1997–98 Preston North End F.C. season

Preston North End
1997–98 season
Chairman	Bryan Gray
Manager	Gary Peters (until 12 January) ; David Moyes (from 12 January)
Stadium	Deepdale
Second Division	15th
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Second round
Football League Trophy	Area Semi-final
Top goalscorer	League: Lee Ashcroft (14); All: Lee Ashcroft (16)
Highest home attendance	13,500 vs Blackpool
Lowest home attendance	6,992 vs Luton Town
Average home league attendance	9,460

During the 1997–98 English football season, Preston North End F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

Season summary

The summer saw the arrival of three young players from Manchester United, Jonathan Macken, Colin Murdock and Michael Appleton.^[1] Preston won three of their first five matches and comfortably beat Rotherham United in the League Cup, although they were on the wrong side of a 6-0 scoreline against Blackburn Rovers the following round.^[2]

After a difficult autumn, which saw Preston go on a run of four successive defeats and then later three defeats from four matches, Gary Peters resigned as manager in January. Assistant manager David Moyes took over as caretaker player-manager and didn't see a league win until the end of February. Preston finished their season by losing just two of their final 13 matches, and consequently David Moyes was offered the full time job as manager of Preston North End.^[2]

This was something of a transition season for Preston, other than the change in manager, Sean Gregan, Mark Rankine, Gary Parkinson and Tepi Moilanen became regular starters, while Simon Davey, Dean Barrick, David Reeves and David Moyes all played their last game for the club.^[1]

Final league table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
13	Oldham Athletic	46	15	16	15	62	54	+8	61
14	Wycombe Wanderers	46	14	18	14	51	53	−2	60
15	Preston North End	46	15	14	17	56	56	0	59
16	York City	46	14	17	15	52	58	−6	59
17	Luton Town	46	14	15	17	60	64	−4	57

Source: ^[3]
Rules for classification: In the Football League goals scored (GF) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).

Results

Preston North End's score comes first^[4]

Legend

Win	Draw	Loss

Football League Second Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
09 August 1997	Gillingham	A	0-0	6,562
16 August 1997	Millwall	H	2-1	11,486	Macken, Ashcroft
23 August 1997	Chesterfield	A	2-3	6,288	Rankine, Barrick
30 August 1997	Watford	H	2-0	11,042	Nogan (2)
02 September 1997	Grimsby Town	H	2-0	9,489	Reeves, Ashcroft
09 September 1997	Oldham Athletic	A	0-1	8,732
13 September 1997	Walsall	H	0-0	9,092
20 September 1997	Burnley	A	1-1	13,809	Nogan
27 September 1997	Wycombe Wanderers	A	0-0	4,838
04 October 1997	Brentford	H	2-1	8,804	Ashcroft, Murdock
11 October 1997	AFC Bournemouth	H	0-1	8,531
17 October 1997	Carlisle United	A	2-0	6,541	Parkinson, Ashcroft
21 October 1997	Bristol City	A	1-2	9,039	Dyche (og)
25 October 1997	Wrexham	H	0-1	9,098
01 November 1997	Plymouth Argyle	H	0-1	8,405
04 November 1997	York City	A	0-1	3,370
08 November 1997	Luton Town	A	3-1	5,767	Lormor, Eyres, Ashcroft
18 November 1997	Bristol Rovers	H	1-2	7,798	Jackson
22 November 1997	Wigan Athletic	A	4-1	5,649	Cartwright (2), Ashcroft, Kidd
29 November 1997	Fulham	H	3-1	9,723	Ashcroft (3)
02 December 1997	Southend United	A	2-3	2,307	Lormor (2)
13 December 1997	Northampton Town	H	1-0	7,448	Macken
20 December 1997	Blackpool	A	1-2	8,342	Holt
26 December 1997	Oldham Athletic	H	1-1	13,441	Holt
28 December 1997	Grimsby Town	A	1-3	6,725	Gregan
10 January 1998	Gillingham	H	1-3	7,776	Gregan
17 January 1998	Watford	A	1-3	10,182	Parkinson
24 January 1998	Chesterfield	H	0-0	8,233
31 January 1998	Walsall	A	1-1	5,377	Nogan
07 February 1998	Burnley	H	2-3	12,263	Nogan, Jackson
14 February 1998	Brentford	A	0-0	4,952
21 February 1998	Wycombe Wanderers	H	1-1	7,665	Macken
24 February 1998	Carlisle United	H	0-3	8,985
28 February 1998	AFC Bournemouth	A	2-0	5,009	Davey, Appleton
03 March 1998	Luton Town	H	1-0	6,992	Kidd
07 March 1998	Plymouth Argyle	A	0-2	4,201
14 March 1998	York City	H	3-2	7,664	Eyres, Appleton, Parkinson
21 March 1998	Bristol Rovers	A	2-2	5,278	Davey, Ashcroft
25 March 1998	Millwall	A	1-0	5,888	Ashcroft
28 March 1998	Wigan Athletic	H	1-1	10,171	Ashcroft
04 April 1998	Fulham	A	1-2	8,814	Macken
11 April 1998	Southend United	H	1-0	8,096	Parkinson
13 April 1998	Northampton Town	A	2-2	5,664	Ashcroft, Macken
18 April 1998	Blackpool	H	3-3	13,500	Eyres, Parkinson, Macken
25 April 1998	Wrexham	A	0-0	7,302
02 May 1998	Bristol City	H	2-1	12,067	Ashcroft, Eyres

