Tag: Paul McKenna

THE DEEPDALE DIARY – 9th November 2005

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November
Preston North End secure the services of long-serving midfielder Paul McKenna on a new and improved three-and-a-half year deal. The local born player is currently celebrating his testimonial year and joins Brian O’Neil, Chris Lucketti and Graham Alexander in signing new deals.

Blackpool boss Colin Hendry looks set for the sack after defeat to Doncaster in the FA Cup and PNE in the Lancs Cup.

Thursday 10th November
Billy Davies says that his side have lacked the killer instinct in the opening few months, this despite his side now being unbeaten in seven and with only four defeats in 18 games. He said: “Due to little breaks and things not going for us and not getting that little killer instinct, we’ve been unfortunate to draw a number of games that we should have won.”

Birmingham City are the latest club to be linked with a big money move for Sheffield United captain Phil Jagielka.

Friday 11th November
A double departure at Deepdale as Dickson Etuhu and Eric Skora both leave on loan deals. Etuhu joins Norwich for two months with a view to a permanent deal whilst Skora moves down the M6 to link up with League One Walsall in search of first team football.

Argentinean defender Roberto Ayala says that in Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen England have the best strike partnership in the world.

Saturday 12th November
Eric Skora makes a dream start to life at the Bescot Stadium with a goal on his debut. The local papers are comparing him to Christoph Dugarry and Walsall boss Paul Merson tells the press that the Frenchman is destined for the Premiership if he continues in the same vein of form.

It’s reported that Manchester United’s dressing room was bugged and conversations recorded during their recent win over Chelsea.

Sunday 13th November
Preston North End are in a ‘transition period’ according to PNE boss Billy Davies. The loss of Cresswell and Lewis as well as the temporary loss of David Nugent have hit Preston hard: “Those players were good for 49 goals between them last season so once they were gone that was our cutting edge gone too.”

Spurs are waiting in the wings should Arjen Robben be given the boot at Stamford Bridge after falling out with Jose Mourinho.

Monday 14th November
Norwich boss Nigel Worthington confirms that the Dickson Etuhu deal is likely to be a permanent one. Meanwhile the midfielder tells Norwich’s website that he can’t wait to get started: “I’m very impressed with the facilities here and I’m looking forward to using them now.”

The Mirror reports that Bryan Robson is set for a £2m raid on former club Manchester United to get Kieran Richardson.

Tuesday 15th November
PNE boss Billy Davies says that competition for places ahead of the game with Cardiff is ‘fierce’. He said: “we’ve got guys coming back into full fitness, which is vital for us, and competition will again become very fierce.”

Sheffield United are set to offer Neil Warnock a £300,000 wage rise to stop him from joining Portsmouth according to the Daily Star.

Wednesday 16th November
PNE include Adam Nowland and Jemal Johnson in their reserve line-up to take on Bury at Deepdale. Nowland has been out of action since limping off with a groin strain at Bury and Johnson was unlucky to miss out at Leeds United a fortnight ago.

Everton insist that their manager David Moyes will not be leaving the club to take charge of Scottish giants Rangers.

Dates For Your Diary
Wednesday 23rd November – Patrick Agyemang and Claude Davis join Liberty X in turning on the Preston Christmas lights.

Thursday 24th November – David Nugent, Chris Sedgwick and Tyrone Mears sign autographs at pneshop.com from 6.30pm.

Friday 25th November – Ned Kelly is over the hill as he celebrates his 40th birthday!

Wednesday 30th November – Paul McKenna’s Testimonial Bingo Night at Deepdale Labour Club – Eyes Down 7.30pm admission £2.

Player of The Year Awards – 10th May 2005

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The Frenchman astonishingly won four honours at the prestigious evening, scooping the Fans’ Player of the Year, the Players’ Player, the SMS Fans’ Vote and the Community Icon awards.

Speaking about winning the Fans’ Player of the Year award, he said: “I’ve tried to work hard for the team, and the team is always the most important thing. This season I have enjoyed starting in every game. It hasn’t been all good, there have been times where we had to pick ourselves up, and go on, we had heavy defeats before we started on a good run. You have to pick yourself up and keep working hard on the training ground and a lot of things have changed and now we seem more confident, we have a lot of good players who have come into the team and it’s been a good season for me.”

Mawene just pipped Paul McKenna at the post for the SMS Fans’ Award sponsored by TravelWise, which is voted for by PNE supporters throughout the season by text message after each game. It was presented by Colette Fleming. Youl said: “McKenna, Cresswell or another could have got that. I think it’s very hard to give a grade out of ten for two players for a performance, very often it’s the whole team. I’m just happy that the fans recognised that I’m working hard for the team and that’s the most important thing.”

