Today I'm going back just three years to 2018 and the Championship game between Preston North End and Brentford. Judging by the title of their matchday publication, Preston are big fans of 1990's pop idol Chesney Hawkes!
Deepdale, the famous old home of Preston North End, had been on my list of grounds for a revisit for a long time. My only previous visit had been in March 1984 when, as one of the final four remaining grounds in my quest to visit the 92 English League grounds, I had visited it to get the all important tick for my records. At the time Deepdale was a little sad with two sides being completely open and with only one remaining structure from the old days which extended along one side and around the corner to also serve one end. The place was dilapidated and a shadow of its own glorious heritage. Preston had been the first ever Football League Champions back in 1888/9 and, for good measure had also completed "the Double" that season by carrying off the FA Cup. The side were christened "the Invincibles" and survived that entire first League season without defeat. For good measure Preston won the League again the following season but have never won it since and probably never will. Preston are the only former League Champions never to have taken their place in the Premier League albeit that they have threatened to do so on a few occasions. Preston were last in the top flight in 1961 sixty years ago!
Deepdale is the world's oldest football ground in terms of continuous use by a single club in a major league. The ground was entirely reconstructed between 1996 and 2009 and so was unrecognisable from my original visit. I have to say that I approved. All four stands of this all-seater stadium are steep so everyone has a good close view of the pitch. Outside the ground, in a nod to the past, there is a statue of Sir Tom Finney ("the Preston plumber"), a club and England international legend who also has his face picked out by coloured seats in one of the stands although you'd have to arrive early to see it! One interesting fact about the original Deepdale that I didn't know was that it was the target of a suffragette attack in 1913 when they attempted to burn down the main stand in an effort to protest against male dominance. Although the suffragettes failed to burn down Deepdale they did succeed at Arsenal's former South London home. No wonder I'm a feminist eh?
Preston's club badge is also a beauty. It is full of religious connotation picturing, as it does, the lamb of St Wilfrith, a former archbishop of Kent. St Wilfrith has apparently been the patron of Preston (the town) since the seventh century. The Lamb is holding a cross to leave you in no doubt as to the religious significance. Below the lamb are the letters "PP" which I had imagined stood for "Proud Preston" but apparently are the abbreviation of "Princeps Pacis" or Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ).
Occasionally, one of the random matches that I sometimes attend proves to be a stonker. This was just such a game. Preston were quick out of the blocks and built up a handsome three goal lead in the first 23 minutes with goals from Browne, Robinson and Barkhuizen (always worse than his Bitehuizen!). That third goal was something of a collector's item in that it resulted from a free kick given for handball by the keeper from a back pass. Such infringements are rarely recognised. Brentford then mounted something of a recovery with a "worldy" from Sergi Canos on 29 minutes and an Ollie Watkins deflected goal in the 56th minute. Brentford were right back in it but that seemed to have changed in the 69th minute when Robinson notched his second for Preston, their fourth of the evening. However Brentford weren't quite finished and Neal Maupay, today plying his trade at Brighton & Hove Albion, grabbed a third for Brentford from a corner with just five minutes remaining. The scoring was complete but what a match it was! Rich entertainment for the crowd of 10,882. Watch the video attached to my blog if you get the chance and you'll see what I mean.
The result left Brentford still searching for a point under their new manager Thomas Franke after seven winless games. I suspect that they're glad that they stuck with Franke who eventually guided them to promotion to the promised land (well the Premier League) in 2021. Preston finished the season mid-table in 14th place, three points behind Brentford in 11th who would have needed another ten points to make the Play-Offs. Their time would come.
CRB Match No. 2266
Comments
Post a Comment