A primary school is getting a helping hand from a former England goalkeeper to improve football facilities for youngsters.

Christ the King School on The Moss wants to raise cash to improve its playing fields, allowing them to put in three new football pitches.

Supporting their bid is Joe Corrigan, who played more than 450 games for Manchester City during their glory years in the late Sixties and early Seventies.

Joe, who also got nine England caps, is a big friend of the school as his grandson Joseph, eight, is a pupil.

The mixed faith school, formed by the  merger of St Barnabas C of E and St Edward’s Catholic schools, moved to a new site on Fir Grove last year.

However there is a slope on the playing fields and problems with drainage, making it nearly impossible to play football there.

The school has been given an estimate of £50,000 to make improvements which would allow them to install two 7-a-side and one 9-a-side pitch. These would be shared with  the local community and it is hoped a new football team can be set up on the Moss Estate.

The school is hoping to generate half the money through grants from the local FA and other agencies.

But it is launching a fund-raising effort to raise the rest of the cash, with ex-City stopper Joe heavily involved.

Joe, who lives in Tytherington, said: “I’m just helping in any way I can. I had them write to Trevor Brooking at the FA, as me and Trevor played together in the England squad, and he was very helpful.

“We are hoping to get some grants from the local FA but are also hoping local industry and commerce will put their hands in their pockets.”

Joe said it was vital for the local community to have good sports facilities.

“The days of being able to go out in the road and have a game of football are gone.

“Youngsters need a facility which they can walk to and which is safe, especially as the area around the school is very built up.”

A former coach at Liverpool and West Brom, Joe also raised the possibility of holding soccer schools on the estate.

“It’s just a pleasure to see youngsters playing football and enjoying themselves and it’s just something I would love to be involved in,” he said.

Norman Hill, head of sport at the school said: “The kids on the estate are great, but at the minute, the nearest they can go to play football is Tytherington.

“We need to get our pitch in a condition where it can be used regularly. If we could set up a new team it would be fantastic.”