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Preston prepared for sale?

As yet unconfirmed reports are suggesting that Preston North End may be put on the market with a valuation of £50m. The club is being presented as having the potential to be the next Burnley, a club punching above its weight in the Premier League. Preston has, of course, a much bigger population than Burnley, also a founder member of the Football League.

There is not said to be any pressure to sell and there have been no discussions with potential buyers, nor have advisers been hired. Property magnate Trevor Hemmings, who has been majority owner of Preston since 2010 through his vehicle Deepdale PNE Holdings, is in his eighties and last June his son Craig was named chairman of the club’s board.

The club has a relatively low turnover by Championship standards, but is in profit. Preston’s Deepdale Stadium is owned by the club and the land on which it sits is occupied under a 125-year lease to Preston City Council. The club owns the freehold of the 14-acre Springfields training ground, and also has ownership of a 24-acre site with planning permission in place to construct a new training facility.

Preston have looked as if they might be in the frame for promotion to the Premier League in recent seasons, but have suffered a lack of form at key points in the season. The club clearly has potential for the right buyer, but an early sale is not likely, rather it is an option that is on the table.

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