Updated March 17, 2026
The Championship's great survivors tread water once more
Preston North End are in their eleventh consecutive Championship season in 2025-26, a run of sustained second-tier football that is impressive in its stability but frustrating in its lack of upward trajectory. Sitting twelfth with a record heavy on draws, Preston are the embodiment of Championship mid-table: too good to go down, not quite good enough to go up. The squad's solidity, anchored by Benjamin Whiteman's five assists from midfield, keeps them competitive without ever truly threatening.
Deepdale's historic ground hosts a club caught between eras
Deepdale, one of the oldest football grounds in the world and home to the National Football Museum until 2012, carries a weight of history that the modern team struggles to match. Preston North End were the first Football League champions in 1889 and went unbeaten that entire season, earning the immortal nickname 'The Invincibles.' The current squad may not threaten such legendary feats, but the ground itself remains a pilgrimage site for football historians and a proud home for loyal Lancashire supporters.