BIG INTERVIEW: Lifelong Preston North End fan David Small puts his experiences into print

English teacher David Small is a lifelong North Ender and decided to jot down in words his experience of following the Lilywhites over the last four decades.

It is his dad Cliff (74) who is “to blame” for his lifelong love affair with the club and he, in turn, is the reason why his daughter Becky (17)is North End through and through.

All three really have Small’s grandfather, the late Edward, to thank for the reason why they have spent a large number of their Saturday afternoons on the terraces at Deepdale, cheering the lads on.

The book is called “Just Me and My Football – 40 Seasons of Supporting a Nearly Team”.

The 46-year-old tries to capture what it has been like to follow the Lilywhites over his lifetime.

While his grandfather saw the great Sir Tom Finney in action and his father witnessed a run to the FA Cup final in 1964, Small was fed a diet of North End at its lowest ebb. During his childhood, Preston dropped to the old Fourth Division – the bottom rung of the Football League – and had the ignominy of having to apply for re-election in 1986.

Although the book’s name states otherwise, there have been a few occasions when North End have not always been a ‘nearly team’. There have been a few promotions for Small to enjoy over the years – the glorious 2015 League One play-off final success the highlight of his years as a fan.

But in terms of the Premier League, PNE have always been the nearly club. It is something Small hopes can change in the future – why not this year?

“The book is a little bit of a tribute to my dad in a way really, and my grandad,” said Small.

“My dad is not in the best of health, although he will still hopefully have a good few years left yet. He was the one who took me to North End when I was five or six-years-old.

“His dad took him when he was a similar age.

“I wanted to kind of pay tribute to them and the book is probably what most football fans experience, whether it’s North End or another club.

“We go to the games every week – and rarely win anything yet we still keep going.

“The book details the many highs and lows from a fan’s perspective.

“I go back to the 1980s when we had to apply for re-election after we had finished up in 91st position out of the entire league.

“Then you have the John McGrath era, the David Moyes promotion and obviously the close calls in the play-offs when we were literally 90 minutes away from the Premier League.

“Then obviously we had the relegation when we slipped back to League One but the best moment for me as a North End fan was the Wembley play-off final win.

“To be 4-0 up after 50 minutes – it was the most wonderful of days.

“It’s just the ups and downs of an ordinary football fan following their team, which has yet to taste the glories of the Premier League.

“We keep trying, don’t we?

“Maybe this year will be the year.”

Last weekend was a case in point for Small and his merry band of fellow North Enders. With results going their way and bolstered by one of the best home records in the Championship this season, North End had the opportunity to move to third in the table – and remain three points off the automatic promotion places.

Unfortunately, Millwall did not read the script and came away with a 1-0 victory to disappoint the Deepdale faithful.

“Last Saturday was exactly what I’m talking about – that’s the life of a North End fan,” said Small, who currently works at Bay Leadership Academy, formerly known at Heysham High School, having spent 17 years at Morecambe High School.

“The hope is there all the time and then we are let down. You keep going, you keep loving them and I think this season has been a good one so far.

“I think if somebody would have said to me that by mid-February, we would be in sixth position, I would have snapped their hand off.

“This year I really do think we will hang on to a play-off spot.”

Small’s father Cliff attended Sir Tom’s final game for North End in 1960 – and then watched the club get relegated from the top flight the following season.

“They were a nearly team before I was born,” added Small, who is married to Emma and has two other children Lottie (25) and Tom (20).

“My dad went to the 1964 FA Cup final –but we lost to West Ham.

“We then had Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles – two World Cup winners – as managers but even then we still kind of languished in the old Second Division.

“I think my darkest day watching North End – and it’s in the book –is when we got beaten 4-1 by non-league Telford United at Deepdale in the second round of the FA Cup.”

The book is priced at £9.99 for kindle version and £13.53 for a paperback and can be ordered via; https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B084DG32RF/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=just+me+and+my+football&qid=1581154511&sr=8-1