After taking four points from two away days during the past week, Preston North End are back at home on Saturday to take on Watford.
Match Details
Date: Saturday 16th December, 3pm kick-off
Venue: Deepdale
Competition: Sky Bet Championship
Kit: Home kit
Supporter Information
Tickets for this fixture will remain on sale right up until kick-off, available to buy in person from the ticket office, over the phone on 0344 856 1966 and online.
Home supporters can head into The Gentry Bar from 11am for pre-match drinks and entertainment, and it will then reopen after full-time. Full timings will be confirmed in our Matchday Information article.
As part of the Whites Christmas Toy Appeal, in partnership with Rock FM Mission Christmas, fans can also support vulnerable local families by donating unused, unwrapped toys before the match at The Gentry Bar.
Supporters can use the matchday shuttle bus for this fixture, with return tickets priced at £6 on-board and timings can be found below:
Leyland Tesco (Stop A – Car Park) – 1.20pm
The Railway Pub, Leyland – 1.30pm
Ye Olde Hob Inn, Bamber Bridge – 1.35pm
Beam and Brycg Pub, Bamber Bridge – 1.40pm
Arrive at Deepdale, Lowthorpe Road – 2pm
Who’s Available?
Manager Ryan Lowe confirmed on Thursday morning that striker Milutin Osmajić would get two days of training in before the weekend, after recovering from injury and a bout of tonsilitis.
Calvin Ramsay is also due to be back involved after missing two games himself through illness.
Long-term absentee Emil Riis may feature in Tuesday’s Central League Cup tie against Burnley and will be assessed from that point to see when a return to league action might be on the cards.
Opposition Focus
Watford sit 12th in the Championship ahead of their visit to Lancashire and they’ve made themselves a hard side to beat in recent weeks, having lost just twice in their previous 11 fixtures.
Under Valérien Ismaël, who took Barnsley to the Play-Offs in the 2020/21 season, the Hornets will be looking to push for promotion back to the top flight in just their second campaign back in the Championship.
24-year-old Mileta Rajović – formerly of Emil Riis’ ex-employers Randers – has been the man scoring the goals for Watford so far this term, while there’s plenty of familiar and experienced faces in the visitors' ranks, including Jake Livermore, Tom Ince and Ben Hamer.
A Recent Clash
North End secured a fifth successive Championship clean sheet after drawing 0-0 at home to Watford last August.
Follow The Action
Supporters worldwide can listen to the match live on iFollow PNE, with match passes costing £2.50 and monthly passes on sale for £4.49.
Fans outside of the UK and Ireland can also watch the game live. Match passes are available to buy for £10 here, while half-season cards are also on sale for just £85!
All the action will also be covered across the club’s social media channels and here on the website.
Match Officials
Referee: Sunny Singh Gill
Assistant Referees: Mark Stevens and Jonathan Hunt
Fourth Official: David Webb
Sunny Singh Gill will referee PNE for the first time on Saturday afternoon, marking the fourth Championship match of his career.
So far this term, he’s shown 91 yellow cards and three reds in 22 games.