View source for Preston North End F.C.

{{short description|Association football club in Preston, England}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Preston North End
| image = Preston North End FC.svg
| image_size = 215px
| fullname = Preston North End Football Club
| nickname = North End, The Lilywhites, [[The Invincibles (English football)#Preston North End|The Invincibles]]
| short name = PNE
| founded = {{Start date and age|1880|p=yes}}
| ground = [[Deepdale]]
| capacity = 23,404
| owner = Wordon Limited
| manager = [[Paul Heckingbottom]]
| chairman = Craig Hemmings
| league = {{English football updater|PrestoNE}}
| season = {{English football updater|PrestoNE2}}
| position = {{English football updater|PrestoNE3}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.pnefc.net/|pnefc.net}}
| current = 2025–26 Preston North End F.C. season
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'''Preston North End Football Club''', commonly referred to as '''Preston''', '''North End''' or '''PNE''', is a professional [[association football]] club in [[Preston, Lancashire]], England. They currently play in the [[EFL Championship]], the second level of the [[English football league system]].

Originally a [[cricket]] club, PNE has been based at [[Deepdale]] since 1875. The club first took up football in 1878 as a winter fitness activity, and decided to focus on it in May 1880, when the football club was officially founded. Deepdale is now football's oldest ground in terms of continuous use by a league club. Preston North End was a founder member of the [[English Football League|Football League]] in 1888. In the [[1888–89 in English football|1888–89 season]], the team won both the [[List of English football champions|inaugural league championship]] and the [[1889 FA Cup final|FA Cup]], the latter without conceding a goal. They were the first team to achieve the "[[Double (association football)|Double]]" in English football and, as they were unbeaten in all matches, are remembered as "[[The Invincibles (English football)#Preston North End|The Invincibles]]". Preston won the league championship again in 1889–90 but their only major success since then has been their [[1938 FA Cup final]] victory over [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]. The club's most famous players have been [[Sir Tom Finney]], [[Alan Kelly Sr.]] and [[Bill Shankly]], who are all commemorated at Deepdale by stands named after them.

Until 1961, Preston were usually members of the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] but, having been relegated after the [[1960–61 in English football|1960–61 season]], they have not yet returned to the top flight. They were first relegated to the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] after the [[1969–70 in English football|1969–70 season]] and have spent 28 of the 49 seasons since 1970 in the bottom two divisions of the Football League, including a span of 19 seasons from 1981–1982 to 1999–2000. Preston has faced serious financial issues and was twice in danger of closure. The club was owned by businessman [[Trevor Hemmings]] until his death in October 2021 and has been in the EFL Championship since gaining promotion in 2015, with a highest finishing position since then of 7th ([[2017–18 Preston North End F.C. season|2017–18]]).

==History==
{{Main|History of Preston North End F.C.}}
[[File:Preston North End FC League Performance.svg|thumb|300px|Chart showing the progress of Preston North End F.C. through the [[English football league system]]]]
Preston North End was founded in 1863, originally as a [[cricket]] club, and played their first matches at the Marsh near the [[River Ribble]] in the [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] suburb of [[Ashton-on-Ribble|Ashton]]. Later that year, they switched to [[Moor Park, Preston|Moor Park]] in the north of the town, calling themselves "North End" in recognition of the new location. On 21 January 1875, the club leased a field opposite Moor Park on the site of the current [[Deepdale]] stadium, which has been its home ever since.<ref name=hist>{{cite web | url=http://www.pnefc.net/club/history/ | title=Preston North End FC History | publisher=Preston North End | date=2018 | access-date=25 August 2018 | archive-date=6 June 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606003846/http://www.pnefc.net/club/history/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

The club formed a [[rugby union]] team in 1877 as a winter [[physical fitness|fitness activity]] but this was not a success and, a year later, they played their first game under the [[Laws of the Game (association football)|rules of association football]]. In May 1880, a proposal to fully adopt the association code was unanimously accepted and Preston North End Football Club was officially founded.<ref name="hist"/>

