New training ground will not be a distraction for Preston North End prior to the big kick-off

Preston North End expect to be fully moved into their plush new Euxton training ground by early October.
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The Lilywhites completed the purchase of the site from Wigan Athletic’s administrators yesterday, a £1.6m deal having been negotiated last week.

Maintenance work has already started, removing the Wigan signage from around the site and putting Preston’s stamp on it.

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PNE’s financial and admin staff are likely to move to Euxton in the next couple of weeks with the playing squad following during the October international break.

The changing room at PNE’s new training ground at EuxtonThe changing room at PNE’s new training ground at Euxton
The changing room at PNE’s new training ground at Euxton

Peter Ridsdale, advisor to North End owner Trevor Hemmings, told the Lancashire Post: “We don’t want to distract the players from the build-up to the season and their training. 
“So they will move down there during the international break in October when there are no games.

“We’ve got all the gym equipment to move from Springfields – Wigan have obviously taken their gym equipment with them.

Alex Neil and his staff went down to look round on Monday and were delighted with what they have.

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“We’ve got a team down there at the moment doing what work needs doing.

“At the moment the Wigan signage is around the place and that will be replaced with Preston North End logos.

“There are a few adjustments we are making before we can move in.

“We’ve taken on the groundsman at Euxton who was there with Wigan, also a caretaker for the site and a cleaner who were there.”

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When the first team leave Springfields – North End’s training base since the 
mid-1990s – the club’s Under-18s will move in. They are currently based at UCLan’s Sports Arena in Cottam.

It is likely that the plans to build a new training 
ground on the site of the former Ingol Golf Club will be abandoned.

PNE have had planning permission since 2017 to build at Ingol, the permission also including an extensive housing development in the area for Hemmings.

The club own the land on which the training ground was due to be built.

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On the pitch, North End drew 0-0 with Burnley in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Deepdale yesterday.

Alex Neil changed all 10 outfield players from the side which had beaten Mansfield in the Carabao Cup, as he looks to give all of his first-team squad an equal share of pre-season action.

Alan Browne and Sean Maguire missed the game as they are away on international duty, while Declan Rudd and Darnell Fisher were absent because of injury.