Chairman Colin Dunstall admits Bexhill United still face a race against time to install floodlights at the Polegrove despite a helping hand from Eddie Izzard.

Izzard, who grew up in Bexhill, recently donated £5,000 to United’s floodlight fund after a chance meeting with club officials at a local awards ceremony.

But despite the financial help of the Emmy award-winning stand-up comedian the club are still well short of the £40,000 needed before their planning consent runs out next summer.

Izzard’s donation took the total raised to £15,000 and Dunstall is desperate to find the other £25,000 before the deadline passes.

Dunstall said: “We were at the Bexhill Achievers Awards after winning the division three title last year and Eddie was there too to present an award to his father, John.

“Afterwards we got chatting to Eddie and happened to mention that we needed floodlights. It was only a bit of banter really but he said he was sure he could do something to help.

“Then we had a phone call from Eddie’s father saying Eddie wanted to make a donation and a few days later a cheque arrived for £5,000.

“It says a lot that a superstar who has such a hectic schedule still found time to think about little old Bexhill. It was a wonderful gesture and was very much appreciated by everyone at the club.

“We could do with a few more stars to help out too because we are still a long way short of raising the money we need and we’ve only got eight or nine months to do it.

“We were granted planning permission a couple of years ago but it runs out next year and if we haven’t started work by then it is unlikely we’ll get it renewed.”

United won promotion from division three, plus the Division Three Challenge Cup and the Sussex County FA Intermediate Cup last season.

They are currently struggling near the foot of division two but have ambitions to reach the top flight in the future.

To do that they would need floodlights and Dunstall believes it will be difficult for the club to progress both on and off the pitch without them.

He added: “Not having floodlights does limit us so it would be a massive blow if we didn’t succeed in raising the money.

“We are an ambitious club but there is little we can do without lights. We want to play in the top division but I can even see clubs needing lights to play in division two in the future.

“It also opens up other streams of revenue because you could hold other events at the club during the winter and that is very important.

“It is going to be very difficult to raise the money needed but all we can do is appeal to the benevolence of local folk and hopefully one day we can invite Eddie along to turn them on.”