Sir Tom Finney pub reopened by ex-Anchor pair

Landlords who left one pub in mysterious circumstances last month have reappeared at another a mile away.
Sir Tom Finney pub, PenworthamSir Tom Finney pub, Penwortham
Sir Tom Finney pub, Penwortham

Enterprise Inns, which owns the Sir Tom Finney pub in Central Drive, Penwortham, confirmed Martyn Driscoll and Liam Mills - who until recently had been running The Anchor Inn in Hutton - had taken over after the previous landlord left.

The company confirmed the pair had taken over at the Finney the weekend before last, despite Mr Driscoll denying any involvement with the pub when asked by the Evening Post on Wednesday.

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He also once again declined to comment on their reasons for leaving The Anchor, claiming legal action was underway.

A spokesperson for Enterprise Inns said: “We are pleased to confirm that the Tom Finney is back open and trading, with new publicans Martyn Driscoll and Liam Mills.

“(The week before last) the pub closed for a short period of time when the previous publican decided to leave the business.

“With the help of Martyn and Liam, we were able to quickly reopen the Tom Finney and we now hope members of the local community will continue to support and enjoy this popular pub.”

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Mr Driscoll and Mr Mills were unavailable for comment yesterday.

The Sir Tom Finney pub – named after the late great former England and Preston North End footballer – was left in darkness for several days at the end of February, to the surprise of regulars and the brewery which owned it.

At the time a spokesman for Enterprise Inns said they had been given no prior notice of the landlord’s intention to leave.

The news came just days after The Anchor Inn in Liverpool Road was unexpectedly closed following Mr Driscoll and Mr Mill’s departure.

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In the weeks beforehand, they had unveiled a £38,000 toilet makeover and were planning on a ‘Grand Reopening’ to mark their first anniversary at the pub, featuring an X Factor star.

Brewers Greene King, which owns the Anchor Inn, insist that they have no plans to sell the Anchor building or flatten it for housing, and are actively looking for a new licencee.

They said their aim was “to have the pub back up and running in the next couple of weeks.”