# 2008–09 Preston North End F.C. season

During the 2008–09 English football season, Preston North End F.C. competed in the Championship.

## Season summary

Having spent most of the previous season embroiled in a relegation battle, this season Preston edged into the play-offs in sixth place, pipping Cardiff City on the last day of the season. Though being level with seventh-placed Cardiff with 74 points and a goal difference of +12 each, Preston gained sixth place by virtue of having scored one more goal than Cardiff over the course of the season. The run of form that had seen Preston reach the playoffs saw manager Alan Irvine named the Championship's Manager of the Month for April.
Preston were drawn against third-placed Sheffield United in the semi-finals. United won 2–1 over legs, consigning Preston to another season in the second tier of English football.

## Kit

For the fourth consecutive season, Preston's kits were manufactured by Italian company Diadora, who introduced new home and away kits. The home kit was a white shirt with navy shorts and navy and white hooped socks, inspired by the club's kit from the late fifties and early sixties. (White shorts were worn for the away match at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 10 January). The away kit was a yellow shirt with navy sleeves, yellow shorts and yellow socks with navy turnovers.
Lancastrian support services company Enterprise remained Preston's kit sponsors.

## Results
### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### League Cup
## Players
### First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ENG | Andy Lonergan |
| 2 | DF | SCO | Michael Hart |
| 3 | DF | SCO | Callum Davidson |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Richard Chaplow |
| 5 | DF | FRA | Youl Mawéné |
| 6 | MF | JAM | Lee Williamson (on loan from Watford) |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Chris Sedgwick |
| 8 | FW | ENG | Karl Hawley |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Chris Brown |
| 10 | MF | SCO | Barry Nicholson |
| 11 | MF | ENG | Darren Carter |
| 12 | DF | IRL | Sean St Ledger |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Liam Chilvers |
| 15 | MF | ENG | Simon Whaley |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Paul McKenna (captain) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | DF | ENG | Billy Jones |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Neal Trotman |
| 22 | GK | IRL | Wayne Henderson |
| 25 | MF | SCO | Ross Wallace |
| 26 | FW | ENG | Jon Parkin |
| 27 | DF | IRL | Eddie Nolan |
| 29 | FW | IRL | Stephen Elliott |
| 30 | GK | ENG | Chris Neal |
| 31 | GK | ENG | Andrew Murphy |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Neil Mellor |
| 34 | MF | CAN | Phil Appiah |
| 35 | DF | ENG | Dean Stott |
| 36 | FW | ENG | Rob Turner |
| 40 | MF | NIR | Adam Barton |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Jason Jarrett (to Brighton & Hove Albion) |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Andrew Davies (on loan from Stoke City) |
| 17 | FW | ENG | Brett Ormerod (to Blackpool) |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Matt Hill (to Wolverhampton Wanderers) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | DF | ENG | Wayne Brown (on loan from Hull City) |
| 20 | DF | SCO | Jay McEveley (on loan from Derby County) |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Lewis Neal (to Carlisle United) |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Joe Anyinsah (to Carlisle United) |