Preston North End can be trace back to 1863, but at that time it was linked with cricket at the Marsh at Ashton. In that year there was a split amongst the club members when the majority opted for a move to Moor Park where the Corporation had opened a public cricket ground. The newly formed club using Moor Park was named North End simply because the club was at the north end of the town.

The club fell on hard times and almost disbanded, but new members were recruited and one of these being William Suddell who became a member on the 3rd August 1867.

In spite of financial problems the members took a lease on a field at Deepdale on the 21st January 1875. A field which was home for the finest football team of the era.

On the 5th October 1878 North End played its first game under association rules against Eagley, the game was played at Deepdale and was lost 1-0.

In March of 1881 North End played Blackburn Rovers and were beaten 10-0. However this defeat did not diminish enthusiasm and the next big leap forward was in the summer of 1883 when William Sudell went to Scotland and obtained the services of four Scottish players N J Ross from Heart of Midlothian became one of the best full backs of his time, other players who came from Scotland were Drummond, Russell and Gordon. Thus was formed the nucleus of the team which was to make North End so Famous.

In 1884 following a draw against Upton Park at Deepdale a protest was made to the FA about the eligibility of some Preston players, but the basic reason for the protest was that Preston were paying their players. Sudell did not deny this so following expulsion from Cup competition he commenced his historical move to have professionalism legalised in the same year James Ross (younger brother of NJ) and Sam Thomson came down from Scotland and Robert Howarth, a local boy joined as fullback.

The Success which Sudell brought to Deepdale and the short time taken to achieve this is illustrated by the fact that from 22nd August 1885 to 26th April 1886, North End were undefeated and during the season won 59 of 64 matches, scoring 318 goals and conceding only 60.

In 1886 Sudell completed his team building and the Invincibles were on their way to making football history. In the 1887/88 season North End won 42 consecutive matches but as FA Cup favourites they were beaten 2-1 by West Bromwich Albion on 24th March 1888.

However, next season 1888/89 not only were they founder members of the league but they won the FA Cup and were the first team to achive the double, doing this at the first opportunity. In 1889/90 they were again League Champions and were runners up in the following there seasons.

In 1922 they once again reached the FA Cup Final but were beaten 1-0 by Huddersfield Town who scored from a penalty.

North End reached the Cup Final in 1937 when they lost to Sunderland and in 1938 when the reversed the result of the 1922 Final by beating Huddersfield Town 1-0. The winning goal came from the first penalty awarded at Wembley, and was scored by George Mutch with the last kick of extra time.

After the war and until his retirement in 1960 the skill of Tom Finney was the most important aspect of football at Deepdale. His genius and gentlemanly conduct was and still is, an example for all footballers to follow and brought great credit, not just to the maestro but also to his home town of Preston. He was awarded the CBE for services to football, sadly North Ends defeat, 3-2 by Albion in the Cup Final of 1954, did not result in a Cup Winners medal and another disappointment was in 1953 when the First Division Championship was lost to Arsenal on a goal difference of one.

North End reached Wembley again in 1964 when they lost to West Ham which is still considered to be a classic final.

The last time Preston played at Wembley was in the Final of the 3rd Division play-offs in the 1993/94 season when they lost to Wycombe Wanderers 4-2 after being 2-1 up at half time.

In 1996 Preston where promoted as Champions of Division Three under the management of Gary Peters.

David Moyes took over from Gary peters in 1998 and in his first season took North End to the clubs highest League finish since 1980/81 season only to lose to Gillingham in the play-offs.

The following season they went one better and became Division Two Champions.

North End finished Forth in their first season in division One but narrowly lost to Bolton Wanderers 3-0 however the scoreline is an untrue reflection of the game as Bolton score twice in the last two minutes of the game.

2001/02 season Preston narrowly missed out in reaching the play-offs on the last day of the season finishing Eight after starting the season so badly not winning a game in the first five and being at the very bottom of the table.