Northenders. It's is a well known fact that in life sometimes you have to take a step back before you can take two steps forward. IMHO this can apply to football just as it can to all other aspects of living and having to make decisions. No one is perfect and all of us regardless of who we are or what we do, can and do make mistakes. The important thing is that people learn by their mistakes, make decisions and take action that can at least allow them to move on and hopefully progress. PNE FC. suffered relegation at the end of last season following a truly traumatic period, in which there was a change of ownership of the club followed by a change of Chairman and manager. Thousands of supporters who had invested in shares in the club (not for financial gain) effectively lost them when they were forced to hand them over then the club could be taken over by K Hemmings. Of course all this is well documented and has been debated to death, so this article is not to reopen that debate. It is about the fact that for whatever reason PNE found themselves in extreme financial difficulty, the result being that some very hard decisions were taken which meant that PNE had to live within it's means no matter what. All of this in one way or another resulted in PNE suffering relegation last season. Living within our means for PNE meant that all the star players (arguably) who were on high earnings had to be moved on, even if what they were worth in transfer fees was not received when they left. It was down to the Manager to assemble a squad of players from free transfers and loans plus a group of PNE youngsters (with potential) that would enable PNE to compete and hopefully get promoted back to the Championship. So PNE as a club had had to take some giant steps backward before they could start taking steps forward again. Some clubs who have suffered similar setbacks as PNE and found themselves in Div1 have not been able as yet to move forward and are still trying to find a way. Some had to wait two or three seasons before moving forward and up, others notably Norwich City have taken the full two steps forward and are enjoying life in the Prem. Where do PNE fit into this difficult balancing act of living within ones means and yet being able to take two steps forward ????. It is very early days indeed to start forming any real conclusion, but there are signs that the club is responding and moving in the right direction. Admission charges for Deepdale were reduced for the coming season resulting in 7000 season tickets being sold (more than the previous season in the Championship), the first home gate saw over 11000 fans in attendance. On the playing side manager Phil Brown has obviously had a difficult task in finding the players he wants to bring in with the club chairman sticking rigidly to the clubs new financial policy. Phil Brown has assembled a squad of players that are showing signs that things are coming together and PNE will be a hard team to beat this season. PNE's promising young players are being introduced sensibly into the team and doing well, and so far the balance of the team re experience and youth is working well. If Northend can reproduce their form at Chesterfield on a regular basis, the home support should grow and bring much needed cash into the club. One step back is what we have all had to endure and it has been painful for most if not all fans, but it is what we do from now onwards that will determine if we can take those important two steps forward. I believe that we can and will, but it may take longer than this season to do it.......but maybe not... What do you think Northenders are we on the right track and capable of moving on and upwards ???? there could be some exciting times ahead this season.
Excellent article plummy. I've got my usual optimistic belief that things will work out well this year, the young players are holding their own and will improve as the season progresses. If we give the team full support , they will believe and then anything is possible, two steps ?? maybe not, even with promotion we would not compete financially with some of the big spenders in the championship promotion this year ??? yep I truly believe it's there for the taking if we all pull in the same direction.
My only concerns is your manager. Initially he was good for Hull City but as the team progressed his ego made him believe he was bigger than the club and started to alienate more and more of the first team squad who were paced on the naughty step and rarely played again. I hope for the sake of preston that he learned his lesson and does not make the same mistakes. Best of luck for the coming season.
Plumber...I reckon by the lenght of your articles you should have been a novelist! I'm not convinced by either PB or his team as yet. however, I'm desperate to be proved wrong, lets see where we are in 10 games, but my gut feeling is we will not be promoted this year. I expect 3 points on Saturday though. UTW
Afternoon Mickey... As is nearly always the case when a player/manager moves on to another club, the supporters at the old club have conflicting opinions on the merits of the player/manager who has left. Hull City are no different in that respect and several Tiger fans have visited the PNE forums with conflicting opinions about Phil Brown. Some share the same opinion as yourself and some think that PB is/was the best thing since sliced bread. You have to take people how you find them and for me he is doing a very good job thus far. He still has something to prove but the signs are very good ...
Hi!! markos.. "Plumber...I reckon by the length of your articles you should have been a novelist!"...... Maybe I am a bit novel, but deffinately not a novelist... I would agree that Phil Brown and the team still have something to prove for most PNE supporters, but all the signs are that he is on top of the job and the players have responded in a very positive way. The players are giving him 100% and that includes a couple who prior to PB could be accused of not giving 100%. It is his team but I get the feeling that he doesn't see the team in quite that way until the team are playing the way he wants them to play. The team have yet to fully gel as a unit due entirely to the late arrivals of new players, which in my opinion was not his fault. Phil Brown is a character for sure and football needs characters even though at times he might be accused of being a class one Bull-sh888r... Only time will tell how good or poor PB is for PNE, but you have to remember that he is having to put a team together assembled from loan and free transfer players ably supported by the promising PNE young players. At the same time supporters will be looking at promotion this season, so he is under pressure to deliver the goods. Like you I hope he can.
