AFC NELSON has secured a 21-year lease on its Little Wembley stadium from Pendle Council.

The club, which officially changed its name from Nelson FC in May 2012, had previously been denied a long-term lease because it failed to comply with a number of terms.

However, the council has agreed to extend the club’s lease on the ground, at Victoria Park, after a behind-the-scenes overhaul, which included the appointment of a new board.

The Admirals will play in the North West Counties Football League First Division next season.

The council agreed the deal at a meeting of its Nelson committee on June 3 and it was ratified by the executive last week ‘to enable the club to move forward and provide long-term stability’.

The club, which has strong links with Accrington and Rossendale College, recently appointed a new chief executive, Dave Edler, and announced plans to launch a new matchday media project, Nelson FC TV.