Banbury Rugby Club could soon be back drinking in their own clubhouse. That's the message from Russell Harrison, the property developer who completed the purchase of the club's Bodicote Park ground last week.

Agent Peter Mitchell with the new owner of Bodicote Park Russell Harrison Ever since the company running Bodicote Park's affairs went into receivership at the start off the year, Banbury have been unable to use the catering and bar facilities at the ground's magnificent clubhouse.

Instead, the players and officials have been forced to drive a mile down the road to Banbury Cricket Club for their post-match activities.The trustees, who were running the ground before the sale to Harrison, were fearful , losing their 80 per cent tax exewmption, if the cluhousae was to be seen being used for commercial puroposes.

Banbury club officials were expecting the situation to continue, but Harrison, who has promised to spend £6m on the ground over the next few years, looked sympathietically on the rugby club's plight.

He said: "They had a fantastic facility here, but it hasn't worked out, for whatever reason.

Upset

"Hopefully, with our help, we can make the whole site work and enhance the club.

"I can see that, in the short term, the club could use the facilities at Bodicote Park. They are the first people I want to talk to."

Harrison, who lives in Sandford St Martin, said that he hoped to meet rugby club officials before the end of the week.

"To make the business viable, I want to secure the future of rugby at that site," he added.

It is understood that, in about five years, the rugby club might have to share their main pitch with a football club, possibly Banbury United, although Harrison refused to confirm this.

Earlier this week, rugby club officials had been upset by remarks made by Harrison's agent, Peter Mitchell, of White Mitchell.

He said: "The rugby club have absolutely nothing to do with this site, except they have used it. Their attitude has caused some ill-feeling."

The club's secretary Bryan Davies said: "These remarks are not exactly helpful. Remember, if it wasn't for the rugby club developing this 32-acre site, there wouldn't be any sporting facilites here at all."

Harrison said: "Peter was talking technically, about the use of the site. We are quite amenable in having the site used by football and rugby."

Cherwell District Council have already decreed that four of the current nine pitches on the site be used for football.

While the exising two-storey cluhouse will be turned into a sport and fitness centre by Bannantyne Health and Leisure, Harrison has promised to build a new pavilion on the site for the use of rugby and football players.