BOLTON’S newest brewery has thrown its weight behind the campaign to fund a statue of sporting legend Nat Lofthouse OBE.

Dunscar Bridge Brewery (DBB) has agreed to produce two special commemorative beers — the Lion of Vienna and Lofthouse bitters — to help raise money to erect a statue of the former Bolton Wanderers and England player.

The beers have been specially created by brewer Doug Baxendale to represent the strength and character displayed by Nat Lofthouse during his Bolton Wanderers and England careers.

The beers will be the first produced by a much larger brewery, which has been installed behind the new members-only club The Bleachworks in Dunscar Business Park.

It will replace the small brewery at The Brewhouse pub in Blackburn Road.

The brewery has partnered with The Bolton News and Bolton Wanderers, to help support fundraising for a public statute of Nat, who died aged 85 in January, 2011.

The new beers will have specially designed artwork featuring Nat in his heyday, with the Lion of Vienna beer pump clip showing him scoring the goal that gave him his famous moniker.

Owner of the brewery, Jeremy Jones, from Bromley Cross, said: “We jumped at the chance to help commemorate great local sporting legend Nat Lofthouse.

“Nat was a great footballer as well as a true gentleman and he was a popular regular in one of our pubs. We are honoured to be involved in helping raise funds to remember his great sporting achievements.

“Lofthouse will have an ABV of 4.1 per cent while the Lion of Vienna brew ABV will be 4.4 per cent.”

Bolton Wanderers’ chaplain Phil Mason, who is coordinating the club’s fundraising efforts, added: “Dunscar Brewery has really got behind the fund and we are looking forward to the launch in a few weeks’ time.”

Managing director of the brewery Pat Kitchen said: “Dunscar Bridge Brewery is privileged to be invited to create the beers for the Nat Lofthouse Appeal and we hope to help raise a lot of money towards the statue fund.”