September 2025
Preston Again, Bristol Again
Went to see Bristol City play at Preston North End in the Championship on Saturday 27th September. The last time I went to see them was a match at the Reebok Stadium many years ago, which ended in some chaos at the train station—all a bit scary. Can’t really remember the match at all though.
I’ve been to a few games at Deepdale, including a Southport match in a local cup final game back in the days of the plastic pitch, and a Preston FA cup match v Manchester City in 2007—before they had Middle East cash. I had money on Nugent for the first goal which paid for my day out after just 8 minutes. But Preston eventually lost 1-3.
Watched the City game from the Sir Tom Finney’s Stand. I remember my dad getting me Sir Tom’s autograph on a scrap of paper way back. He’d been one of my dad’s footy heroes. No idea what happened to that scrap. Maybe it’s hidden away with the Hi-Di-Hi and Little & Large autographs.
No pic of the two too quickly demolished breakfasts, but they were bought here at the Shiraz.
No picture of the two too quickly drunken pints in the Old Vic either.
Second up the Winkley Alehouse.
Third up before getting to Deepdale was the always excellent Guild Ale House.
Arriving at Deepdale just before Kick-Off.
The view from up in the Bill Shankly Stand.
This time I was with my buddy, Sam, who’s a Brissol fan (not The Gas, the ones who play in red) and I was with the away fans in the Bill Shankly Stand. We both enjoy ale, so going to Preston (which is also on a direct route or two from Liverpool), is not a hardship. After a pre-day out Shiraz breakfast (no photo as we just got stuck in). We had three pints in Preston before the game calling in at the Old Vic by the station, then went to the Winkley Alehouse, before our final pre-match pint at the Guild Ale House. The latter is right next to the bus station and we soon hopped on a No.6 to Deepdale and got into the game as it was just kicking off. Brilliant.
The match was pretty good all the way through. Bristol City looked much the better side although both teams started the match on the same points. There was some good passing and moves, but there was no end product and no one looked effective or confident in front of the goal. Both keepers made saves and some shots bobbled just wide of the goal. It largely felt to all that it would be nil nil and it was.
The Bristol City fans sang all the way through the match and were in good form with old and new, and funny songs too. Unfortunately it all was to go wrong in the last five minutes when out of nowhere there were two or three awful songs from the middle of the crowd along the lines of Faragesque fandom, something about Keep Britain for the British, and another one about people in Dinghies. It was a truly awful last few minutes to what had been a genuinely good game.
An almost final touch was a free kick from Bristol City.
The Black Horse was packed ten minutes earlier.
The Black Horse.
There were Liverpool beers on in the Plug & Taps.
The Plug & Taps calls it as it is.
We couldn't really try and get a bus back so it was a walk back into town. We headed to the Black Horse for a couple. It was packed to begin with but emptied out by the time we left (when the rain came with a vengeance). It was only a short walk from there to the excellent Plug & Taps (just a couple of hundred metres or so away). It was pretty busy in here. They'd had a Liverpool beer tap take over for the last week or so. I'd just missed Sea of Dreams by a few minutes I was told, and I ended up with another Liverpool beer instead; an Intermission from Colbier brewery. Apparently all the Liverpool ales had gone down very well.
Then it was of to the station. Once again out train was good and on time. Excellent. All in all a very good day was had. Just a shame about the latter songs.
Incidentally, I got home to find I'd been delivered a leaflet from Reform. Grrr. It was like someone was rubbing it in. Bastards.
I’ve been to a few games at Deepdale, including a Southport match in a local cup final game back in the days of the plastic pitch, and a Preston FA cup match v Manchester City in 2007—before they had Middle East cash. I had money on Nugent for the first goal which paid for my day out after just 8 minutes. But Preston eventually lost 1-3.
Watched the City game from the Sir Tom Finney’s Stand. I remember my dad getting me Sir Tom’s autograph on a scrap of paper way back. He’d been one of my dad’s footy heroes. No idea what happened to that scrap. Maybe it’s hidden away with the Hi-Di-Hi and Little & Large autographs.
No pic of the two too quickly demolished breakfasts, but they were bought here at the Shiraz.
No picture of the two too quickly drunken pints in the Old Vic either.
Second up the Winkley Alehouse.
Third up before getting to Deepdale was the always excellent Guild Ale House.
Arriving at Deepdale just before Kick-Off.
The view from up in the Bill Shankly Stand.
This time I was with my buddy, Sam, who’s a Brissol fan (not The Gas, the ones who play in red) and I was with the away fans in the Bill Shankly Stand. We both enjoy ale, so going to Preston (which is also on a direct route or two from Liverpool), is not a hardship. After a pre-day out Shiraz breakfast (no photo as we just got stuck in). We had three pints in Preston before the game calling in at the Old Vic by the station, then went to the Winkley Alehouse, before our final pre-match pint at the Guild Ale House. The latter is right next to the bus station and we soon hopped on a No.6 to Deepdale and got into the game as it was just kicking off. Brilliant.
The match was pretty good all the way through. Bristol City looked much the better side although both teams started the match on the same points. There was some good passing and moves, but there was no end product and no one looked effective or confident in front of the goal. Both keepers made saves and some shots bobbled just wide of the goal. It largely felt to all that it would be nil nil and it was.
The Bristol City fans sang all the way through the match and were in good form with old and new, and funny songs too. Unfortunately it all was to go wrong in the last five minutes when out of nowhere there were two or three awful songs from the middle of the crowd along the lines of Faragesque fandom, something about Keep Britain for the British, and another one about people in Dinghies. It was a truly awful last few minutes to what had been a genuinely good game.
An almost final touch was a free kick from Bristol City.
The Black Horse was packed ten minutes earlier.
The Black Horse.
There were Liverpool beers on in the Plug & Taps.
The Plug & Taps calls it as it is.
We couldn't really try and get a bus back so it was a walk back into town. We headed to the Black Horse for a couple. It was packed to begin with but emptied out by the time we left (when the rain came with a vengeance). It was only a short walk from there to the excellent Plug & Taps (just a couple of hundred metres or so away). It was pretty busy in here. They'd had a Liverpool beer tap take over for the last week or so. I'd just missed Sea of Dreams by a few minutes I was told, and I ended up with another Liverpool beer instead; an Intermission from Colbier brewery. Apparently all the Liverpool ales had gone down very well.
Then it was of to the station. Once again out train was good and on time. Excellent. All in all a very good day was had. Just a shame about the latter songs.
Incidentally, I got home to find I'd been delivered a leaflet from Reform. Grrr. It was like someone was rubbing it in. Bastards.
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