VAUXHALL Motors chairman Alan Bartlam is confident the club's future as a Conference North side will be secured soon.

He has been boosted by the news that the Conference has extended the deadline date for erecting a 500-seat grandstand from April 2007 to April 2008.

The Rivacre Park club had previously suggested that a problem obtaining the required finances from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund (FSIF) could price them out of building the grandstand by the original deadline and lead to them having to withdraw from the league.

But Bartlam has now revealed that the Motormen are close to clinching a deal with building contractors to resolve the issue once and for all.

He said: 'The Conference have extended the deadline by a year and, although that does not do anything to resolve the issue of funding, we are now close to making an announcement about our plans.'

Bartlam was also pleased to confirm that Carl Macauley's side have secured a pre-season friendly with an Everton XI.

The Goodison Park club will send a squad comprising youth and reserve team players to Rivacre Park on Saturday, July 29 (kick-off 3pm).

The match is the highlight of the Motormen's pre-season schedule which also features games at Airbus UK, Colwyn Bay, Bangor City and Burscough.

Vauxhall's youth secretary and development officer Linda Edmunds has received an FA Charter Standard Community Club Award for her sterling efforts behind the scenes with the club's youth, juniors and ladies.

Coach Billy Whitfield was also rewarded for his superb work with the Motormen's young players.