FOOTBALL'S coming home - thanks to the football league's decision to put Preston back on the soccer map.

The national headquarters will transfer their operations just 15 miles, from Lytham St Annes to Preston in a move to 'a more suitable town for the millennium'.

It will be the second time the headquarters have come to Preston. Previously they were based in Starkie Street before moving to Lytham in 1959.

Preston North End Chief Executive Peter Church is delighted with the move.

He said: "This is fantastic news for Preston. The people of the town as well as Preston North End should feel very proud to have the league - it really puts the town on the football map."

Chris Hull, the league's media relations executive, believes the time is right to make the move.

He said: "We have decided to move to Preston because the current offices no longer provide the relevant facilities for modern information technology.

"The town of Preston provides us with opportunities in all areas because it's a more suitable town."

While the Football League has been based in Lytham, top players such as Don Revie, Sir Alf Ramsey and Brian Clough have all visited.

Chris added: "Lytham has been a fantastic place for the league but it's now time to leave and Preston is the perfect location."

The news comes as a big boost for the town and joins Deepdale's National Football Museum as a major scoop for Preston.

The league will now spend the next six months searching for a new site, thought to be in the Riversway area.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.