THE SCENES at the end of the match at The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff were quite different to anything that I have seen in football before.

The sight of those thousands of brilliant North End supporters waving their banners and scarves in defeat makes one just wonder what they would have done had Preston clinched promotion to the premiership.

When I spoke to some of those supporters after the match they were disappointed. Of course they were, but it didn't show.

A brilliant season had come to an end, it was now time to head off for holiday with the family, to discuss the season over drinks in bars in Spain, Italy, France or Morecambe.

It was all quite magical. Preston won promotion to division one and almost all of North End fans would have settled for a place in mid table.

Even when North End were flying in the first half of the season and supporters began to think that well maybe, we might just, with a little bit of luck get into the play-offs, others settled still for that mid table place.

Then, after North End had overcome that mid season blip and teams above them started to slip and Preston were improving and getting closer the thought of play-offs became a distant reality and the tension grew higher and higher as each match went by.

West Bromich Albion stood in the way, Deepdale roared and roared and Albion shattered to leave Preston now to take on Albion's near neighbours, Birmingham City in the play-offs.

The drama, the tension and the excitement of it all took over the town. No one spoke of anything else while the country at last sat up and started to take notice.

A slender performance at St Andrews saw Preston hold Birmingham to a slender one goal lead with the second leg to come at Deepdale.

What a night it was as North End battled to win two - one on the night to go into extra time and then onto the most dramatic penalty shoot out ever seen at Deepdale.

In the end it was all down to young Paul McKenna. Needing to knock the penalty in to send Preston in the final he strode up from the half way line as the cameras focused on him, the national press took their pictures and the little man walked to penalty spot.

Carefully, he placed the ball on the spot as the ground fell silent. Preston and Birmingham fans alike couldn't watch. So much now depended on this spot kick.

Ian Bennett in the City goal did his best to distract McKenna who looked into the mass of Preston fans in the Bill Shankly kop behind the goal and then he started to move towards the ball.

The tension was unbearable, McKenna's foot made contact with the ball, Bennett dived to try to keep the ball out but, then the ball was caught up in the net, McKenna has scored and Deepdale erupted into a cauldron of noisy celebration that salutes victory.

It was a night of nights to remember.

Between then and the final in Cardiff against Bolton Wanderers there was only one topic of conversation. The play-off final.

The Preston fans stood for hours to get a ticket, they arranged their transport and took over the Welsh capital in a massive display of white and blue, winning the hearts of the Welsh people on their enjoyable day out and the last hurdle to be overcome for the right to play in the premiership.

It is now part of footballs long history of which the name of Preston North End stands so strong, that at this last hurdle Preston stumbled and the dream was gone for another season.

Yet no one who was there in that magnificent stadium was in any doubt that the fans were celebrating success, not on the day but at the end of a season that had brought so much joy and happiness, and sometimes despair it has to be said in a wonderful season.

Everyone connected with Preston North End, David Moyes, his backroom staff, the players and the Deepdale staff who all played a big part in the success of the season can be proud of what was achieved.

The final word must go to those wonderful Preston North End supporters who cheered Preston every inch of the way so magnificently. Ladies and gentlemen you made my season and I saw every match, every kick of the ball.

The curtain has come down, but when it goes back up again at the start of the new season then Preston North End will be the team everybody will be watching.

Tom Parker