Key information about Deepdale Stadium
da cassino： Deepdale Stadium was built in 1875 and is now Preston North End’s safe haven. The ground is located in the Deepdale area of Preston in England, on a land that was once known as Deepdale Farm.
da dobrowin： The stadium’s official capacity stands at 23,404 and has a pitch with the proportions of 100m x 70m. There is no running track surrounding the field and the surface has no undersoil heating installed as of right now.
So far, the record league attendance at Deepdale Stadium was set on 23 April 1938 when 42,684 supporters watched Preston North End square against Arsenal in the First Division.
A history of Deepdale Stadium
Needless to say, the Deepdale Stadium is dripping with history and significance since it is still recognised as the oldest professional footballing site in the world in continuous use. And Preston North End have been loyal to their ground since it was erected back in 1875 and leased by the club’s members. At first, however, it would only be used for cricket and rugby.
Deepdale Stadium hosted its first league match on 8 September 1888 as Preston smashed the visiting locals, Burnley, 5-2. In the 1890s, the club built the West Stand Paddock that ran along the touchline and that would stand for almost 100 years before it was demolished in the 1990s. But at the turn of the century and especially in the 1920s, football was booming in Preston and the club had to further expand to accommodate the ever-surging crowds.
Numerous improvements ensued as the Spion Kop was built and the West Paddock extended to meet the Kop end. Following that, the pitch was removed so they could construct the Town End, which was completed in 1928, but, unfortunately, only to be destroyed by a huge fire five years into the future and subsequently had to be rebuilt.
In 1934, the Pavilion Stand, a relatively small stand of two tiers with the changing rooms and some offices, was also constructed. It was around that time that Preston North End recorded their highest ever attendance with 42,684 watching their game against Arsenal in 1938.
After that, only smaller renovations were done as the club added a roof and even decided to put an artificial, plastic pitch in 1986 but that proved to be a highly disliked idea, resulting in Preston ripping it up in 1994, by which time it was already the last remaining plastic pitch in the English league.
Around that time, the club embarked on their biggest improvements to date, inspired by the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa. This would result in the entire reconstruction of Deepdale Stadium as the Sir Tom Finney Stand was built in place of the old main stand – it would also have press areas and restaurants – and was followed two years later by the new Bill Shankly Kop, located behind the goal.
In 2001, the Alan Kelly Town End replaced the Town End terrace and some years later, in 2008, a 25-metre screen was also erected on the roof of the Bill Shankly Kop. Finally, the old ‘Pavilion’ stand was replaced by the ‘Invincibles Pavilion’ in the 2008/09 campaign, as tribute to their invincible season from 1888/89.
The stadium is now an all-seater with a capacity of 23,404.
Tickets to watch Preston North End at Deepdale Stadium
All the tickets to watch Preston North End at Deepdale Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The price varies on multiple factors but the most expensive adult ticket in the Premium section costs £30.
Season tickets and half-season tickets are also available and Preston North End offer discounts for the disabled as well as youngsters wanting to watch some of their very first games of football. All information can be found on the aforementioned site.
Related links
https://www.pnefc.net/ – Official website of Preston North End