CAMERA crews are set to descend on the village of Stoneclough to film a new Netflix drama series about the origins of football.

Production company Nutmeg (42) Ltd has arranged for filming of The English Game to begin at Stoneclough FC's pitches on Tuesday.

The camera crews have already been busy capturing the beautiful Smithills Hall for the six-part drama, with ladders and technical equipment being dismantled yesterday after shooting finished on Monday.

Will Partington, landlord at The Grapes Hotel in Stoneclough, said: "This is really good for the community, especially for Stoneclough FC who will hopefully be benefitting from this exposure.

"It will be great to see the series when it's done and to see what they have done with it. It should be interesting.

"We have had football teams in Stoneclough for as long as I can remember. Hopefully the series will show something from Bolton Wanderers' glory days."

Downton Abbey director Julian Fellowes has written the series — a dramatic adaptation of a true story set in 1879, which centres around a young football player who moves to Darwen to play for the local team amidst industrial unrest. The drama also explores how the game “reached across the class divide."

The star-studded cast includes Line of Duty's Craig Parkinson, Kingsman's Edward Holcroft, as well as actress Kate Phillips (Peaky Blinders) and Joncie Elmore (Downton Abbey), to name a few.

Sets and displays are currently being installed at the Market Street pitches in preparation for next week.

Stoneclough FC's ground is being converted into a stadium dating back to the late 1800s. Dressing rooms are currently being built on a wooden structure and a large six-foot-high fence has been installed. Lighting is being provided by Kearsley-based Panalux.

The series draws on the formation of Blackburn Rovers FC, a founding member of The Football League, and Darwen FC — which was a working class football team during the period.

While filming takes place, residents have been asked to avoid parking their cars in Brook Street. The Hare and Hounds and The Grapes Hotel have offered their car parks as alternative sites for residents.

Mr Partington added: "We will support Stoneclough FC in any way we can."

A letter from Nutmeg that has been distributed to residents in Brook Street, Stoneclough, describes The English Game as an "exciting new drama."

The letter reads: "We will be filming a football match scene next week on the football pitch. As the series is set in the 19th Century, we will be seeing cars that are parked in Brook Street. We would be enormously grateful for any cars who usually park in this area to keep this clear during the filming times and days."

Filming is scheduled to take place between Tuesday, July 23 and Friday, July 26, inclusive, from 7am until 6pm.

The English Game will launch on Netflix in 2020.