|
Address:
Deepdale,
Sir Tom Finney Way, Preston, PR1 6RU
Telephone:
0870 442 1964
Web Site:
www.pnefc.net
What's it Like?
From the last time we played Preston, the ground has been redeveloped. Each of
the new stands has a likeness of a past player outlined on the seats and is
named after that player. Tom Finney, Bill Shankly and on the latest stand to be
built, goal-keeping legend Alan Kelly, Up to 6,000 away fans are in the Bill
Shankly Stand at one end of the pitch. Normally the allocation for away fans is
about half of this stand and it’s shared with home fans. The views of the
playing action and facilities in this stand are excellent. The stand is steep,
and fans are close to the pitch. On the concourse there are TVs by the
refreshment serving areas showing the game live and the bars are open during the
game. There is a wide range of food available including bacon rolls, roll over
hot dogs, burgers and even vegetarian 'butter' pies. Preston fans like their
footy and there’s always a good atmosphere in the ground. Cost of Entry: £20,
Senior Citizens & under 21s £12, under 16s £5, under 8s free. Family Tickets: 1
Adult + 2 under 16s £25, 2 Adults + 2 under 16's £45. Alcohol is available at
the ground.
The National Museum of Football is at Deepdale
www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/ It is free admission and
include the history of the game in
Britain, along with how it has played a role in the social history of the
nation. The Museum features an interactive gallery, where you can explore
tactics, rules, equipment of the game. There’s a gallery charting the history of
Deepdale, and one showing art and other visual items from the Museum's vast
collection. The Museum will be open until 7.30pm.
Directions, Parking &
Train
Leave the M6 at Junction 31 and follow signs Left for Preston. Go up a steep
hill (beware of speed cameras) and follow the road down to a mini roundabout
(another speed camera by the BP garage). At the roundabout turn RIGHT. Go
straight on over 3 sets of lights and just before a fourth set, the ground
appears set back from the road on the left. Parking is mainly in the streets
surrounding the ground. You
could also try Moor Park High School, Moor Park Car Park, Hollins Road or
Deepdale County Primary School, all are within 5 minutes of the stadium.
If you want to avoid a lot of the traffic, instead of leaving the M6 at Junction
31, carry on to Junction 31a (sign-posted, Preston East and Longridge). This is
a limited junction as you can only leave northbound and join southbound. Keep in
the right hand lane and go across the roundabout (sign-posted Preston east,
Football Ground and Museum). Across the next roundabout and then LEFT at the
next one. At the next lights, go RIGHT onto Watling Street. You will go past
‘The White Hart’ and a row of shops. At the next lights by Fulwood Barracks,
keep in the left hand lane. You can either park in Sumners, (turn LEFT after the
lights) or follow the road up to the big junction at Blackpool Road and the
ground is on the left and use street parking. Sumners is probably better as you
are the right side of the ground to get away quickly after the game. By
Train: Preston station is about a 1½ miles from the ground and is a
25-minute walk, with some good pubs on the way (or a taxi fro about £3). By bus,
all buses at the railway
station go to the bus station. From there, bus numbers 5, 6 and 19 run along
Deepdale Road. The number 19 has the most frequent service. If you fancy the
walk, leave the station through the main
exit and turn RIGHT. After 50 yards turn LEFT down into Fishergate (a few take-aways).
Go straight on at the next big traffic lights into Corporation Street. Continue
on this road for sometime until you get to a big roundabout just before the
University of Central Lancashire campus area. Turn RIGHT at the island and then
LEFT up Moor Lane. After a while you will come to a church and a petrol station
on the right. Then turn RIGHT into Moor Park and you head on directly for
Deepdale, where you can see the floodlights in the distance.
What the Lilywhite Fans Think
Stephen Cole
is the BBC Radio Lancashire commentator and involved with Whites World, the
subscription internet service. He says “The best thing about Preston is that its
home to the national football museum. It gets loads of visitors and away fans
are full of enthusiasm after coming from there.
