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Proud Derek salutes £20m makeover



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Published Date: 16 August 2008
Derek Shaw's Deepdale dream finally came true today when the
redevelopment of English football's oldest League stadium was officially completed.
The Preston North End chairman watched legend Sir Tom Finney cut the ribbon to open the brand new Invincibles Pavilion before Saturday's Championship clash with Crystal Palace.

And he spoke of his deep sense of pride at seeing the 12-year project, which has cost more than £20m, finished at long last.

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"I'm extremely proud of what has been achieved here, we all are," said the man who rose from being a fan on the terraces to
running his home-town club.

"All the supporters I have spoken to are really pleased that Deepdale has finally been finished.

"It has taken 12 years. But, looking at the end product, it has been well worth the wait. It is superb."

The PNE board declined to say exactly how much the new stand, built in
partnership with the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust, cost.

But estimates put the price tag at around the £9m mark – by far the most expensive of the four sides to be redeveloped.

"We would rather keep that to ourselves for the moment, although it will probably come out in the accounts," said Shaw.

"But, as everyone can see, we have not skimped on anything. The fit-out has been top quality and we have spent a lot of money doing everything we can to make everyone comfortable.

"I am sure that when the public finally get in they will be delighted with how it looks."

Deepdale's revamp began in 1996 when the Sir Tom Finney Stand was opened.

The Bill Shankly Kop followed in 1998 and the Alan Kelly Town End was completed in 2001.

Now, after a seven-year gap, the Invincibles Pavilion completes the project, although work on fitting out the health authority's long-term conditions centre which will form part of the building, will continue for another two months.

The new stand seats 4,000 fans and includes 22 executive boxes, each named after a player of the occupants' choice.

A dozen have already been sold for this season, the first – and largest, seating 20 – called after former midfield favourite Mark Rankine.

David Beckham is in there, as are Paul McKenna, Graham Alexander, David Eyres and, of course, Sir Tom.

The building also houses two function rooms – the Guild Lounge with room for 150 and the Invincibles Lounge which offers a carvery for 300.

On matchdays PNE can now feed up to 500 people on that side of the stadium, in addition to those dining across the ground in the Sir Tom Finney Stand.

The Gentry



The full article contains 469 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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  • Last Updated: 16 August 2008 10:15 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Preston
 
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Leyland Lad,

16/08/2008 09:19:16
I hope that Derek Shaw gets the full praise that he deserves for the magnificent stadium that we now have.

It`s done and we are not up to our neck in dept because of it. Well done Derek.
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Roy David,

Deal, Kent. 16/08/2008 09:25:01
Remarkable achievement - especially in these days of non-Premiership clubs going bust and many more deep in debt.

Well done, Derek and the board.
3

andycons,

oldham 16/08/2008 09:45:24
fantastic acheivmant now its finished without any debt.. compared to the dingles and the lashers dumps.. we should be very proud.. proud preston.. keep the faith.
4

Firewall,

Cyberspace 16/08/2008 09:48:42
It's an incredible achievement especially when you consider the success we have had on the field during the last twelve years. A big thank you to Brian Gray (should be knighted for his services to Preston North End) for initiating the resurgence of Preston North End and Deepdale and an equally big thank you to Derek Shaw for continuing with the progress of our beloved club.

Derek may have his detractors amongst the Deepdale faithful but I for one think he has done a fantastic job in not only developing PNE off the pitch but also in team development on the pitch (2007 excepted but that was just a blip). We PNE fans may not have tasted Premiership football yet but at least we can watch our team in a Premiership class stadium. We really are a Premiership club in waiting.

I am hoping for a large turn out today to mark this milestone in the club's history. It would be nice to see 20,000 on at Deepdale everu home game but being more realistic I am hoping that we get 16,000+ today.

All we need now is for Al and the boys to turn on the style against Crystal Palace this afternoon and bring us another three precious points.

The future is bright, the future is white :o)
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kevin678,

16/08/2008 10:05:02
Well done to Derek Shaw. Once the money dried up from the ITV digital deal, it appeared the only way the stadium would be finished is if we got into the Premier League. We haven't, but he found a way for it still to be done. Let's all remember, we are a small club in this league and to have a stadium like this is a great achievement.
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DaleRudge,

16/08/2008 10:28:01
Echo the above comments; well done Derek – the most important PNE fan ever.
If only the minority of whingers could remember days at Aldershot and THAT home game v Scunthorpe they would be a bit slower to criticise anything and everything that the club does.
Deepdale is a stadium the whole city can take pride in now – in fact, for me, it's the best in Lancashire as Rovers still have their relic from the 80s down one side.
Some of the most vocal critics are just kids who don't remember the dark days.
Those of us that do can only sit back and marvel at what's happened.
It's simply fantastic.
Up the Whites!!
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Tom Harrison,

Deepdale 16/08/2008 10:49:14
Anyone got the full list of names of the boxes?
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Rincewind,

16/08/2008 10:49:23
Dale hits it on the nail; there,we now have a generation of fans who have seen nothing but relative success;after all apart from Brown and Simpson we have spent a decade climbing through the lower leagues then challenging near the top of the CCC,added to that the instant gratification that modern society craves we get fans of most clubs quick to turn and decry those running their club.

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Firewall,

Cyberspace 16/08/2008 10:54:18
Derek Shaw will go down as a great chairman when the history books are written. He has kept PNE in great financial shape where other so called "big clubs" have ended up massively in debt (Leeds, Coventry) and almost gone out of existence. His policy of prudent buying and selling of players (Nugent, Davies etc.) is what has kept this club going and progressing these past few years. To achieve all that and a £20 million pound stadium as well is remarkable!

I would ask any PNE fan. Where would you rather be right now, where we are or in the chaos and shambolic state the Blackpool FC is in with their chairman and "rich billionaire"? ;o)

Every credit to you Derek, so glad you didn't step down from the chairmanship back in 2007.
10

birky,

16/08/2008 10:56:58
Well done to Derek Shaw and the bulders that made this happan
Blackpool have the smallest ground in the championship HA HA HA HA
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