Preston became one of the first professional clubs by hiring players from Scotland. The players who came from Scotland to play in England in those days were known as the [[Scotch Professors]]. In [[1887–88 FA Cup|1887]], they beat [[Hyde F.C. (1885)|Hyde]] [[Preston North End F.C. 26–0 Hyde F.C.|26–0 in the first round of the FA Cup]], still a record winning margin in English first-class football. Scottish forward [[Jimmy Ross (footballer born 1866)|Jimmy Ross]] scored eight goals in the match before going on to score 19 goals in the competition that season, also still a record.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thefa.com/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFACup/History/facupheroes | title=FA Cup Heroes | publisher=[[The Football Association]] | access-date=10 July 2013 | archive-date=25 April 2012 | archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120425070535/http://www.thefa.com/Competitions/FACompetitions/TheFACup/History/FACupHeroes | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/issue-4/the-scottish-professors-and-their-role-in-footballs-first-invincibles/|title = The Scottish Professors and their role in football's first Invincibles|date = 19 February 2019|access-date = 26 September 2020|archive-date = 24 November 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201124004527/https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/issue-4/the-scottish-professors-and-their-role-in-footballs-first-invincibles/|url-status = live}}</ref>

[[File:Preston north end art.jpg|thumb|left|illustration of the 1888–89 Preston North End, the first Football League champions, subsequently doing '[[Double (association football)|The Double]]]]
In [[1888-89 in English football|1888–89]], Preston became the first league champions and the first winners of "[[Double (association football)|The Double]]", becoming the only team to date to go throughout an entire season unbeaten in both the league and [[FA Cup]]&nbsp;– winning the FA Cup without conceding a goal.<ref name="Arsenal">In [[2003-04 in English football|2003–04]], [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] also achieved [[2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season|an unbeaten season in the top flight]], but they went out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage.</ref> The team did so with a majority of their team being made up of Scottish players (the [[Scotch Professors]]).<ref name="scotsman2">{{cite web|author=Aitken, Mike| url=http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/football/Scots-passing-pioneers-shaped-football.3905190.jp|title=Scots passing pioneers shaped football|publisher=The Scotsman|access-date=9 February 2009|date=22 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306005853/http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/football/Scots-passing-pioneers-shaped-football.3905190.jp |archive-date=6 March 2011}}</ref> In a contribution to Paul Agnew's 1989 biography of [[Tom Finney]], the player himself wrote: "The club has long been known as Proud Preston, and the Old Invincibles of the previous century set some incredible standards".<ref>Agnew, p. 55.</ref> The author wrote elsewhere: "...and that team became immortalised as the 'Old Invincibles'".<ref>Agnew, p. 53.</ref> Other sources call the team "The Invincibles" and both versions of the nickname have been used.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/6025037.Remembering_when_Preston_were_The_Invincibles/ | title=Remembering when Preston were The Invincibles | work=Bolton News | date=15 June 2001 | access-date=19 August 2018 | archive-date=19 August 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819182502/http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/6025037.Remembering_when_Preston_were_The_Invincibles/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In his autobiography, Finney wrote: "The championship stayed with North End — by now tagged the Old Invincibles — the following year, but runners-up spot had to suffice for the next three seasons".<ref>{{cite book | last=Finney | first=Tom | author-link=Tom Finney | title=Tom Finney – My Autobiography | page=113 | year=2003 | publisher=Headline Publishing | location=London | isbn=0-7553-1106-X}}</ref> As Finney said, Preston were league champions again in 1889–90, but have not won the title since. In total, they have been league runners-up six times, including the three consecutive seasons from 1890-91 to 1892–93, and twice in the 1950s when Finney was playing. The club's last major trophy win was in the [[1938 FA Cup Final]] when they defeated [[Huddersfield Town F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] 1–0 and the team included [[Bill Shankly]], [[Andy Beattie]] and goalscorer [[George Mutch]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1938-04-30 | title=Results & Matches on Saturday, 30 Apr 1938 | work=Racing Post | date=2018 | access-date=20 August 2018 | archive-date=20 August 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820105813/http://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1938-04-30 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Preston's most famous player, [[Tom Finney]], joined the club as a teenager in 1938. His first team debut was delayed until 1946 by the [[World War II|Second World War]] but he played for Preston until he retired in 1960. He was nicknamed the "Preston Plumber" because of his local business. Finney remains the club's top goalscorer, with 187 goals from 433 appearances, and also scored 30 international goals for [[England national football team|England]] in 76 appearances.<ref>Finney, ''My Autobiography'', pp. 415–419.</ref>

A year after Finney's retirement, Preston were relegated to the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] and have not played in the top division since. They had a memorable [[1963–64 in English football|season in 1963–64]] when, managed by former player [[Jimmy Milne (footballer, born 1911)|Jimmy Milne]], they finished third in the Second Division and reached the [[1964 FA Cup Final]] where they lost a thrilling match 3–2 to [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]].

