IN FOCUS: PRESTON NORTH END

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Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-07-23T11:00:00.000Z

IN FOCUS: PRESTON NORTH END

Ahead of our return to the Sky Bet Championship, learn more about all 23 of our opponents

2024-07-23T11:00:00.000Z

Clarets set for Deepdale lunchtime clash in FA Cup and midweek visit to Cardiff

Fellow Lancastrians Preston were formed in 1880, proceeding the cricket club known by the same name for the five years prior. North End’s home venue of Deepdale is football’s oldest ground to have been used continuously by a league club.

Alongside the Clarets, Preston were founding members of the Football League in 1888, winning the league in its inaugural season along with the FA Cup. They did so unbeaten in all matches, becoming the first ‘Invincibles’.

They then won the league again the following season but have since won just one FA Cup in terms of major honours.

Since 1970, the club have spent the majority of time in either League One or League Two, after missing out on promotion to the Premier League with defeat in the Championship Play-Off final to Bolton Wanderers in 2001 and then history repeated itself again four years later, as the Lilywhites fell at the final hurdle against West Ham United at the Millennium Stadium.

Despite finishing in the play-off places in two of the next four seasons, Preston suffered relegation in 2011 to League One, after a 10-year absence from the third tier.

After two disappointing campaigns upon return to League One, North End secured a play-off place once again in the 2013/14 season but lost to eventual winners Rotherham United in the semi-finals.

However, promotion was sealed the following year as Preston were winners at Wembley against Swindon Town as Jermaine Beckford’s hat-trick ensured the Lilywhites were back in the Championship.

This campaign will be their 10th consecutive one in the second tier, with a 7th place finish in the 2017/18 season being the highest since returning.

Stadium: Deepdale (23,404) – Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston, PR1 6RU

Nickname(s): The Lilywhites, North End, PNE

Manager: Ryan Lowe

2023/24 Finishing Position: 10th

2023/24 Top Scorer: Will Keane (13)

Played for both:

Graham Alexander -

Alexander arrived at Deepdale in 1999 after signing from Scunthorpe United and quickly became a fan favourite for the Lilywhites. After helping North End achieve promotion to the First Divison in his first full season at the club, Alexander established himself in the starting XI and became an ever-present. Across his next six campaigns with Preston in the second tier between 2000-2007, the former midfielder only missed 15 league games, before leaving North End ahead of the 2007/08 campaign to join the Clarets. The Scotsman only missed three games in his first year at Turf Moor, before playing over 60 matches and helping Burnley seal promotion to the Premier League in his second season at the Club. Despite relegation from the top-flight, Alexander was named Player of the Season before eventually leaving in the summer of 2011 to re-join North End.

Tony Philliskirk -

Born and raised in Sunderland, Philliskirk joined the Lilywhites in January 1989 and only spent half a season with North End. Although it was a brief spell with Preston, the striker bagged six goals in 14 matches before leaving in the summer to sign for Bolton Wanderers. Bolton was where Philliskirk enjoyed his most successful spell as a player, after three years and over 150 games with the Wanderers, the forward spent a couple of seasons at Peterborough before moving to Burnley in 1994. The striker only spent a campaign at Burnley but scored nine goals for the Clarets in his time before moving on to Cardiff City in 1995.

David Eyres -

Eyres enjoyed a prolific spell with Blackpool before joining Burnley in 1993, where the striker would go on to spend four years. Following nearly 40 goals in four seasons at Turf Moor, the forward departed in the summer of 1997 to join the Lilywhites. Eyres played over 100 games in three years at Deepdale, scoring 20 times.