A FANATICAL follower of Preston North End is heartbroken after his wife persuaded him to move over 300 miles from his beloved Deepdale - after ten years of trying.

Super supporter Dean Harrison finally gave in to wife Mandy a decade after she first asked him to move to Dorset to build a better life for their family.

The unemployed former parcel company worker had his dramatic change of heart after two frustrating years on the dole.

But even though he knows it's the right move the football-mad father-of-three, who has been watching the lilywhites every week for 30 years, is devastated.

The 34-year-old of Church Court, Deepdale, said: "I'm absolutely gutted. PNE has become an obsession. I don't know if I can handle being away from the football.

"I love North End as much as my wife, they're the only thing I think about every day. It will be like trying to get over a death."

Dean's love of football developed so much since his first trip to Deepdale at the age of four that he will be taking more than three binbags of memorabilia to the family's new Weymouth home.

His wife Mandy admits he only changed his mind under duress. She added: "He's upset about moving because he loves Preston to bits.

"But we want a better life for the children. We've no family left here and we want to go down there and find work."

And Dean won't the only one sad to leave Deepdale as children Kirk, Michael and Rachel are all ardent fans - in fact Rachel won't even touch oranges or tangerines because of the colour heated rivals Blackpool play in!

Meanwhile Dean is already looking forward to next season's away tie at Bournemouth or as he joked: "The way things are going I could be going to Exeter City in the third division!"

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