Preston were first relegated to the [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] after the [[1969–70 in English football|1969–70 season]]. Although they won promotion again immediately, the team have spent 28 of the 49 seasons since 1970 in the bottom two divisions, including a span of 19 seasons from 1981-82 to 1999–2000. The club experienced a near-terminal decline in the 1980s which brought about the very real threat of closure, the nadir being the [[1985–86 Football League|1985–86 season]] when they finished 23rd in the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]] and had to seek re-election to the league.

[[File:David Moyes (201551591).jpg|thumb|right|180px|Under [[David Moyes]], Preston were [[Football League Second Division|Division Two]] champions in 2000, and narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League the following season.]]
Under manager [[John McGrath (footballer, born 1938)|John McGrath]], the team recovered and won promotion back to the Third Division only a year later but it was a false dawn as the team spent another three years in the bottom division from 1993 to 1996. The club finally began to recover and move forward after a takeover by heating manufacturer [[Baxi]] in 1994 but their ownership ended in June 2002.<ref name="Col">{{cite news | url=https://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end/col-backed-baxi-s-pne-revolution-1-6425720 | title=Col backed Baxi's PNE revolution | work=Lancashire Evening Post | date=8 February 2014 | access-date=8 August 2018 | archive-date=8 August 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808104924/https://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end/col-backed-baxi-s-pne-revolution-1-6425720 | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Baxi">{{cite web | url=https://www.lep.co.uk/news/baxi-in-pne-sell-off-1-101554 | title=Baxi in PNE sell-off | work=Lancashire Evening Post | date=28 June 2002 | access-date=8 August 2018 | archive-date=8 August 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808104910/https://www.lep.co.uk/news/baxi-in-pne-sell-off-1-101554 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The team's central defender [[David Moyes]], then aged 34, began his managerial career when appointed by the Baxi-controlled board in February 1998. Moyes was successful and managed the team to the [[1999–2000 Football League#Second Division|third tier championship]] in 2000. Preston reached the [[2000–01 Football League#First Division play-offs|2001 play-off final]] but were defeated by [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]]. In the [[2005 Football League play-offs|2005 play-off final]], under Moyes' successor [[Billy Davies]], Preston were beaten 1–0 by West Ham United.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/4573799.stm | title=West Ham 1–0 Preston | publisher=BBC Sport | date=30 May 2005 | access-date=7 August 2018 | archive-date=29 August 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829030849/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/4573799.stm | url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the Baxi sell-off and the departure of Moyes to [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] in 2002, the team was established at second-tier level through the 2000s but more problems arose at the end of the decade with an [[HM Revenue and Customs]] winding-up order in 2010 and relegation to the third tier in 2011. The taxation issue was resolved by local businessman [[Trevor Hemmings]], already a shareholder, who bought a controlling interest in June 2010.<ref name="Hemmings">{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/preston/8722002.stm | title=Deal agreed for Preston North End takeover | publisher=BBC Sport | date=4 June 2010 | access-date=6 August 2018 | archive-date=5 June 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605133509/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/preston/8722002.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> The team were promoted again, via the play-offs, in 2015 and have remained in the [[EFL Championship]] since then, with a highest finishing position of 7th in the [[2017–18 Preston North End F.C. season|2017–18 season]].

Preston North End reached the [[2024–25 FA Cup#Quarter-finals|2024–25 FA Cup quarter-finals]] but they lost 3–0 against [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] at [[Deepdale]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 March 2025 |title=Preston 0-3 Aston Villa |url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/march/30/preston-north-end-0-3-aston-villa/ |access-date=30 March 2025 |website=Aston Villa Football Club}}</ref>

==Ground==
{{Main|Deepdale}}
[[File:Deepdalecomplete.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Deepdale stadium]]
Deepdale was the original cricket club's home from 1875 and has been a football venue from 1878. It is the world's oldest football ground in terms of continuous use by a club in a major league. The biggest attendance seen was 42,684 for a Division One clash with Arsenal in April 1938.

