The phony war is over, the real action begins as the 2019/20 Championship season starts with the Lilywhites heading into the Lions’ Den to face Neil Harris’ Millwall.
Everyone, up and down the country, will go into the opening weekend with optimism about the season and they will all hope that is still there at 5pm on Saturday evening.
After a busy couple of days in the transfer market and an injury free pre-season, manager Alex Neil has plenty of options heading down to the capital and training will have been a competitive place heading into the first game of the season.
Back in 1982/83 the two sides also met on the first day of a campaign, with PNE coming out 3-2 winners at Deepdale, thanks to a hat-trick from striker Steve Elliott. The opener came from the penalty spot, Chatterton and Neal with the Lions’ goals.
The last meeting between the teams at The Den came back in February. Andrew Hughes opened the scored, with skipper Tom Clarke adding a second – in what was his last game before injury – and Sean Maguire added a third before the half hour mark, which proved enough to take the three points, Ben Thompson grabbing a consolation for the hosts mid-way through the second half.
For Your Information
Match Details: Millwall v PNE, The Den, Saturday 3rd August 2019, kick-off 3pm
Competition: EFL Championship (1/46)
PNE colours: Green shirt, yellow shorts, yellow socks
Here’s all the coverage accessible on PNE.Com in preview of the game…
Ticket Information: There are already over 1,000 North End fans making their way down to The Den for the opening game of the season, as Preston North End take on Millwall. Click here for more information.
Match Officials: The opening game of the 2019/20 season sees a familiar face taking charge of the Lilywhites’ trip to The Den to take on Millwall. Click here for details of who it is.
We’ve Met Before: It was old late February that we last visited The Den, with Preston North End completing the double over the Lions, thanks to an opening 27-minute burst in south east London. Click here for more details of past battles.
How To Follow The Game: If you can’t make the trip to The Den for the opening day of the season, don’t worry, we will have full coverage on PNE.Com and iFollow PNE this weekend. Click here for details of how you can follow the match.
Team News: Preston North End manager Alex Neil goes into the new season with a rare problem of having virtually his squad available for selection. Click here for details of the options.
Alex Neil Excited About New Season: Preston North End manager Alex Neil is looking forward to the 2019/20 Championship season, but is expecting a tough opening day fixture. Click here for the manager’s full interview.
Tom Barkhuizen On Fantastic Away Support: The countdown is on to the new EFL Championship and Preston North End forward Tom Barkkhuizen is hoping for a big following from the off to help spur on the team this season. Click here for more from ‘Barky’.
Alan Browne Looks To Improve On Last Season: Alan Browne has challenged himself to perform even better in the upcoming campaign than in the previous. Click here for what he had to say.
Sean Maguire Looking To Kick On In Third Year: Preston North End’s Irish international striker, Sean Maguire, is hoping for a season of progression at Deepdale. Click here for the full interview.