The displays and interactive side of
it makes it a cracking place to visit. Sir Tom Finney still takes an active part
at Preston, attending all the games and, being one of the greatest ever English
players, people seeing him here gives us all a lift.
|
The worst part of the club is
the apathy of the Preston people. Having 8 premier league teams within 30 miles
of us; it’s soul-destroying to see crowds of 12,000 when we are doing really,
really well. As for the Swans game, at the moment we are in superb form I think
it’ll be a home 2-0 win (with an away draw at the Liberty). As for the finish,
we’ve spent 8 years in this division and looking at how we are now, we look good
for an automatic promotion spot. Once we’re 10 games into the season, we’ll have
a better idea then.” Atkypne says “The best thing about the club is Sir
Tom Finney - PNE Legend also having one of the best recently finished ground in
the country. The worse thing is having to sell our best players. My prediction
for the game against the Swans is a 2-0 PNE win. With maybe one or two more
signings in Jan, I think we'll finish 6th". Riggers says “Like us, you've
worked your way back up from the bottom division; it doesn't seem al that long
ago since we played you in the Cup, and we lost, thanks to a Lee Trundle goal.
Like you, we have a spanking new ground, now, although we have re-developed on
our existing site at Deepdale. And like you, we have a good up and coming
manager Alan Irvine/Roberto Martinez. Both clubs are probably full of optimism,
this season, so it should make for two good encounters. Player-wise, we probably
don't know that much about your team. I've read that Martinez has brought it
some Spanish players, which will be interesting; but you are obviously a bit in
the dark about our players, too. Neil Mellor, is the one you have probably heard
about - from his Liverpool days - but the rest aren't bad, and play well as a
team. We've just got Jon Parkin (the Beast) from Stoke - he's a bit "who ate all
the pies?", but deceptively skilful, and will probably be a danger man for us.
Good luck to the Swans, this season; but not against us!” Double J
reckons “best thing about the club is the lack of money we have, but can still
compete at the top with the so called "big boys". The worst thing: how we seem
to play worse against the strugglers of the league. Prediction for the game is a
1-0 win to Preston, with the Swans playing us off the park, we scrape a win. If
are strongest 11 stay fit, and a couple of solid signings, in and around the
play offs, otherwise a mid table finish. Andy says “The best thing about
the club is the ambition showed by Derek Shaw to have the stadium improved.
Wonderful to see the completed thing since the Sir Tom Finney Stand opened.
Wonderful achievement and will look fitting when we finally get back to the
Premiership. The worse thing about the club is our league cup record. Every year
we get beaten by a lower league team but the embarrassment this year to be
beaten by Derby was awful. Against the Swans, I can only see a Preston win. We
haven't lost at Deepdale on a Tuesday night for a long time. I think Preston
will finish in the Play Offs. We have made a terrific start to the season and
Alan Irvine has made some quality signings with the likes of Elliot and Parkin.
We are playing Burnley the Saturday before our meeting so hopefully this will
give the players a comfortable stroll before our game against the Swans. Good
luck, not that you will need against the Dingles!!!!
Pubs and Grub
‘Legends’ is next to the ground; it’s a nightclub which opens up to fans on
match-days. Away fans are always welcome. One of the best pubs for away fans is
‘The Toy Soldier’, on the Deepdale retail park, just off the Blackpool Road
(A5085). The retail park & pub are on the RIGHT just before the ground. The pub
is pretty big; and away fans mainly seem to use this pub. Another pub is ‘The
Sumners’, further up the Tom Finney Way from the ground. There’s a big beer
garden and car park here. Sometimes the pub charges for parking but refunds can
be received with purchases at the bar. Good food is available and children are
allowed in. To get there, pass Sainsburys turn RIGHT at the lights and it is
half way up the hill, opposite ‘The Garrison’, which is a friendly, busy pub,
welcoming away and home fans. Away fans should avoid the town centre pubs as the
police will move you on quickly if they see you and most pubs will refuse to
serve away fans. If you arrive by train, ‘The Vic and Station’ is close by.
Another pub worth considering is The White Hart on Watling Road, about.500 yards
east of Sumner's and the Garrison, past Fulwood Barracks. It does ‘Sizzling
Platters’ and other good value and quality meals. Plenty of car parking and kids
are welcome. ‘The
Hesketh Arms’ is on the corner of Blackpool Road and New Hall Lane. It's
a large pub, and is popular with away fans, and is about a mile from the ground.
It serves meals all day, and also offers pool, darts and a large-screen TV.
Clare's Pantry is a
take-away on the corner of Sir Tom Finney Way, and St Stephen's Road, and serves
good meat and potato pies, and many other tasty things.
|
