PRESTON'S managerial merry-go-round went into overdrive in the 1980s with a succession of big names in the Deepdale hot seat.

Ex-World Cup star Nobby Stiles was manager at the start of the decade, but at the end of the 1980/81 season North End were relegated to the Third Division, with both the Bristol clubs.

Ex-Preston player Tommy Docherty came and went to be replaced by former Everton boss Gordon Lee.

Lee failed to win promotion and he departed the scene in 1983.

Disappointment among the fans was obv ious as North End toiled away in the Third Division. The turned to Allan Kelly.

Could he turn the club around? The short answer was that he could not!

And in 1985 the unthinkable happened - Preston North End were relegated to the Fourth Division, together with Burnley. Both sets of supporters were in mourning.

Preston now appointed Tommy Booth, the ex-Manchester City centre-half; he was followed by Brian Kidd, but neither was able to get North End out of the division and Jon Clark took over in a caretaker capacity.

It was 1986, almost 100 years since Preston won the First Division title. How the mighty had fallen!

They brought in John McGrath, the former Newcastle United and Southampton centre-half, a no-nonsense manager previously at Port Vale.

He proved an immediate success; the fans loved him and they packed Deepdale to celebrate promotion behind Northampton Town in 1987. The town was on a high.

McGrath worked hard with limited resources and Preston North End held on to their position in the division until he called it a day in 1990.

He was replaced by the popular Les Chapman who saw out the decade as player-manager, Preston maintaining their status.

The 80s belonged to Merseyside as Liverpool won the First Division title six times and Everton won it twice.

Only Aston Villa and Arsenal, with a championship each, prevented total domination by the Merseyside giants.

The World Cup went to Italy in 1882, scoring a 3-1 over West Germany; four years later the trophy went to Argentina in a 3-2 tickertape win over West Germany.

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