THE FORMER secretary of the Lord Nuffield Club in Cowley claims he cannot step outside his door without angry former members asking him why it is being sold for students to use instead of them.

The club in Barracks Lane, which was founded as the Morris Motors Social and Athletic Club about 80 years ago by car magnate and Oxford benefactor Lord Nuffield, went into administrative receivership in July 2009.

Now receivers at financial firm Moore Stephens have accepted an offer from Oxford Brookes University to sell the 30,000 sq ft clubhouse, which cost £4m to build, along with the adjoining bowling green, for £2.5m.

But former secretary Michael Kelly, with developer Eddie Costello, who put together a deal that involved building 70 homes on club land to finance the new clubhouse, are calling for a campaign to persuade Brookes to withdraw its offer.

Mr Kelly said: “We have a scheme in mind, with the backing of Eddie Costello, which would bring the club facilities back into community use.”

And long-term club member Paul Humphrey, supply chain director at Unipart Leisure & Marine, has persuded the Ombudsman to examine the circumstances in which the club committee obtained finance for building the clubhouse in the first place.

He told The Oxford Times: “There was no proper due diligence carried out by the bank that lent the money. And that is important from the members’ point of view because if they had not built the new clubhouse, and instead stayed in the old one, the club would not be up for sale now.”

He said Brookes was being conciliatory and that he was planning to meet university representatives. He said: “I have put a business plan together which would allow local people to share the facilities.”

Mr Costello, of Chesside Homes, said: “It will be a tragedy if the local community loses this club, particularly as the Temple Cowley pool and fitness centre is closing.” He said he would put up money to save it, if Brookes pulled out.

Mr Kelly said: “Everyone knows the club had difficulties, but we had it up and running. Then it was the electricity bill that finally forced it into administration.”

Cliff Cooke, who looks after maintenance at nearby William Morris Close, said: “Residents are very worried that the peace and quiet might change when the club becomes a Brookes facility. There seems to be everything for students and nothing for them.”

Oxford Brookes University said no one was available to comment.