A new prize this year, the Community Icon Award sponsored by Total, presented by Steven Segall and PNE’s Playing For Success manager Sam O’Brien, was given to Youl because of his extensive work with people in the Preston area. He showed how much he cared about winning this award, and said: “To be honest I’ve been very welcome here so it’s a way to send back the welcome to the people of the community. I’ve been going to a lot of schools; I enjoy working with the children a lot. The kids love it, I love it, it’s just great for the whole community. It’s important that Preston [North End] take a bit part in what’s happening in town, we’re part of the city and we should take a lot of time for the community.”

The tough defender then won the Players’ Player Award sponsored by the Malcolm Woodhouse Group, presented by Malcolm Woodhouse Jnr., and was clearly a tad surprised: “I thought McKenna would have got that, I personally voted for him and Chris Lucketti. It’s so hard, it’s a squad of 11, 13, 15, 20 players, and everybody this season came in and did their thing, it’s been a good season and it’s great to pick up this award as well.”

Defender Alexander and midfielder McKenna made their 300th appearances at Deepdale against Gillingham and Brighton respectively at the start of April this year.

Graham Alexander said: “It was a total surprise, I didn’t know it was coming. Obviously it’s a great achievement for me personally, I’m so proud to have played 300 games for this club. To leave your mark at a club is great. Every game I play for this club is a pleasure because I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it.”

Prolific striker Richard Cresswell won the Goal of the Season award sponsored by Pete Marquis for his strike against Sheffield United in March. He said: “Everybody has put their bit into the team this year and it’s nice to get an award but the awards can go on hold because we’re not at the end of the season yet and we still have a long way to go to what we want to achieve.”

Rob and Margaret Cooke also won an award, the first ever Supporters of the Year John Tracey Memorial Award, which goes to the best fans of the year. The award was presented to the couple by John Tracey’s widow Christine, daughters Donna and Emma, and sister Sal. The couple, who run the Deepdale Bed and Breakfast in Ayr, Scotland, travel to every Preston home and away match, despite living north of the border! They said: “We’re over the moon, it was a big surprise.”

Championship Round-Up: 1st March 2005

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Watch Out – Billy Tops Championship Tissot Table
North End boss Billy Davies may not get the manager of the month accolades that he so rightly deserves but the Scot is making a mark where it matters in the Tissot League Table of Managers’ Performances.

Davies has consistently been in the top ten of the most trusted and respected indicator of good football management. The league which is published each week on the League Managers’ Association website takes into consideration not only the outright results of matches but also aspects such as clean sheets, away wins and consecutive games without defeat.

Billy currently has plenty of ground to make up on the likes of Paul Jewell, Joe Royle and Mick McCarthy for the overall award, but then they have had a couple of month’s head start on Davies. But things are looking quite good for the North End boss in the third quarter of the season, he currently sits six points clear of his nearest Championship rival Mick McCarthy and is rated as the seventh best manager in the country for the period up to 1st March. Macclesfield’s Brian Horton is currently rated the best manager in the country following six wins and one draw form their last seven games.

McKenna, Lonergan And Sedgwick Are The Best
Paul McKenna is the 15th best player outside of the Premiership according to a survey conducted in 4-4-2 magazine. The North End midfielder is ahead of the likes of Ade Akinbiyi, Nicky Barmby and Tom Huddlestone in the list which is topped by Reading’s Steve Sidwell. Andy Lonergan is rated as the best goalkeeper outside of the Premiership coming ahead of Derby pair Lee Camp and Lee Grant in 19th place. But the list is being talked about more for the players who have not made the top 50 rather for the ones who have.

Two of Preston’s star performers for the 2004/05 campaign have not even got a mention on the list, although it will probably please North End fans that Eddie Lewis and Youl Mawene remain a closely guarded secret.

Elsewhere North End’s Chris Sedgwick was recognised last week for his performance against Burnley. The former Rotherham man was recognised by the club sponsors as the man of the match for the 1-0 win over our local rivals and that was followed up by a place in the Football League’s Championship team of the week.

It looks like people are slowly starting to take notice of PNE!

Reading Switch From Blind Date To Dads Army
After signing two players with a combined age of 76 in Les Ferdinand and Martin Keown many may be wondering what is going on at the Madejski Stadium, especially as the Royals have been on something of a slump in form in recent weeks.

But if former Preston winger David Eyres is anything to go by, Reading could still get four or five more years from their investments in Ferdinand and Keown. Deepdale legend Eyres is still earning rave reviews at Boundary Park and was recently quoted as saying that he wants a new contract at the end of the season. Eyres celebrated his 41st birthday last week and if Mr Eddie Lewis doesn’t sign a new deal with Preston could we be looking to tempt the flying winger back to Preston?