A WELL-KNOWN pub, owned by a company headed by Accrington Stanley chairman Eric Whalley, has gone into administration.

And the Stanley boss has revealed that the situation could threaten plans for the club to use land behind the De Tabley Arms in Ribchester as a training ground.

Insolvency experts have been called in at the historic pub, on Ribchester Lane, over a £67,500 loans dispute.

A North Wales loans firm, AAA2, has placed pub owners E W Properties into administration over a mortgage taken out on the £2.5million pub, and neighbouring land, last July.

Companies House records show that E W Properties has three directors, including Rishton-based Mr Whalley, 66, and was formerly known as Liberty Holdings (Lancashire) Ltd.

Mr Whalley has claimed the pub sell-off would damage plans by Stanley to use the pitch behind the De Tabley Arms as a training ground.

Stanley currently use land at Rolls-Royce, Barnoldswick, for training but Mr Whalley said he had agreed a 25-year lease with the owners for the use of the field, which was also once used by Ribchester Cricket Club.

Mr Whalley said: "The football club got a lease for the cricket part of it. But now its gone, it's being sold, that's all up in the air.

"I'd got a lease for the thing, a 25-year one. If I can't renegotiate with the new owners I might lose a few quid on this."

When Lancashire Telegraph investigations revealed his link to the owners of the pub, he was unavailable to comment on the reasons for the unpaid legal charges. Jason Elliott, of Manchester-based Tomlinsons, confirmed that his firm had been appointed administrators of E W Properties on March 28.

The lease was between E W Properties' predecessor Liberty Holdings and Accrington Stanley and dates back to December 8, 2006, he said.

"Under the terms of the lease, the field would be converted into a training ground and a barn area would be used as changing rooms.

"But no work has been undertaken and the field is still set up as a cricket pitch," said Mr Elliott.

The administration process was started by Aberystwyth-based AAA2 Bridging Loans, according to documents filed with Companies House.

The same report shows that £67,500 is owed in legal charges, split between the land and pub building itself.

Specialist pub management company Daisy Chain Inns Ltd has been brought in temporarily to ensure that the pub continues trading. Mr Elliott added: "We have been able to keep the business running in order to preserve the goodwill and to hopefully effect a going concern sale. Although the marketing process is at an early stage there has already been a significant amount of interest shown.

"We are confident that the next few weeks will see the completion of a sale to a party with the necessary finance and expertise to make a success of this prominent and popular venue."

E W Properties' registered office was recently changed from Liberty House, in Delph Road, Great Harwood to its current base, Pegasus House, in Winkley Court, Mount Street, Preston.