Kelly, Miller, Bennett, Atkins, Jones, Allardyce, Chapman, Swann, Thomas, Brazil, Williams, Worthington… that was the squad that won promotion to the old division three against Leyton Orient on April 25th at Brisbane Road, and it was Les Chapman who got the winning goal in a 2-1 triumph.

Talking to The One And Only ahead of the 'Boro game the former Preston North End manager said that goal was the highlight of his time at Deepdale.

"The one at Orient stands out by far, I think it was the game where we won promotion and I actually got the winning goal, the only one I think I got that season; that was a pretty memorable game.

"I can just remember a mass of Preston supporters invading the pitch after the game and Frank Worthington running on from the sub's bench and putting me up on his shoulders, carrying me off and all the fans running around, it was a fabulous day."

Nowadays Chapman is the kit manager at Manchester City, but back in the mid 1980s he was winding down his career after over 20 years patrolling the midfields and defences both in England and America, for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Oldham Athletic, Bradford City, Stockport County, Huddersfield Town, Rochdale and North End all benefited from Chapman's assured passing in a 700 game career. But the Royton-born midfielder would have been counting numbers instead of games, had it not been for an intervention from a council employee.

"I left school at 17 and went to work at Middeton Hall as a trainee accountant for ten months and it was actually a guy at the Town Hall who introduced me to the caretaker manager at Oldham at the time, a guy called Gordon Hurst, I had a trial and I was signed professionally.

"I'd been at Huddersfield the previous year during the summer when I'd been at school and had played in their youth team and then I got the job and thought that was going to be my career and it really came out of the blue.

"It was fairly simple, I'd found the ten months fairly boring, I'd spent most of the time in the canteen and with figures and paperwork and stuff isn't really my forte so I didn't hesitate when I had the opportunity to turn pro."

Between 1966 and 1987 he made 747 appearances which point to a playing career that was short of injuries, but for Chapman his longevity was down to other reasons that may not be applicable to some modern day footballers.

"I had a natural enthusiasm for the game. At that time there were no financial benefits from playing and it was slightly better than the average wage. It's a fantastic life being a footballer, you keep fit, you get reasonably well paid and can get quite a bit of time off, it's a great career and I wanted to play for as long as I could."

Les joined North End in the summer of the Club's darkest hour, when re-election prevented us from being relegated from the league all together. Fortunately John McGrath came calling and the temporary manager at Stockport County was snapped up as a player/assistant coach in 1986.

"It seemed as if they were making a fresh start, they'd had a big clear out I think, I don't think John McGrath had been there long and it was a fresh challenge and every time you get a different challenge you get excited, I looked forward to it and we had a very very successful season in my first season there.

"They were a terrific bunch of players, we had a great team spirit, we had a mixture of seasoned players and young lads in there but the team spirit was great with the likes of Big Sam and Oshor and the rest, it was a great season and team spirit played a major part in it."

And one player in particular stood out for the future PNE manager, a player who many fans consider to be one of the greatest to pull on the white shirt: "Brian Mooney was a remarkable player, he had unbelievable ability and was a great lad as well, he just didn't have the heart for football like most people did, you could never see him staying in the game after he played and he was just a one off and was a talented player without having a great enthusiasm for the game."

Chapman would only make 53 appearances for PNE, but became John McGrath's assistant after finishing his playing days. He'd already had a taste for management at Edgeley Park for Stockport so it was no surprise when he was chosen as the successor for the legendary manager in 1990.

"I'd done managing on a temporary basis at Stockport before and I'd done it at Rochdale previous to do that, so I suppose it's a natural progression if you want to stay in the game. You obviously can't play forever and it was a natural progression to move into the coaching side and eventually as manager, not that I've got any great ambitions to do it again.

"Keith Leeming was the Chairman at the time, if they're happy with you as an assistant manager and seem to think that you're in charge of things then it's a natural progression.

"They could have advertised and brought someone in from outside, but sometimes it's better the devil you know and I was delighted to take it. Things didn't work out for too long, but I really enjoyed my time at Preston from '86 to '92 and it was a really enjoyable part of my career."

Chapman stepped into the Deepdale hotseat in February 1990 and did well to stave off relegation that season. Nineteenth that year was followed by 17th in 1991, a season that was defined by the departures of the influential duo Ian Bogie and Brian Mooney. Unfortunately though money wasn't exactly in full flow when he had to replace the departing stars of the late 80s side that almost won another promotion in 1989.

"With the financial restrictions it was very difficult to go and get who you wanted and we were relying on free transfers, although I did pay £50k for John Thomas and signed Tony Ellis and had a good relationship with one or two of the first division managers, like David Pleat at Luton and Jimmy Ryan. Arsenal were always willing and I got Pat Scully from there, that's what you rely on at that level, bigger clubs giving you players who need to be toughened up."

His North End side included a number of players who would go on to become great players at Deepdale and it's to his credit that he looks back on the decision to relieve him of his duties with a realistic perspective.

"Lee Cartwright and Lee Ashcroft were exceptional players, I'm surprised they didn't do better, I suppose Ashcroft went to West Brom though and did quite well. There were some good young players coming through and it was a good mix at the time, there was a great team spirit, it was a good time to be there.

"Nothing really shocks me much any more, and I suppose I wasn't that shocked at the time, you get a sense of it building up and football management's a very precarious profession, I wasn't too shocked."

Chapman has been at Manchester City ever since as a reserve team coach and now kit manager and there's no doubt in his mind as to the potential present in his current workplace.

"The first year was a difficult season with things being changed so radically, but this season with things having settled down a bit there's a real sense of excitement and the potential that is being created is unbelievable and you only have to look at the players that we've signed and the facilities that are being built at Carrington. It is a beautiful training complex and the capability of signing any player they want it's quite an exciting time and I sense the excitement more this season that last.

"Mark Hughes is very focussed, very ambitious, he's got big ideas, the changes since he's arrived and with the financial input, the changes at the training complex is mind boggling, the whole place has changed with a state of the art gym, it's all geared up to be a very very successful club."

And he still looks out for the results of his former clubs and looks forward to returning to Deepdale one day: "We've been back with City and it has changed quite a bit, they seem to be on the up.

"It is a bigger club than it was traditionally back in the past. I haven't been back even though I've been invited, because it's difficult because we play on a Saturday. I get send details from the former pros. I'm sure I'll get back at some point to see some of the old guys."

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