about it, the more it makes sense.

"We are obviously struggling to raise the imagination of the people of Accrington, so perhaps widening the net in terms of supporters is the way forward.

"No disrespect, but we're struggling to get gates over 1,000.

"A change could open it up to people in the area who don't have a team or people who want to take us up as their second team."