FA Cup


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	15 November 1997	Doncaster Rovers	H	3–2	7,953	Gregan (2), Eyres
R2	06 December 1997	Notts County	H	2–2	7,583	Parkinson, Ashcroft
R2 Replay	12 December 1997	Notts County	A	2–1 (a.e.t)	3,052	Moyes, Eyres
R3	3 January 1998	Stockport County	H	1–2	12,180	Ashcroft

League Cup


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1 1st Leg	12 August 1997	Rotherham United	A	3-1	2,901	Macken, Reeves
R1 2nd Leg	26 August 1997	Rotherham United	H	2-0	9,441	Reeves, Macken
R2 1st Leg	17 September 1997	Blackburn Rovers	A	0-6	22,564
R2 2nd Leg	30 September 1997	Blackburn Rovers	H	1-0	11,472	Barrick

Football League Trophy


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1N	09 December 1997	Darlington	H	3-2	2,703	Appleton, Eyres (2)
R2N	13 January 1998	Macclesfield Town	A	1-0	1,618	Cartwright
RQFN	27 January 1998	Mansfield Town	H	1-0	3,609
RSFN	17 February 1998	Burnley	A	0-1	10,079

Squad

^[5] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	ENG	David Lucas
—	GK	FIN	Teuvo Moilanen
—	DF	ENG	Ryan Kidd
—	DF	ENG	Michael Jackson
—	DF	ENG	Gary Parkinson
—	DF	NIR	Colin Murdock
—	DF	NIR	Paul Morgan
—	DF	ENG	Dean Barrick
—	DF	ENG	Paul Sparrow
—	DF	ENG	James Squires
—	DF	SCO	David Moyes
—	MF	ENG	Sean Gregan
—	MF	ENG	Lee Cartwright
—	MF	ENG	Mark Rankine


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	ENG	David Eyres
—	MF	ENG	Julian Darby
—	MF	ENG	John Mullin
—	MF	ENG	Graeme Atkinson
—	MF	WAL	Simon Davey
—	MF	ENG	Michael Appleton
—	MF	ENG	Paul McKenna
—	FW	ENG	Lee Ashcroft
—	FW	WAL	Kurt Nogan
—	FW	IRL	Jon Macken
—	FW	ENG	David Reeves
—	FW	ENG	Tony Lormor
—	FW	FRA	Habib Sissoko
—	FW	ENG	Michael Holt

References

^ ^a ^b Powter, David (2002). 25 Seasons At Deepdale - The Complete Record 1977-78 to 2001-02. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books Limited. p. 33. ISBN 1-86223-070-6.
^ ^a ^b Powter, David (2002). 25 Seasons At Deepdale - The Complete Record 1977-78 to 2001-02. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books Limited. p. 34. ISBN 1-86223-070-6.
^ "England 1997–98". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2010.
^ "Preston North End 1997-1998 Results - statto.com". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
^ "All Preston North End players: 1998".

[Powter-2002a-1] Powter, David (2002). 25 Seasons At Deepdale - The Complete Record 1977-78 to 2001-02. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books Limited. p. 33. ISBN 1-86223-070-6.

[Powter-2002b-2] Powter, David (2002). 25 Seasons At Deepdale - The Complete Record 1977-78 to 2001-02. Cleethorpes: Soccer Books Limited. p. 34. ISBN 1-86223-070-6.

[rsssf-3] "England 1997–98". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 February 2010.

[4] "Preston North End 1997-1998 Results - statto.com". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2026.

[5] "All Preston North End players: 1998".

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[5]

Preston North End Football Club
General	Players Managers History Players of the Year Seasons The Invincibles
Grounds	Deepdale
Rivalries	West Lancashire derby League record by opponent Burial of the Coffin

Preston North End F.C. seasons
1880s	1880–81 1881–82 1882–83 1883–84 1884–85 1885–86 1886–87 1887–88 1888–89 1889–90
1890s	1890–91 1891–92 1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–1900
1900s	1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10
1910s	1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20
1920s	1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30
1930s	1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
1940s	1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50
1950s	1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960s	1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970s	1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980s	1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990s	1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000
2000s	2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010s	2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20
2020s	2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26