When Baxi took control, it embarked on an investment programme between 1996 and 2009 with the aim 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. The stadium has a seated capacity of 23,404. The current pitch dimensions are 110 x 75 yards.<ref name="FGG">{{cite web |date=2018 |title=Deepdale – Preston North End |url=http://www.footballgroundguide.com/leagues/england/championship/deepdale-preston-north-end.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822025215/https://www.footballgroundguide.com/leagues/england/championship/deepdale-preston-north-end.html |archive-date=22 August 2018 |access-date=19 August 2018 |publisher=Football Ground Guide (FGG)}}</ref>

Part of the Baxi-funded redevelopment was the original [[National Football Museum]], which opened at Deepdale in 2001 but was relocated to Manchester in 2012 after being closed for two years.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-18725667 | title=National Football Museum opens at new Manchester home | last=Airey | first=Tom | date=6 July 2012 | work=BBC News | access-date=24 August 2018 | archive-date=2 December 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202100648/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-18725667 | url-status=live }}</ref>

===Statue===
[[File:Finney.jpg|thumb|right|190px|''The Splash'' commemorates Preston legend [[Tom Finney]].]]
Outside the Sir Tom Finney Stand is a statue of the famous player himself, which is known as "The Splash" or the "Tom Finney Splash". The statue, sculpted by [[Peter Hodgkinson (sculptor)|Peter Hodgkinson]] and unveiled in July 2004, was inspired by a famous photograph taken at the [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] versus Preston game in 1956, played at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] in particularly wet conditions.<ref name="FGG"/>

===1913 terrorist incident===
{{see also|Suffragette bombing and arson campaign}}
An attempt was made to destroy the ground in 1913. As part of the [[suffragette bombing and arson campaign]], [[suffragettes]] carried out a series of bombings and arson attacks nationwide during their campaign for women's suffrage.<ref>{{cite news |title=Suffragettes, violence and militancy |url=https://www.bl.uk/votes-for-women/articles/suffragettes-violence-and-militancy |access-date=27 September 2021 |work=British Library |archive-date=10 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910203912/https://www.bl.uk/votes-for-women/articles/suffragettes-violence-and-militancy |url-status=dead }}</ref> In April 1913, suffragettes attempted to burn down Deepdale's grandstand but were foiled.<ref name="Kay">{{Cite journal|last=Kay|first=Joyce|year=2008|title=It Wasn't Just Emily Davison! Sport, Suffrage and Society in Edwardian Britain|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09523360802212271|journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport|volume=25|issue=10|page=1343|doi=10.1080/09523360802212271|hdl=1893/765|s2cid=154063364|issn=0952-3367|hdl-access=free|access-date=29 September 2021|archive-date=17 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230917130504/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523360802212271|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> In the same year, suffragettes [[Arsenal F.C.#Stadium destruction and move to North London|succeeded in burning down]] [[Arsenal FC|Arsenal]]'s then South London stadium, and also attempted to burn down [[Blackburn Rovers]]' ground.<ref name="Kay"/> More traditionally male sports were targeted in order to protest against [[patriarchy|male dominance]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kay|first=Joyce|year=2008|title=It Wasn't Just Emily Davison! Sport, Suffrage and Society in Edwardian Britain|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09523360802212271|journal=The International Journal of the History of Sport|volume=25|issue=10|pages=1345–1346|doi=10.1080/09523360802212271|hdl=1893/765|s2cid=154063364|issn=0952-3367|hdl-access=free|access-date=29 September 2021|archive-date=17 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230917130504/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09523360802212271|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==Sponsorship and kits==
{{Commons|Preston North End F.C. kits}}
Preston North End have traditionally worn white shirts with blue shorts for their home kit, with yellow being a common colour for Preston's away kit. The club's main sponsors, since shirt sponsorship was introduced in 1979, have been as follows:<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Preston_North_End/Preston_North_End.html | title=Preston North End&nbsp;– Sponsors Through the Years | publisher=Historicalkits.co.uk | date=2018 | access-date=19 August 2018 | archive-date=20 August 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820074530/http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Preston_North_End/Preston_North_End.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:silver;"|Years
! style="background:silver;"|Sponsor(s)
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 1979–1984 || [[Pontins]]
|-
| 1984–1985 || David Leil
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 1985–1986 || Lombard Continental
|-
| 1986–1990 || Garratt's Insurance
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 1990–1992|| Ribble Valley Shelving
|-
| 1992–1995 || [[Coloroll]]
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 1995–2002 || [[Baxi]]
|-
| 2002–2005 || New Reg
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 2005–2010|| [[Enterprise plc|Enterprise]]
|-
| 2010–2012 || [[Tennent's]]
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 2012–2013 || [[Magners]]
|-
| 2013–2014 || [[Sportech|The Football Pools]]/[[Carers Trust]]
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 2014–2016 || [[Virgin Trains]]
|-
| 2016–2017 || |[[888sport]]
|- style="background:#eee;"
| 2017–2018 || Tempobet
|-
|2018–2021||[[32Red]]
|- style="background:#eee;"
|2021–2025||PAR Group
|-
|2025-||Spudbros
|}

