It was in our first season as a Football League club that we met the first ever League Champions. We went up to Deepdale in the Second Round of the 1921 FA Cup where we were beaten 4-1. Four more FA Cup meetings followed before we met them for the first time in the League in 1969 when we were both in the Old Division Two. We were beaten 3-0 in Lancashire and drew 0-0 at the Vic.
In all there have been 37 meetings between us and we’ve won 10, drawn 11 and lost 16 of those, scoring 40 goals but conceding 52. We have a much better record at home winning 8 of the 18 meetings, drawing 6 and losing 4 scoring 22 goals to their 17.
We’ve never beaten Preston by more than a couple of goals and have only managed to put three past them on two ocassions, both at home in 1974 and 1998. The two meetings in League and Cup that I’ve mentioned are Preston’s biggest victories over us. At the Vic their biggest margin of victory was 2-0 in 2005.
Because of one of the unnecessary quirks of the fixture list that the organisers love to throw in occasionally we last met Preston twice during October 2008. Goals from Jon Harley and Tommy Smith secured a 2-1 victory at Vicarage Road which was Aidy’s last home win. The 2-0 reverse later in the month at Deepdale was his last away match in charge.
Preston are currently in 9th place in the Championship with 24 points. They have won three of their eight away games with victories against Barnsley, Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday. Their last two matches were both homes draws, 1-1 with Palace and 2-2 with Middlesbrough.
No current Preston player has appeared for the 'Orns. For our most notable mutual friend we have to go back over 100 years. John Goodall was one of Preston's 'Invincibles' in the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888. He was the leagues leading scorer with 20 goals in 21 games. He then made his way to us via Derby where he not only played for County but also for the Derbyshire Cricket Team, New Brighton Tower and Glossop North End. In 1903 he became our first ever player manager having instant success as we won the Southern League Second Division. He remained in charge until 1910 when he then took on the job of our groundsman! An option for Malky maybe, if this football manager business doesn't work out.
