Timeline

1875
Moved from Moor Park to Deepdale (then a cricket/athletic club)

1878 - First experimental footy match versus Eagley

1880 - Football club formed

1885 - Turned Professional

1886 - Arthur Wharton, PNE's goalkeeper is first black player in English professional football

1889 - Set record league win versus Stoke City, 10-0

1888/89 - First winners of the Football League and also first club to achieve a league and cup double

1888 - One of the founder members of the Football League

1887 - Set FA Cup Record beating Hyde United 26-0. Jimmy Ross scores 7 goals in the game (another record)

1889/90 - League Champions. First club to retain championship

1893/94 - Set second highest FA Cup score versus Reading, 18-0. Jimmy Ross scores 6 goals in the same game.

1903/04 - Division Two Champions

1912/13 - Division Two Champions

1938 - FA Cup Winners beating Huddersfield 1-0 thanks to a George Mutch penalty in the last minute

1937 - FA Cup Finalists

1932/33 - Ted Harper sets PNE record scoring 37 goals in one season

1922 - FA Cup Finalists. Goalkeeper JF Mitchell, first and last player to wear glasses in an FA Cup Final

1938 - PNE record attendance. 42,684 turned up for the Arsenal game on 23 April

1941 - War Cup Winners

1946 - Sir Tom Finney makes full league debut

1950/51 - Division Two Champions

1964 - FA Cup Finalists. Howard Kendall youngest player to appear in FA Cup Final

1960 - Sir Tom Finney retires after the game with Luton in April. He made 433 appearances for PNE

1957/58 - League Runners-Up. Scored 100 league goals

1954 - FA Cup Finalists

1970/71 - Division Three Champions

1977/78 - Promoted from Division Three

1979 - Michael Robinson is sold for a then PNE record fee of £765,000

1982 - Alex Bruce top scorer for a record tenth time

1994 - John Beck leads North End to the Third Division Play-Off Final, losing to Wycombe 4-2.
Plastic pitch ripped up.

1986/87 - New manager, John McGrath, leads North End to the runners-up spot in Division Four.

1986 - Plastic Pitch laid at Deepdale

1986 - The most darkest day in the club's history. North End apply for re-election after finishing 91st in the Football League. Thankfully, the bid is successful.

1995 - Preston North End floated on the stock market

1995 - The old West Stand is demolished to make way for the 8,100 capacity Sir Tom Finney Stand - the first phase of ground redevelopment.

1996 - Division Three Champions. Andy Saville scores 30 goals (29 League 1 Cup)

1996 - Sir Tom Finney Stand opens

1997 - The Spion Kop (Fulwood End) is demolished in phase two of the stadium redevelopment

1997 - Signing of Michael Appleton for a then record fee of £500,000

1997 - Sale of Kevin Kilbane to West Bromich Albion for a then record fee of £1.2 million

1996 - Raised £3.7 million for ground and team development

1998 - Sir Tom is finally knighted

1998 - Gary Peters resigns, David Moyes takes over as manager

1998 - In June the 6,000 capacity Bill Shankly Kop is opened

1999 - Kurt Nogan grabs a brace that gives North End a shock 2-0 lead in the FA Cup versus Arsenal. North End eventually lose 4-2.

2001 - The Town End is demolished in phase three of the redevelopment work

2001 - Signed David Healy from Man United in a PNE record £1.8 million deal

2000 - North End crowned Division Two Champions

1999 - Lost in Division Two Play-off semis

2001 - Lost in Division One Play-off final versus Bolton

2001 - The Alan Kelly Town End is opened for the first time in the game versus Man City. For the record, North End won 2-1

2001 - Bryan Gray resigns as chairman. Derek Shaw takes over as acting chairman

2002 - In March, David Moyes leaves the club to take charge of Everton. Kelham O'Hanlon takes over in a caretaker role.

2002 - Derek Shaw confirmed as the new chairman

2002 - Baxi's shares are bought by Friends of Preston North End Ltd, who are fronted by Derek Shaw and Steve Jackson

2002 - Craig Brown appointed new manager of North End

2002 - Also in March Jon Macken joins Man City in a PNE record £5 million deal

2004 - Craig Brown sacked as manager

2004 - Billy Davies appointed new manager after a caretaker role following the sacking of Craig Brown.

2004 - David 'Ned' Kelly becomes assistant manager to Billy Davies

2004/05 - Trevor Hemmings becomes majority shareholder

2006 - Billy Davies leaves North End to join Derby County in disgraceful circumstances, taking the entire backroom staff with him

2006 - PNE reach play-off semi-finals but lose to Leeds 3-1 on aggregate

2005 - Enterprise and Diadora announced as new shirt sponsors and kit suppliers respectively.

2005 - PNE reach play-off final losing to West Ham 1-0

2006 - Paul Simpson appointed new manager, arriving from Carlisle.
Dennis Booth and Billy Barr joined him from Carlisle.

2007 - Dennis Booth leaves club. David Kelly also finally leaves. Rob Kelly appointed new assistant manager. 

2007 - David Nugent joins Portsmouth in a PNE record £6m deal. 

2007 - Paul Simpson sacked as manager after an awful run towards the end of the 06/07 season and awful start to the 07/08 season.

2009 - PNE 's play-off heartache continues with a 2-1 play-off semi defeat against Sheff Utd.

2008 - The new Invincibles Pavillion opens with a capacity of just over 4,000.

2007 - The final phase of the Deepdale redevelopment starts as the old Pavilion Stand is demolished to make way for the new Invincibles Pavillion.

2007 - Alan Irvine appointed new manager arriving from Everton

 

2009 - Alan Irvine is sacked in December after an appalling run of form.

2010 - Darren Ferguson is appointed new manager in January. Most of Alan Irvine's backroom staff leave.

2010 - Trevor Hemmings initiates a takeover process by purchasing Derek Shaw's and other major shareholders' shares.

2010 - Derek Shaw resigns as chairman and is replaced by Maurice Lindsay.

2011 - Phil Brown is sacked in December after a poor run of results.

 

2011 - North End are relegated to League One after 11 years in the Championship.

 

2011 - Maurice Lindsay resigns as chairman and is replaced by Peter Ridsdale.

 

2011 - Phil Brown replaces the sacked Darren Ferguson in January

2012 - Graham Westley is named new PNE manager in January.

2013 - Graham Westley is sacked as manager in February after just over a year in charge.

2013 - Just a few days later, Simon Grayson is appointed manager and leads North End to safety.

2014 - North End's play-off misfortune continues with a loss to Rotherham in the semi-finals.

 

 

 

2015 - North End finally overcome their misfortune in the play-offs by thumping Swindon Town 4-0 in the League One Play Off Final at Wembley & win promotion back to the Championship.