==Rivalries==
{{See also|Preston North End F.C. league record by opponent}}
Historically, Preston North End's main rivalry is with [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] — the two clubs' grounds being seventeen miles apart — and the [[West Lancashire derby]] between the two clubs has been contested 96 times across all four divisions of the [[Football League]] and cup competitions since 1901.<ref>{{cite news | title=Rivalry uncovered! The results of the largest ever survey into club rivalries |publisher=The Football Fans Census |date=December 2003 | url=http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf | access-date=27 November 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304004344/http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf | archive-date=4 March 2009 |df=dmy}}</ref> Preston's other local rivals in the league over the years include [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]], [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] and [[Wigan Athletic A.F.C.|Wigan Athletic]].

==Players==
{{updated|12 November 2025}}<!--the club site is NOT, and rarely is, up to date. Will ignore youth players for now -->

===Current squad===
{{fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=1|nat=DEN|pos=GK|name=[[Daniel Iversen]]}}
{{Fs player|no=2|nat=ESP|pos=DF|name=[[Pol Valentín]]}}
{{Fs player|no=3|nat=MNE|pos=DF|name=[[Andrija Vukčević]]}}
{{Fs player|no=4|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Benjamin Whiteman|Ben Whiteman]]|other=[[Captain (association football)|captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=5|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Harrison Armstrong (footballer)|Harrison Armstrong]]|other=on loan from [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]}}
{{Fs player|no=6|nat=SCO|pos=DF|name=[[Liam Lindsay]]}}
{{Fs player|no=7|nat=IRL|pos=FW|name=[[Will Keane]]}}
{{Fs player|no=8|nat=NIR|pos=MF|name=[[Ali McCann]]}}
{{Fs player|no=9|nat=CAN|pos=FW|name=[[Daniel Jebbison]]|other= on loan from [[AFC Bournemouth|Bournemouth]]}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=DEN|pos=MF|name=[[Mads Frøkjær-Jensen]]}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=IRL|pos=MF|name=[[Robbie Brady]]}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=[[Jack Walton (footballer)|Jack Walton]]}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=WAL|pos=GK|name=[[David Cornell]]}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Jordan Storey]]}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=NIR|pos=MF|name=[[Jordan Thompson (footballer)|Jordan Thompson]]}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=WAL|pos=DF|name=[[Andrew Hughes (footballer, born 1992)|Andrew Hughes]]}}
{{fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=[[Lewis Dobbin]]|other=on loan from [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]]}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=NIR|pos=DF|name=[[Jamal Lewis (footballer)|Jamal Lewis]]}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Lewis Gibson (footballer)|Lewis Gibson]]}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=Theo Carroll}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Alfie Devine]]|other= on loan from [[Tottenham Hotspur]]}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=ISL|pos=MF|name=[[Stefán Teitur Þórðarson]]}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=ENG|pos=FW|name=[[Michael Smith (footballer, born 1991)|Michael Smith]]}}
{{Fs player|no=26|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Thierry Small]]}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Kaedyn Kamara]]}}
{{Fs player|no=28|nat=MNE|pos=FW|name=[[Milutin Osmajić]]}}
{{Fs player|no=34|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Kitt Nelson]]}}
{{Fs player|no=35|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Noah Mawene]]}}
{{Fs player|no=37|nat=ENG|pos=GK|name=Li-Bau Stowell}}
{{Fs player|no=42|nat=ENG|pos=DF|name=[[Odeluga Offiah]]}}
{{Fs player|no=44|nat=ENG|pos=MF|name=[[Brad Potts]]}}
{{Fs end}}

