We’re proud to be sponsorship partners for Preston North End FC and to celebrate, we’re looking at five iconic moments for the Lilywhites.
1. Founder member of the English Football League
One of the proudest moments in PNE’s history must be being one of the founding members of the English Football League in 1888.
Alongside fellow Lancastrian clubs Accrington, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Burnley, PNE were a pivotal part of football history in this country.
12 visionary clubs came together under the direction of pioneer William McGregor to build what is now known as the English Football League (EFL).
2. Sir Tom Finney
After joining the club as a teenager in 1938 until his retirement in 1960, the skill of Tom Finney wasn’t on show until his first team debut in 1946, after being delayed by the Second World War.
His genius and gentlemanly conduct was, and still is, and example for all footballers to follow and brought great credit, not just to the maestro, but also to his home town.
The skill of Tom Finney was the most important aspect of football at Deepdale. The honour of being made Freeman of the Borough and the award of the CBE for services to football was just reward for this footballing legend.
In further commemoration of Tom Finney, the club's address was changed in 2008 to Deepdale Stadium, Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston. This road is part of the A6063, formerly called Deepdale Road, which runs past the west side of the ground.
3. World’s oldest football ground
Deepdale has been Preston North End’s home since 1878, and is the world's oldest football ground in terms of continuous use by a club in a major league.
A takeover in 1994 saw PNE embark on an investment programme which had the main goal of upgrading Deepdale into a modern stadium.
The old ground was demolished and rebuilt in four stages and the last of the new stands was opened in 2008. Part of the redevelopment included the original National Football Museum, which opened at Deepdale in 2001 before relocating to Manchester in 2012.
4. 1993/4 play-offs and the end of the plastic pitch
The Play-Offs were introduced in the same season as a plastic pitch was first laid at Deepdale, in the summer of 1986.
PNE’s first Play-Off Final brought their first trip to Wembley since 1964 for the 1993/94 season, in the old Third Division under the management of John Beck.
Torquay United were the opponents for the Play-Off semi-final, with the first match being played at Plainmoor and ending in a 2-0 Torquay win. The second round was played on Wednesday 18th May 1994, when memorable scenes were witnessed at Deepdale.
North End went 1-0 up within the first ten minutes, only to see a two-goal advantage regained by the visitors before half-time.
It was the red card for Torquay defender Darren Moore ten minutes before half-time that spurred North End on.
They scored twice in the second half to take the game to extra-time – Torquay looked like holding out and winning on the away goals rule until Paul Raynor scored with only four minutes left on the clock, securing PNE’s trip to Wembley.
That night, the plastic pitch was taken up after the game, with the majority of the work done by the fans. Many of them immortalised the game by taking home a piece of the pitch for their house or garden!
5. The end of the Wembley curse
The Lilywhites had struggled in the Championship for a few years before being relegated in 2011 to the third-tier of English Football – League One – where they remained for the next four years.
Following the departure of manager Graham Westley in February 2013, former Huddersfield Town manager Simon Grayson came to Deepdale to try and change fortunes around.
A rejuvenated PNE side finished in the Play-Off places in the 2013/14 season, but Grayson's side ultimately fell short of promotion, losing to Rotherham in the Play-Off semi-finals.
But the following year, a ten-time Play-Off hoodoo was brought to an end, with a fantastic season that looked to be heading for automatic promotion. A loss at Colchester on the final day of the season meant it was the Play-Offs once again for the Lilywhites.
Grayson picked his team up and on 24th May 2015, led them to a 4-0 victory over Swindon Town under the arch at Wembley, with a hat-trick from Jermaine Beckford and one from Paul Huntington sealing a return to the Championship.
