# 1999–2000 Preston North End F.C. season

During the 1999–2000 English football season, Preston North End F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

## Season summary

In the 1999–2000 season, Preston finally made their return to the second tier of the Football League, after an absence of almost twenty years. Jon Macken, whom Gary Peters had signed from Manchester United two years previously, had a storming season scoring 22 league goals, his flair being reinforced by the team's solid spine of Teuvo Moilanen in goal, defenders Graham Alexander, Colin Murdock, Michael Jackson and Rob Edwards and a central midfield made up of workhorses Gregan and Rankine. Blackpool, who are Preston's archrivals got relegated to basement division the same season. This meant Preston took revenge from Blackpool after 30 years.
The championship was confirmed at Cambridge United on 24 April, a game which brought North End's seventh, and last, defeat of the season.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Preston North End (C, P) | 46 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 74 | 37 | +37 | 95 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Burnley (P) | 46 | 25 | 13 | 8 | 69 | 47 | +22 | 88 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Gillingham (O, P) | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 79 | 48 | +31 | 85 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 4 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 22 | 17 | 7 | 72 | 38 | +34 | 83 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 76 | 50 | +26 | 82 | Qualification for the Second Division play-offs |

## Results

Preston North End's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 August 1999 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–0 | 9,432 | Macken |
| 14 August 1999 | Stoke City | H | 2–1 | 11,465 | Nogan, Murdock |
| 21 August 1999 | Wycombe Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 5,091 | Nogan |
| 28 August 1999 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–4 | 13,885 | Basham |
| 1 September 1999 | Reading | A | 2–2 | 7,628 | Eyres, Basham |
| 4 September 1999 | Chesterfield | H | 0–2 | 8,506 | |
| 11 September 1999 | Burnley | H | 0–0 | 13,708 | |
| 18 September 1999 | Gillingham | A | 2–0 | 6,610 | Macken, Gregan |
| 25 September 1999 | Brentford | A | 2–2 | 7,100 | Macken, McKenna |
| 2 October 1999 | Cambridge United | H | 2–1 | 9,522 | Macken (2) |
| 9 October 1999 | Bristol City | H | 1–0 | 10,042 | Mathie |
| 16 October 1999 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–1 | 5,336 | Macken |
| 19 October 1999 | Millwall | A | 2–0 | 6,355 | Cartwright, Nethercott (own goal) |
| 23 October 1999 | Brentford | H | 2–1 | 10,382 | Alexander (pen), Marshall (own goal) |
| 3 November 1999 | Bournemouth | H | 3–0 | 9,630 | McKenna, Macken, Alexander (pen) |
| 6 November 1999 | Colchester United | A | 2–2 | 3,818 | Mathie, Nogan |
| 12 November 1999 | Notts County | H | 2–0 | 14,226 | Macken (2) |
| 23 November 1999 | Luton Town | A | 2–0 | 5,124 | Eyres (2) |
| 27 November 1999 | Bury | A | 3–1 | 6,469 | Jackson, Gregan, Macken |
| 4 December 1999 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2–0 | 10,970 | Macken (2) |
| 18 December 1999 | Blackpool | H | 3–0 | 16,821 | Eyres (2), Appleton |
| 26 December 1999 | Wrexham | A | 0–0 | 7,872 | |
| 28 December 1999 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–1 | 16,680 | Alexander (pen), Macken |
| 3 January 2000 | Cardiff City | A | 4–0 | 10,142 | Edwards, Alexander (2, 1 pen), Nogan |
| 14 January 2000 | Stoke City | A | 1–2 | 10,285 | Alexander (pen) |
| 22 January 2000 | Wycombe Wanderers | H | 3–2 | 10,969 | |
| 1 February 2000 | Oxford United | A | 4–0 | 5,164 | Macken (2), Eyres, Appleton |
| 5 February 2000 | Reading | H | 2–2 | 12,618 | Macken, Jackson |
| 12 February 2000 | Chesterfield | A | 1–0 | 4,726 | Gregan |
| 19 February 2000 | Bury | H | 1–1 | 13,901 | Macken |
| 26 February 2000 | Gillingham | H | 0–2 | 13,246 | |
| 4 March 2000 | Burnley | A | 3–0 | 22,310 | Jackson, Macken, Edwards |
| 7 March 2000 | Colchester United | H | 2–3 | 11,323 | Angell (2) |
| 11 March 2000 | Bournemouth | A | 1–0 | 5,317 | Angell |
| 14 March 2000 | Oxford United | H | 3–1 | 12,008 | Angell (2), Macken |
| 18 March 2000 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 13,731 | Anderson |
| 21 March 2000 | Notts County | A | 0–1 | 6,401 | |
| 25 March 2000 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 12,481 | Anderson |
| 1 April 2000 | Blackpool | A | 0–0 | 9,042 | |
| 4 April 2000 | Wigan Athletic | A | 1–0 | 15,993 | Jackson |
| 8 April 2000 | Cardiff City | H | 0–0 | 13,794 | |
| 15 April 2000 | Bristol Rovers | A | 2–0 | 10,111 | Macken, Gunnlaugsson |
| 22 April 2000 | Scunthorpe United | H | 1–0 | 15,518 | Angell |
| 24 April 2000 | Cambridge United | A | 0–2 | 6,068 | |
| 29 April 2000 | Millwall | H | 3–2 | 19,407 | Eyres, Jackson, Angell |
| 6 May 2000 | Bristol City | A | 2–0 | 11,160 | Angell, Appleton |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 31 October 1999 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–0 | 6,145 | McKenna |
| R2 | 20 November 1999 | Enfield | H | 0–0 | 11,566 | |
| R2R | 30 November 1999 | Enfield | A | 3–0 | 1,808 | Eyres, Alexander (pen), Gunnlaugsson |
| R3 | 11 December 1999 | Oldham Athletic | H | 2–1 | 9,940 | Macken, Alexander (pen) |
| R4 | 8 January 2000 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 3–0 | 10,824 | O'Sullivan (own goal), Alexander (pen), Beswetherick (own goal) |
| R5 | 29 January 2000 | Everton | A | 0–2 | 37,486 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 10 August 1999 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 4,930 | Appleton |
| R1 2nd Leg | 24 August 1999 | Wrexham | A | 2–0 (won 3-0 on agg) | 2,911 | Basham, Macken |
| R2 1st Leg | 14 September 1999 | Sheffield United | A | 0–2 | 5,350 | |
| R2 2nd Leg | 21 September 1999 | Sheffield United | H | 3–0 (won 3-2 on agg) | 5,658 | Alexander, Mathie (2) |
| R3 | 12 October 1999 | Arsenal | A | 1–2 | 15,239 | Macken |