===Former players===
{{Main|List of Preston North End F.C. players}}
<!-- Do not list former players here; any notable players should instead be detailed in the main "List of Preston North End F.C. players" article -->

==Technical staff==
Below is a list of non-playing personnel:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pnefc.net/teams/management/|title=First Team Management|publisher=PNEFC|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-date=29 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729163351/https://www.pnefc.net/teams/management/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pnefc.net/teams/academy-staff/|title=Academy Staff|publisher=PNEFC|access-date=4 July 2017|archive-date=29 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729161942/https://www.pnefc.net/teams/academy-staff/|url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:silver;"|Name
! style="background:silver;"|Role
|- 
| [[Paul Heckingbottom]] || Manager
|-
| [[Stuart McCall]] || Assistant Manager
|-
| [[Jason Euell]] || First Team coach 
|- 
| [[Peter Murphy (footballer, born 1990)|Peter Murphy]] || First Team Coach
|- 
| [[Mike Pollitt]] || Goalkeeping Coach
|- 
| [[Andy Liddell]]  || Fitness Coach
|- 
| [[James Wallace (English footballer)|James Wallace]] || Head of Recruitment
|-
| Tom Reeves || Chief Scout
|- 
| Ben Smith || Recruitment Analyst 
|- 
| Matt Jackson || Head of Medicine
|- 
| Nick Harrison || Academy Manager
|- 
| Andy Livingstone     || Head of Academy Recruitment
|- 
| Paul Huddy || Kitman
|}

==Managerial history==
{{Main|List of Preston North End F.C. managers}}
{{updated|04 February 2025}}
The following is a list of Preston North End managers since 1986, excluding caretakers:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pnefc.net/page/History/0,,10362~1033968,00.html |title=List of Preston North End F.C. Managers |publisher=Preston North End |access-date=19 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722131111/http://www.pnefc.net/page/History/0%2C%2C10362~1033968%2C00.html |archive-date=22 July 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2054&teamTabs=managers|title=Preston Manager History – Past & Present – Soccer Base|access-date=11 September 2013|archive-date=8 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108170021/http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2054&teamTabs=managers|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Manager
!rowspan="2"|Nationality
!rowspan="2"|Period
!colspan="5"|Total
!colspan="6"|League
|-
!G !! W!! D!! L!! Win %!!G !! W!! D!! L!! Win %!! Point Av.
|-
|align="left"| [[John McGrath (footballer, born 1938)|John McGrath]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 1986–1990
|| 192 || 74 ||53|| 65|| 38.54
|| 165 || 68 ||45|| 54|| 41.21||1.51
|-
|align="left"| [[Les Chapman]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 1990–1992
|| 129 || 44 ||30|| 55|| 34.11
|| 118 || 39 ||29|| 50|| 33.05||1.24
|-
|align="left"| [[John Beck (footballer)|John Beck]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 1992–1994
|| 99|| 36 ||20|| 43|| 36.36
|| 87|| 31 ||19|| 37|| 35.63||1.29
|-
|align="left"| [[Gary Peters (footballer)|Gary Peters]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 1994–1998
|| 166 || 72 ||42 || 52|| 43.37
|| 143 || 63 ||37 || 43|| 44.06||1.58
|-
|align="left"| [[David Moyes]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 1998–2002
|| 234 || 113 ||60 || 61|| 48.29
|| 196 || 95  ||53 || 48|| 48.47||1.72
|-
|align="left"| [[Craig Brown (footballer, born 1940)|Craig Brown]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 2002–2004
|| 106 || 36 ||30 || 40|| 33.96
|| 97  || 32 ||28 || 37|| 32.99||1.28
|-
|align="left"| [[Billy Davies]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 2004–2006
|| 101 ||45 ||35 || 21|| 45.55
|| 87  ||40 ||31 || 16|| 45.98||1.74
|-
|align="left"| [[Paul Simpson (footballer)|Paul Simpson]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 2006–2007
|| 67 ||27 ||14 || 26|| 40.30
|| 62 ||25 ||14 || 23|| 40.32||1.44
|-
|align="left"| [[Alan Irvine (footballer, born 1958)|Alan Irvine]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 2007–2009
|| 110 ||45 ||25 || 40|| 40.90
|| 99  ||40 ||24 || 35|| 40.40||1.45
|-
|align="left"| [[Darren Ferguson]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 2010
|| 49 ||13 ||11 || 25|| 26.53
|| 45 ||11 ||11 || 23|| 24.44||0.98
|-
|align="left"| [[Phil Brown (footballer, born 1959)|Phil Brown]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}}  || style="text-align:center;"| 2011
|| 51 ||15 ||15 || 21|| 29.41
|| 42 ||13 ||11 || 18|| 30.95||1.19
|-
|align="left"| [[Graham Westley]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2012–2013
|| 62 ||16 ||23 || 23 || 25.81
|| 52 ||11 ||21 || 20 || 21.15||1.04
|-
|align="left"| [[Simon Grayson]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2013–2017
|| 235 || 104 || 74 || 57 || 44.26
|| 198 || 84  || 67 || 47 || 42.42 || 1.61
|-
|align="left"| [[Alex Neil (footballer)|Alex Neil]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2017–2021
|| 140 || 55 || 39 || 46 || 39.29
|| 129 || 51 || 37 || 41 || 39.53 || 1.47
|-
|align="left"| [[Frankie McAvoy]] ||align="left"| {{SCO}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2021
|| 33 || 14 || 9 || 10 || 42.40
|| 22 || 8 || 8 || 6 || 36.36 || 1.45
|-
|align="left"| [[Ryan Lowe]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2021–2024
|| 124 || 47 || 30 || 47 || 37.90
|| 117 || 45 || 30 || 42 || 38.46 || 1.38
|-
|align="left"| [[Paul Heckingbottom]] ||align="left"| {{ENG}} || style="text-align:center;"| 2024–Present
|| 32 || 10 || 14 || 8  || 31.25
|| 28 || 8 || 13 || 7 || 28.57 || 1.32
|}

