VENUE #73 PRESTON NORTH END Deepdale

SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP    

19th March 2016

@ Deepdale Stadium, Preston

Ground Capacity:-  23,408

Kick Off:-  15:00

Entry Fee:-  £30

Programme:-  £3

Venue #73

PRESTON NORTH END ...1   QUEENS PARK RANGERS ...1

     Didn't need to ride in a taxi to get to this venue although it was a 25 minute walk from the railway station, mind, half way there and I wished that I had of paid the expense of a black cab as I went flying over a broken pavement slab landing on my left side injuring my hip and upper arm.  My mobile phone was in my left trouser pocket and took the impact as my 16 stone carcass hit the pavement.  I noticed passers by starring at me and so I pretended that the pavement was in need of a hug and I was just obliging.  Seriously though if you decide to walk from the station to the ground and go the same rout as I did BEWARE for as you turn onto the A6063 from Ribbleton Lane the pavement on the right side of the road about two thirds of the way from the stadium is treacherous with broken and uneven slabs I'll be surprised if someone hasn't sued the life out of Preston council if they ended up the same way as me.

     This game had more of the yawn factor than the spectacular about it, I was desperately trying to load Facebook unsuccessfully on my mobile phone which wasn't responding too well after being crushed by myself during the fall earlier on, I got so engrossed in it that I almost missed the first goal of the game which came in the fifth minute after Rangers forced a corner on the right which was whipped in by Alejandro Faurlin high and in-swinging toward the centre of the goal about 8 yards out where it was met by an unmarked Sebsastian Polter who scored the most easiest header that he's ever likely to score and one has to really ask "where was the marking"?
     After the goal Preston did most of the attacking hoping that their efforts would be rewarded with the equalising goal but Rangers defended stoutly and tried hard to catch the lilywhites on the counter attack and finish the game off.
     Unfortunately, this game will be remembered not for the football but for the diabolical decisions made by the team of officials, goal kicks given as corners and visa versa, aggressive challenges on Preston players not penalised whilst a slightest touch on  a QPR player was deemed a free kick.  One incident in particular just before half time when a Preston player was wrestled to the ground in front of the referee and the man with the whistle just waved play on.  This incensed the home support that much that when the half time whistle finally blowed the ref and his colleagues were subjected to a barrage of boo's from the home faithful and had to be escorted off the field by stewards with "your not fit to referee" being screamed from the stands as they disappeared down the tunnel.
     The second half saw no improvement unfortunately in the football or the way that the game was reffed other than after the experience of half time the ref, Andy Woolmer changed his alliance to the home side instead of favouring QPR as he did in the first half which brought ironic and sarcastic cheers from the Preston fans.
   

    Phil Gibbs who was the fourth official wanted to get in on the act in the 78th minute when trying to introduce QPR substitute Massimo Luongo to the field whilst the player was receiving instruction from the coach the dug-out liaison referee was given a stern lecture from the Rangers manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and I bet it's still ringing in his ears at this time                                                                                 of writing.
     It looked as though both teams were happy with the 0-1 scoreline at times in this second period with Preston still hitting long and hopeful balls over the top of the Rangers defence which would be retrieved and given back to them by the opposition although Rangers did take the offensive a little toward the end of the normal time when Tjaronn Chery broke through the home defence and was one-on-one with Anders Lindegaard the Preston keeper but the big Dane saved with his legs and stopped the visitors going further in front.

     And as the first goal was early the last one was very late in fact 2 minutes into injury time when Gregg Cunninghan crossed from the left and sub Eion Doyle headed home from 12 yards into the keepers nearside corner of the net giving Preston a point in a game that looked like an away win for such a long time.    



       

   

 Deepdale is reputed to be the oldest footballing site in the world with other clubs selling up and moving to other areas this plot of land has been home to Preston North End for 141 years.

     Obviously the ground has been re-built since opening in 1875 starting with the Tom Finney stand which re-placed the old West stand 20 years ago and now is all seated fully covered stand which holds a capacity of 8,100 spectators at the cost of a mere 4 and a half million pounds.

     Two years later and the refurb continued with the construction of the Bill Shankly Kop end erected behind the goal to house 5,000 away supporters.  The theme of naming the stand after a past Preston North End legend continued as did the etching of the said Deepdale hero's face on the seats a welcome replacement of the relevant writing that appears at other venues around the country.

     At the other end of the stadium in 2001 the ground had a third stand re-built when the Alan Kelly stand was  erected in complete parity to the Bill Shankly Kop with the former goalkeeper's face also recreated as a design on the seating area as a lasting tribute to one of Preston's finest.  This stand holds a big part of North End's Vocal support.

     In 2008 the project was completed with the erection of the fourth and final stand to be re-built, the Invincible stand which is a tribute to the Preston North End team which went through the whole of the 1888/89 season unbeaten and were the first to achieve the league and FA cup double in a season.  The stand cost £9 million and is slightly different from the other three stands mainly due to the 22 executive boxes at the back which reduces the number of seats and replaces the picture etching with a plain old boring PNE FC.

     This is where I watched the game from and the view was uninterrupted and excellent it's just a shame that the football didn't come to the standards of the stand.  The food, drink and toilet area at the back of the stand looked as though it was still awaiting completion, there seemed to be no ceiling just an open view of lagged pipes and wiring and the toilets were roomy, open and adequate but with bare breeze-block walls, a lick of paint wouldn't have gone a miss.

     The food was good well, that which I tried was good, I was tempted with a meat and potato pie and it was exceptional in fact so good I had another one, (who ate all the pies?) I was undecided when I left the house whether or not to wear my jumper but I made the right decision in the end and wore it which was a good job for it was bloody freezing and so I kid myself that I had that second pie in a effort to keep me warm as my choice of drink, diet coke out of the cooler wasn't a good idea.  The pies were £2.80 a chuck and the diet coke was £2.20 a little expensive even for a football ground.  The entrance fee of £30 was a little high for a middle of the table Championship game, maybe they're still paying for all the alterations.

     And so now I'm back home it's off to the hospital for a hip replacement and Car Phone warehouse for a new phone, I hope I don't get the two confused. lol

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