PRESTON North End has bought a new star - its training ground!

The club has bought the facilities at Lea Sports Ground from its current owners, Westinghouse UK Fuel Business.

This ends a 20 year search for PNE to own a permanent training ground. The last training ground it owned was Wilbur Farm which it disposed of in the 1970s.

The club have been using the Lea Sports Ground for five years and now aim to upgrade it to give its players facilities to rank with the best in the game.

Tony Scholes, PNE chief executive, said: "This purchase is as important to PNE as buying a new star player. It has been an objective for some years now to secure a permanent training ground for the club.

"The club will now be able to invest further to give PNE a first class training facility, which will help to attract and retain the very best players."

PNE has also pledged to work with the Springfields Social and Recreational Association (SSRA) football teams which currently use the facilities to ease any issues resulting from the sale.

Club chairman Derek Shaw said: "This is an exciting day in the history of PNE. For the first time in 20 years we now own our own training facilities since the club disposed of Wilbur Farm".

Allistair Short, a season ticket holder, who has seen PNE train and play home and away over the past 20 years, welcomed the purchase.

He said: "The football pitches are good at the Lea Sports Ground, but the facilities need upgrading. Will it make them play better? Probably not!"