A YORK club is planning a £30,000 refurbishment to make it fit for the 21st century and attract more members.

The Burton Lane Club has raised capital through the sale of a former steward’s house nearby, and is now planning to plough some of the proceeds into modernising the bar area.

Club secretary Dave Beavers said the clubhouse must improve to attract new members as it will lose some revenue when York City leaves nearby Bootham Crescent for York’s new community stadium next year, because fans have traditionally called in for a drink before and after home matches.

He said the changes would include moving the bar back to create more room and allow for a pool table to be installed to attract a younger element.

A partition wall would also be removed to create a dedicated darts area. “We have a very successful darts team who have recently been promoted,” he said, adding that furniture would also be re-upholstered, carpets replaced and new lighting installed.

“The club is situated in a student catchment area and is open for various function nights, such as weddings, christenings, birthday parties, funerals, band nights and charity nights such as a goth night, plus entertainment and bingo on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sunday nights,” he said.

The modernisation plan is in stark contrast to the response of several other York clubs to declining membership. The Press reported last week how the New York WMC in Blossom Street is set to close down and a number of clubs have shut over the years, including the Promenade, Groves, Layerthorpe, York INL, Fishergate and City Arms.

Mr Beavers said the Burton Lane’s future was not up "in the air", as had been suggested recently. “The club is over 100 years old and will be open for a lot of years to come,” he said.

“On Friday, we are having a half yearly meeting at 7.30pm and it would be great to see a lot of our 600 members, who don’t use the club from one year to another, attend.”