COMBINING football talent with higher education is the winning initiative being run by Worcester City Football Club and the college of technology.

The scheme, now in its second year, has 40 promising footballers under the wings of the blue and whites while they continue studying for a Btec National Diploma in sports science.

Terry Dillingham, of Worcester College of Technology, said the initiative not only fed new talent into the blue and whites' squad, but also gave students sound grounding in sports.

He believes the club's current push for a new 6,000 capacity stadium in Nunnery Way would be of huge benefit to the scheme, run by Worcester City youth team coach Ray Woods and player Mark Owen.

"I want to see the club have a first class stadium, to match the city's rugby and cricket facilities," Mr Dillingham said.

"The current ground in St George's Lane is not the facility this city needs in 2002.

"Part and parcel of attracting local talent into this scheme and to the club is having a stadium to look forward to playing in and to aspire to.

"It's all about nurturing talent, and a new stadium can only be good for the club and community."

The college's course has already doubled its numbers and boasts one student who has represented the first team in the Dr Martens Premier League.

Six other players have also become regular members of the first team squad.

The new stadium, with a part-grass and part-synthetic pitch, would allow up to 40 hours of playing time per week, up from the current eight hours.

A new five-a-side pitch alongside the ground would also boost the community's use of the facilities.

Plans include stretching the age range of up-and-coming stars in the club's reserve and youth teams to include 11 to 18-year-olds.