Preston North End Match preview
Author: Jason Barber Date: Friday, 19th Jul 2002Preston North End will be the first pre season visitors to the construction site that is East End Park. New PNE boss Craig Brown will be looking for a good showing as he returns to Scottish soil after being given the job over the summer. Here we take a quick look at the match ahead, as well as a past match between the English side and Dunfermline.....
Preston can certainly claim to be a 'sleeping giant' The Manchester United of their day, they were the team to beat when the English League was set up. They won the league and FA Cup double after an unbeaten season way back in 1889!
Now, with their legendary striker Tom Finney in charge at boardroom level, they are looking to return to the top flight and Craig Brown has been installed as the man to take them there.
This will be a stiff test for Dunfermline as the team previosly managed by ex Par Davie Moyes have just missed out on a promotion place for the last two seasons. They will be hoping it is third time lucky in the ultra-competitive race to get to the Premiership.
Older Pars fans may well remember the first time Preston played DAFC. A pre season friendly was played between the sides at East End Park on the 6th August 1973. Bobby Charlton was the newly installed Preston manager who brought the struggling side up North.
Alex Kinnonmonth with a double and Kenny Thomson were the scorers as Dunfermline ran out easy 3-0 victors. A repeat scoreline on Tuesday night would be very welcome indeed!
Preston will have some well known faces in their ranks. Ricardo Fuller, the well known Hearts striker with a tendancy to fall over with the greatest of ease, can be assured of a warm welcome. New Scotland cap Graham Alexander may also be on show. N. Ireland striker David Healy is a dangerman, the ex Man Utd striker having a fantastic goals to games ratio.
The only squad number NOT to feature on the pitch, will be number 12. Preston have officially named the home stand at Deepdale as their 12th man with the football league! A great bit of PR by the club, hopefully enough noise may one day be emitted from the Norrie McCathie stand to persuade Dunfermline to do something similar...........
Here's to an entertaining pre season match then. A preview will appear shortly for the upcoming visit of Everton, featuring the 1962 Fairs Cup ties between the then 'Bank Of England' team and Dunfermline .
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