It’s been 132 years in the making, but the Lilywhites will play their 5,000th Football League game on Wednesday evening and it will also be the first time they have ever played one in July before!
Derby County, one of North End’s fellow founder members, make a fitting visitor for the club’s special occasion, as well as the Sky Sports cameras, however, that does not make up for the fact we are unable to celebrate the occasion with our supporters present at Deepdale with us.
The Rams arrive in excellent form, four straight wins, albeit they come in pairs that were over three months apart! But wins over QPR and Reading since the resumption of the Championship have them on the coattails of the top six and looking to leapfrog PNE with a win.
However, PNE are aware that a positive result could put them straight back in the Play-Off positions, depending on Cardiff City’s midweek result against Bristol City, who are also in contention for a spot in that end of season lottery… it is just very tight at the moment!
The visit of Derby also brings with it former England captain and the country’s all-time leading goalscorer Wayne Rooney, whose last visit to Deepdale came as skipper of Manchester United in the 2015 FA Cup tie where he scored twice in front of a sold out stadium, sadly this time it was be less than 200 people who will be watching on.
For Your Information
Match Details: PNE v Derby County, Deepdale, Wednesday 1st July 2020, kick-off 5pm
Competition: EFL Championship (39/46)
PNE colours: Home kit, goalkeeper in green
Game live on Sky Sports and available to season card holders through iFollow PNE
Here’s all the coverage accessible on PNE.Com in preview of the game…
Match Officials: Australian referee Jarred Gillett will take charge of his second Preston North End game for Wednesday evening’s 5,000th Football League game involving the Lilywhites. Click here for details of all the officials.
We’ve Met Before: The Lilywhites have been coming up against the Rams since the inaugural Football League season in 1888/89 and they are therefore a fitting opponent for the club’s 5,000th game. Click here for more details of past battles.
The One And Only Special Edition: Wednesday afternoon’s 5,000th EFL fixture sees the Lilywhites take on Derby County and to celebrate the occasion we have produced a special 100-page edition of The One And Only. Click here for details of the programme.
The Opposition: Derby County manager Phillip Cocu feels that two wins from two following the resumption of the Championship have put his side firmly in contention for the top six. Click here to see what he has to say.
Alex Neil Sends Best Wishes To Andre Wisdom Ahead Of Derby Clash: Preston North End manager sent best wishes to Derby County’s Andre Wisdom ahead of the clash with the Rams on Wednesday night. Click here for the manager’s full interview.
Tom Barkhuizen: “We’ll Go And Give Everything We’ve Got”: Tom Barkhuizen believes things haven’t quite clicked for Preston North End since their return to football after the season’s suspension, but he’s confident that the side can get back to their best in the club’s 5000th league game. Click here for Tom’s thoughts.