"THEY think it's all over ... it is now!" Immortal words, but for Preston fans all that remains on the football front is a relaxing break, a time to reflect on a glorious season and look forward to Division Two football.

What a fantastic season it has been, both on the field and off. The stunning Tom Finney Stand opened to the public for the Gillingham game on December 23 and won the instant approval of football fans the length and breadth of Britain.

Costing £4.5m and seating 8,000 people, the awesome construction has changed the Preston skyline forever. And what pride it gives the fans!

After years of doom and despair, Preston North End is now back firmly on its feet. The giant has awoken from its slumber and is ready to face the challenges of the future.

Way back in August, it was all a different picture. After losing at Deepdale to Lincoln City, who would have predicted the eventual outcome of the marathon season?

Preston battled back and signalled their intentions with a fine 2-0 win away to Plymouth. A 1-0 victory at Hereford steadied the nerves a little more.

The next highlight came when the Whites hammered the then table-toppers Chester City 2-0 at Deepdale.

Steve Wilkinson grabbed one goal, while that man Saville hammered in the other.

One of the most distinguished performances of the season came at ill-fated Torquay. Ian Bryson stole the show with two wonder strikes as North End won 4-0, receiving a standing ovation in the process.

A week later, the White machine moved up another gear. Mansfield Town were the visitors to Deepdale - and surely they must have wished they hadn't made the trip.

Saville and Wilkinson ran riot as North End exploded. Hat-tricks from each of the star strikers made it 6-0 and pushed North End further towards Division Two.

Saville's last-gasp winner at Northampton will be savoured for a long time by those who saw it, while the impressive 4-0 victory against Leyton Orient brought even more plaudits for Gary Peters and his marauding warriors.

A string of draws held back PNE for a few weeks, but when January 1 arrived, they fired on all cylinders ... much to the dismay of Cardiff City. Neil McDonald answered his critics in style, running the show as Preston won 5-0.

Defeat at Barnet a week later quickly took the gloss off that win, though the 3-2 success against rivals Plymouth was a sweet afternoon's work.

Wins against Darlington, Colchester and Scunthorpe set North End up nicely for the task of overtaking Gillingham, though there were a couple of nervous moments along the way.

Barnet caused enough problems with their 1-0 win at Deepdale, Sean Devine wreaking havoc on a suspect defence. Hereford and Rochdale also took crucial points off PNE, but a subsequent 3-0 win at Rochdale made amends.

Victories at Cardiff and Scarborough gave PNE the perfect platform to launch their title challenge from.

Torquay and Doncaster then went under at Deepdale, as Preston moved into pole position.

One major disaster at Deepdale on April 13 highlighted the weaknesses a complacent defence can have.

Northampton, hungry for revenge, ripped Preston to pieces and won home with all three points and three goals into the bargain. A defeat at Cambridge three days later was greeted with a huge sigh of disapproval. Andy Saville's strike being the only high point of that particular excursion.

A 2-0 win at Leyton Orient virtually guaranteed PNE Division Two football next season, but it all became official when the Whites put two more past Hartlepool a week later.

And then last week's proud day against Exeter City. Another win, but what about the atmosphere? It was awesome!

I had yet to experience such passion and pride. The people of Preston know how to party, and they did it in style.

So next season we do it all again. I wish Gary Peters and the lads the very best of Irish luck! Keep giving them the support they so richly deserve ... and roll on Division Two!

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.