A DATE has been set for the future of a historic cricket club to be decided.

Stackstead’s Cricket Club was threatened with closure last year after the owner of the ground, Geoffrey Fielding-Bell, made legal moves to increase rent payments.

Ron Ashworth, club president, said: “The owner wanted to charge us five times the rent we pay now for the next four years, which we thought was very unfair.

“We took the case to the county court in October for a new lease of contract.

“The club under-stands that Geoffrey Fielding-Bell failed to respond and we will meet county court officials on April 14 with a hope that we can pay the current rate for 15 years.”

The ground has been used by Stackstead players for 105 years and the club has 50 members.

Chairman Kevin Edmondson said: “We are hopeful that the court will allow us to stick to the same rent because we have been loyal to the existing contract and we have tried to co-operate with the owner.

“Unfortunately, Geoffrey Fielding-Bell wants to increase our rent by so much that we had to go to the courts to sort it out.

“No-one can get in touch with the owner, and the latest we have heard is that he is now living somewhere in mainland Europe, probably Switzerland.

The club currently pays £500 a year.

Coun Christine Lamb, of Stacksteads, said: “It is important that the club is respected due to its impressive history in the area.

“I hope that it will come through this and continue to cater for people of all ages in Stacksteads.”

Mr Fielding-Bell was unavailable for comment, despite attempts by the Lancashire Telegraph to contact him.

His legal representative was also unavailable for comment.