Preston North End have been out of the top flight for over 60 years, supporters must not give up on that dream

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Preston North End look set for a tricky 2025/26 Championship campaign.

The Lilywhites avoided relegation on the final day of last season, with a 2-2 draw away to Bristol City proving to be enough to extend their stay in the second tier for another year.

Preston have had a challenging summer, with Emil Riis joining the Robins. However, Paul Heckingbottom’s side are interested in Andrija Vukcevic, as he looks to improve the defensive side of his team.

Nevertheless, a top six finish feels a long way away for the Lancashire outfit, and their bid to end their wait for top flight football looks as though it will continue for some time.

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Preston North End last tasted top flight football in 1961

The Premier League is the dream for every club in England, and for those in the Championship it will of course feel achievable. However, for Preston, their glory days are very much in the past.

In fact, it’s been 64 years since the Lilywhites last featured in the top flight, as they finished 22nd in the 1960/61 campaign to end a 10-year stint in the First Division.

Preston finished as high as second twice during that run, as they missed out on a third top flight title, having finished first in back-to-back seasons in 1888/89 and 1889/90.

However, they won just 10 of their 42 games in their relegation season, drawing 10 other matches and accruing just 30 points. Rivals Blackpool narrowly avoided dropping to the second tier, finishing on 33 points as Newcastle ended the campaign in 21st on 32.

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The Lilywhites’ wait for top flight football looks likely to continue

It’s been a tough ride for those at Deepdale since that relegation, with the Lilywhites failing to really make a mark in the Championship in recent years.

They did challenge for promotion to the Premier League throughout the 2000s, finishing in the top six on four different occasions. However, the last time they finished in the play-offs in the second tier was back in 2008/09.

Last season was Preston’s lowest league finish since 2014/15, when they were in League One, and the threat of relegation will feel much stronger than the dream of promotion.

Nonetheless, there’s a long campaign ahead, and Heckingbottom will be hoping that he makes steady improvements to finally take the club back to the top flight.