### Football League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1N | 7 December 1999 | Wrexham | H | 4–1 | 3,306 | Gunnlaugsson (3), Edwards |
| R2N | 10 January 2000 | Hartlepool United | H | 1–2 | 3,635 | Gunnlaugsson |

## 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 | David Lucas |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Graham Alexander |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Dominic Ludden |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Ryan Kidd |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Michael Jackson |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Sean Gregan |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Lee Cartwright |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Mark Rankine |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Steve Basham |
| 11 | MF | ENG | David Eyres |
| 12 | DF | ENG | Gary Parkinson |
| 13 | DF | SCO | David Moyes (player-manager) |
| 14 | DF | NIR | Colin Murdock |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Robert Edwards |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Paul McKenna |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | FW | IRL | Jon Macken |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Michael Appleton |
| 19 | FW | ISL | Bjarki Gunnlaugsson |
| 20 | DF | NIR | Paul Morgan |
| 21 | GK | FIN | Teuvo Moilanen |
| 22 | DF | ENG | Adam Eaton |
| 23 | FW | ENG | Mark Wright |
| 24 | MF | FRA | Farid Diaf |
| 25 | MF | ENG | Julian Darby |
| 26 | MF | NIR | Stuart King |
| 27 | FW | ENG | Mark Beesley |
| 28 | DF | IRL | Brian Barry-Murphy |
| 30 | GK | IRL | Kelham O'Hanlon |
| 31 | MF | SCO | Iain Anderson (on loan from Toulouse) |
| 32 | FW | ENG | Brett Angell (on loan from Stockport County) |

### 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 |
| 31 | FW | SCO | Alex Mathie (on loan from Dundee United) |
| 32 | MF | ENG | David Beresford (on loan from Huddersfield Town) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 9 | FW | WAL | Kurt Nogan (to Cardiff City) |