Preston North End – Made In Preston

Preston North End set for relegation – Part 2

After last Saturday’s home defeat against almost relegated Plymouth the odds are lengthening on PNE relegation to League 1.

So where are we now?

All teams below have played 45 games and have one to go:

Stoke 50pts Goal Difference -17 Last Game Derby v Stoke

Derby 49pts Goal Difference -8 Last Game Derby v Stoke
PNE 49pts GD -11 Bristol City v PNE
Luton 49pts GD -22 WBA v Luton

Hull 48pts GD -10 Hull v Portsmouth
Plymouth 46pts GD -36 Plymouth v Leeds
Cardiff 43pts GD -22 Norwich v Cardiff

If PNE get 0 points:
Hull and Luton need to get 1 point to overtake PNE.

If PNE get 1 point:
Cardiff, Plymouth down. Luton and Hull will need to win to overtake PNE.

If PNE get 3 points: theyll stay up.

On current form Bristol will beat PNE. Hull should get a point, Luton could be struggling to get a point but end of season effect may make WBA weaker.

It’s a tight call, Luton have won their last 3 and PNE have lost their last 4. Does that favour Luton. PNE have a variable record against Bristol City who are fighting to stay in the play-offs and play at promoted fighting for the top slot Leeds United today.

Preston North End heading for relegation?

The big question is will Preston North End be relegated in May? After losing the last 3 games and not winning in recall of memory the chances are it’s possible but optimistically unlikely.

Preston’s goal difference makes it hard for Luton, Cardiff or Plymouth to overtake PNE. Although Luton could do it with a win and a draw if PNE get no more points. Luton play Coventry and WBA which would be quite tough games normally, Coventry in a play off position.

This Saturday against Plymouth appears a good opportunity for Preston but Plymouth have won a few games recently and PNE have developed a way of losing up to the last minute.

You wouldn’t swap places with Derby though.

PNE to stay up positioned 18th. Derby or Luton to go down with Cardiff and Plymouth.

Some stats, largely thanks to the BBC website.

Standings on Tuesday 22nd April 2025

All played 44 games, 2 to go.

Possible relegation candidates:

16^th Portsmouth 52pts GD -13 Max pts 58

17^th Stoke 50pts GD -15 Max pts 56

18^th Preston 49pts GD -10 Max pts 55

19^th Oxford 49pts GD -18 Max pts 55

20^th Hull 48pts GD -9 Max pts 54

21st Derby 46pts GD –9 Max pts 52

Relegation Positions:

22nd Luton 46pts GD -23 Max pts 52

23rd Cardiff 43pts GD -23 Max pts 49

24^th Plymouth 43pts GD -37 Max pts 49

Still to play each other:
Preston v Plymouth
Hull v Derby
Derby v Stoke
Hull v Portsmouth

Disclaimer: opinion in this post is largely influenced by hope.

North End low down

Just for the record hoping there’ll be great news in 6 months. After a poor start North End are second from the bottom of the Championship. The season was opened with a win, since there there has been 2 draws and 4 defeats.

Tonight Leeds v PNE. Could this be the start of a comeback. Leeds are top of the league.

It’s 130 years since PNE took part in the opening games of the first Football League season, 8th September 1888, beating Burnley 1-0.

The PNE team that lost to bottom Reading at home last Saturday was:

Rudd
5. Clarke
23. Huntington
6. Davies
2. Fisher Substituted for Harrop at 56’minutes
12. Gallagher Substituted for Nmechaat 57’minutes
11. Johnson
3. Earl Booked at 90mins
29. Barkhuizen
7. Robinson
9. Moult Substituted for Burkeat 80’minutes

Substitutes
10. Harrop
14. Storey
16. Hughes
19. Burke
21. Barker
22. Maxwell
45. Nmecha

PNE Football League Award

PNE won Best Fan Marketing Campaign at this years Football League Awards ceremony last night. They were also nominated for two other similar awards.

It’s only on the BBC at the moment, here is a link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7971194.stm

It’s not on the PNE website yet but there is a fullsome explanation of what it is for; http://www.pnefc.net/page/NewsIndex/0,,10362,00.html

Also a link to the Football League awards webpage. http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/FLAwardsSection/0,,10794,00.html