==Club records==

*Most Goals (Overall): [[Tom Finney]], 210 goals from 473 appearances.
*Most League Goals: Tom Finney, 187 goals from 433 appearances.
*Most Appearances (Overall): [[Alan Kelly, Sr.]], 511 appearances (between 1958 and 1973).
*Most League Goals in a Season: [[Ted Harper]], '''37''' in [[Football League Second Division]], [[1932-33 in English football|1932–33]]<ref name=Milestones/>
*Record Attendance: '''42,684''' v [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], [[Football League First Division]], 23 April 1938<ref name=Milestones>{{cite web|title=Milestones |url=http://www.pnefc.net/page/History/0,,10362~1033950,00.html |publisher=Preston North End FC |access-date=22 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307022304/http://www.pnefc.net/page/History/0%2C%2C10362~1033950%2C00.html |archive-date= 7 March 2009 |date=3 January 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*Record Cup Victory: '''26–0''' v [[Hyde F.C. (1885)|Hyde]], FA Cup, 15 October 1887<ref name=Milestones/>
*Record League Victory: '''10–0''' v [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke]], [[Football League Division One]], 14 September 1889<ref name=Milestones/>
*Record Defeat: '''0–7''' v [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]], Division 1, 1 May 1948
*Transfer Record (Paid): ''' £2,130,000''' for [[Milutin Osmajić]] from [[Cádiz CF]], August 2023<ref name="OsmajićSale">{{cite web|date=6 September 2023|title=Less than Cristiano Ronaldo's weekly wage: Preston North End's 19 most expensive signings of all time adjusted for inflation|url=https://www.lep.co.uk/news/people/less-than-cristiano-ronaldos-weekly-wage-preston-north-ends-19-most-expensive-signings-of-all-time-adjusted-for-inflation-4282616|access-date=6 September 2023|work=Lancashire Post|archive-date=15 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015191407/https://www.lep.co.uk/news/people/less-than-cristiano-ronaldos-weekly-wage-preston-north-ends-19-most-expensive-signings-of-all-time-adjusted-for-inflation-4282616|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Transfer Record (Received): '''£10,000,000''' for [[Jordan Hugill]] to [[West Ham Utd]], January 2018<ref name=HugillSale>{{cite web|title=Jordan Hugill: West Ham sign Preston striker in reported £10m deal|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42895867|work=BBC Sport|access-date=31 January 2018|date=31 January 2018|archive-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203093451/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42895867|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Youngest Ever Player: [[Ethan Walker]] 16 years and 156 days
*Oldest Ever Player: [[Bob Kelly (footballer)|Bob Kelly]] 41 years and two months<ref>{{cite news|title=Age is just a number&nbsp;– Graham Alexander|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/15243376|access-date=27 November 2011|work=BBC Sport|date=10 October 2011}}</ref>

==Honours==
In 1996, Preston's Third Division title made them the third club to have been champions of each of the top four professional leagues in English football. This feat was previously achieved by [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]] in 1988, and [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]] in 1992, and has since been achieved by [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] and [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] both in 2017.

