Manager Simon Grayson is a big fan of the festive footballing calendar and is relishing a return to Huddersfield on Boxing Day.
The North End boss was speaking ahead of this Saturday’s trip to the John Smith’s Stadium and admitted that any Boxing Day game is one to savour.
“I think this is a fantastic part of our footballing calendar,” said the PNE boss. “The tradition and history is there. People have talked in the past about winter breaks, but I think it is great that football supporters can have an excuse to get out of the house, away from families, get a bit of fresh air and nurse a few hangovers at a football match!
“It is a great game for us on Boxing Day.
“We will have 2,500 to 3,000 fans going over there and then it is a quick turnaround to the Hull City game, one of the favourites for the division.
“It’s a normal time for us, a lot of training to be done and recovery days.
“We won’t be in one Christmas Day. Some clubs will be, some won’t – there is no right way or wrong way of doing things. We will have worked Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and had Christmas Day off, because the day before days you don’t do a lot anyway, so we will give the players the time with their family.
“Hopefully they appreciate that; they know what they should eat and drink and hopefully they come back in and put in a performance at Huddersfield and get three points.”
It will be the gaffer’s first return to face the Terriers since he left the west Yorkshire side and arrived in PR1, but he isn’t treating it any differently to the rest of the games on the calendar.
“I am looking forward to going back,” he continued. “I am equally as motivated as I was last week to get the three points.
“Going back to Elland Road was a bit more special, but I had a good time at Huddersfield. I had a year there, left the club in a better state than when I walked in the door and got them promoted.
“There will be a few people I go and see, but ultimately I want to take three points off them at the weekend, as I do every other week.
“I have no grievances with Huddersfield; if I hadn’t have got sacked there I wouldn’t have been given the opportunity here. I had faith in myself and I have moved on to here, had three years almost and hopefully many more to come.”
He isn’t the only face that will be familiar to the fans at Town. Tom Clarke, Calum Woods and Joe Garner all return to face their former club and if fit Jermaine Beckford would have also fallen into that category, but the manager doesn’t believe any of them have anything to prove.
“I don’t think they have a point to prove. They will enjoy going back, like any player.
“Tom was there since he was a kid and for whatever reason they decided to let him go and it has been to our benefit.
“He has been outstanding since he has been here and is now the captain and it surprised many people when Calum was given a free as well, but that was also to our advantage and our benefit.
“They should get a good round of applause and if Tom was to score the winning goal I would be delighted!” He added.