Albion hope to raise £100,000 from a new joint lottery and bingo initiative.

The club launched the Seagulls Double Booster at the Metropole Hotel, Brighton, yesterday.

The scheme will also help local charities.

Chairman Dick Knight said: "If we got 15,000 players we would expect to raise a six-figure sum over a year.

"All the money is going into one pot and we have three primary objectives.

"We want to strengthen the playing side and realise the potential it has in terms of following.

"There's no doubt this club is better than Division Three.

"We also want to increase our role in the community across Sussex and help build a new community multi-purpose stadium to be used seven days a week and not once every fortnight."

Punters will be able to buy a lottery and bingo tickets from Monday at £1 each with a game check sheet.

The weekly top prize per game is £1,000 with consolation prizes of over £500.

Tickets are availble for home delivery by agents, pubs and clubs, newsagents or direct debit. Contact 01273 778855 for more details.

Director Ray Bloom said: "We have Ray Woodford back as lottery manager. When he ran it before we would sell 50,000 tickets and earn around £250,000 a year."

The local charities involved receive donations based on all unclaimed prizes and a raffle to be held at the draw each week.

Albion boss Micky Adams accepts the monies raised has to be shared.

He said: "I'm given a player budget at the beginning of the season and it is reviewed but I know plans in terms improving facilities comes out of the same pot.

"I welcome any scheme that helps raise money for the club, local charities and the community in general."