'''League'''
*[[Football League First Division|First Division]] (level 1)<ref name="divisions">Up until 1992, the top division of [[Football in England|English football]] was the [[Football League First Division]]; since then, it has been the [[Premier League]]. Similarly until 1992, the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] was the second tier of league football, when it became the First Division, and is now known as [[Football League Championship|The Championship]]. The third tier was the Third Division until 1992, and is now known as [[EFL League One|League One]].</ref>
**Champions: [[1888–89 Football League|1888–89]], [[1889–90 Football League|1889–90]]
**Runners-up: [[1890–91 Football League|1890–91]], [[1891–92 Football League|1891–92]], [[1892–93 Football League|1892–93]], [[1905–06 Football League|1905–06]], [[1952–53 Football League|1952–53]], [[1957–58 Football League|1957–58]]
*[[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] (level 2)<ref name="divisions" />
**Champions: [[1903–04 Football League|1903–04]], [[1912–13 Football League|1912–13]], [[1950–51 Football League|1950–51]]
**Runners-up: [[1914–15 Football League|1914–15]], [[1933–34 Football League|1933–34]]
*[[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] / [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] / [[EFL League One|League One]] (level 3)<ref name="divisions" />
**Champions: [[1970–71 Football League|1970–71]], [[1999–2000 Football League|1999–2000]]
**Play-off winners: [[2014–15 Football League#League One play-offs|2015]]
*[[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]] / [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] (level 4)<ref name="divisions" />
**Champions: [[1995–96 Football League|1995–96]]
**Runners-up: [[1986–87 Football League|1986–87]]

'''Cup'''
*[[FA Cup]]
**Winners: [[1888–89 FA Cup|1888–89]], [[1937–38 FA Cup|1937–38]]
**Runners-up: [[1887–88 FA Cup|1887–88]], [[1921–22 FA Cup|1921–22]], [[1936–37 FA Cup|1936–37]], [[1953–54 FA Cup|1953–54]], [[1963–64 FA Cup|1963–64]]
*[[FA Community Shield|FA Charity Shield]]
**Runners-up: [[1938 FA Charity Shield|1938]]
*[[Football League War Cup]]
**Winners: [[1940–41 in English football|1940–41]]
*[[Lancashire Senior Cup]]
**Winners: 1886–87, 1892–93, 1894–95, 1899–1900, 1938–39, 1996–97

==Women's football==
The previously affiliated [[Women's association football|women's football]] team was called [[Preston North End W.F.C.]] In May 2016, they became Fylde Ladies F.C., in association with [[National League North]] side [[AFC Fylde]].<ref name=PNEWFC>{{cite web|title=PNE women's team have fresh start as Fylde Ladies|url=http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/afc-fylde/pne-women-s-team-have-fresh-start-as-fylde-ladies-1-7929437|publisher=Blackpool Gazette|access-date=2 June 2016|date=25 May 2016|archive-date=1 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701035306/http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sport/football/afc-fylde/pne-women-s-team-have-fresh-start-as-fylde-ladies-1-7929437|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/preston-north-end PNE section] on [[Lancashire Evening Post]] online site
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=2054&teamTabs=results Preston North End] at [[Racing Post#Soccerbase|Soccerbase]]
* [http://www.spartacus-educational.com/Fpreston.htm History of Preston North End: 1862–1945]
* [http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=17597 Online video footage of Preston North End winning the 1938 FA Cup]
* {{BBC Football Info|BBClinkname=preston-north-end}}

{{Preston North End F.C.}}
{{Preston North End F.C. seasons}}
{{Original Football League clubs}}
{{EFL Championship}}
{{EFL League One}}
{{City of Preston culture}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Preston North End F.C.| ]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1880]]
[[Category:FA Cup winners]]
[[Category:Football clubs in England]]
[[Category:English Football League clubs]]
[[Category:The Football League founder members]]
[[Category:Sport in Preston]]
[[Category:1880 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Preston, Lancashire]]