PRESTON North End may not be performing wonders on the football pitch - but off the field business is booming.

Latest results reveal a half-yearly profit of £21,000 for PNE plc - keeping the club in the black - despite spending over £1 million on new players.

Chairman Bryan Gray said he was pleased with the results in the light of the recent investment in players Rankine, Reeves and Nogan.

But he stressed the need for maximum performance on the field: "Staying in the second division is the priority. We are investing in the team because we want to go for promotion to Division One.

"You have to invest up front in the expectation that you will turn in profits in the future."

Income from commercial activities doubled to over £900,000.

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