BURNLEY Football Club's stars of tomorrow have been given a boost on the road to success following a £6,000 donation by a fans' website.

Members of Clarets Mad have raised over £8,000 towards the Year of the Youth', aimed at fast-tracking teenagers through the ranks at Turf Moor.

And Burnley's head of youth development Vince Overson recently invited supporters to see the fruits of their labour following the delivery of a hi-tech computerised smartboard.

He said: "A picture paints a thousand words and the smartboard is a very visual and hugely interactive learning tool that will be invaluable to this club.

"By filming games and feeding the information into the smartboard, we now have the ability to show the youngsters their faults and hopefully help them learn quicker.

"For me, I think it is the only way forward to teach young footballers and it is absolutely fantastic that the supporters have rallied round in this way.

"It just shows the interest in youth development.

"It is a very emotive topic in Burnley and still very much alive and kicking."

Tony Scholes, from Clarets Mad, added: "I can't believe the response we have had.

"It has taken off and the more we mention the youth, the more money comes rolling in.

"We have spent £6,000 on this smartboard and already we have another £2,000 raised, with more to come.

"But it doesn't stop there and we will carry on raising money until the end of the Year of the Youth."