NORTH END groundsman Peter McCallion has a story or two to tell after working for two decades at Deepdale.

The Irishman remembers the time a match had to be abandoned when part of the West Stand roof blew off and embedded itself in the pitch.

And he can fondly recall the day when he walked out onto the hallowed turf and discovered a duck and her six young ducklings in their new home - on the pitch!

But 59-year-old Peter, who is now a proud Prestonian, has a lot more on his plate than picking up bits of stadium and leading stray birds back to ponds.

Early mornings and late nights are no strangers for grandad-of-four Peter who said: "We have to replace divots, roll the pitch and let air into it so it returns to being a level surface however long it takes."

But was Peter made redundant when Preston adopted the unpopular plastic pitch for an eight year spell up until 1994?

He said: "No chance. The plastic pitch was just as demanding as real grass. It was a multi-purpose job because we had hockey, 5-a-side football, and American football on there as well. It could get quite badly damaged."

Peter, who has been at the club for 22 years after doing a course at Myerscough College, is proud to have watched every Preston home game in every division but one.

But he does have a dream: "Even when I'm not working here anymore I want to be coming to watch the games. But hopefully by then we'll be riding high in the Premiership."

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