David O’Rourke is Preston North End’s campervan man!
Preston North End fan spotlight: David O’Rourke gives us an insight into his life supporting the Lilywhites
Huge Preston fan David O’Rourke’s devotion to the North End cause is such that everywhere he goes, he likes to spread the PNE gospel.
The former Corpus Christi Catholic High School pupil has been a supporter of the club since 1992, watching the club’s rise from lower league obscurity to an established Championship club.
He very rarely misses a game and when he goes on holiday, he likes to inform people where his affiliation lies.
The father-of-two has fitted out a campervan complete with PNE logos, which he had to seek official permission from the club to use.
O’Rourke admits his van always gets commented upon wherever he travels around the country.
“From various trips around the UK, I have had people ask questions about the club,” said O’Rourke, who lives in Cottam and is father to 17-year-old Imogen and Martha (8).
“Because we are a club with such a long and proud history, they recognise the badge and club as a great football club.
“It is pretty unique, you don’t see too many vans with the logos on. I am proud to be a supporter.”
It was in the early 1990s when O’Rourke - who works at BAE Systems as a technical manager on the F35 Jets - first stepped on the terraces of Deepdale.
“My upbringing was tough - it was just myself, my mum and my older brother,” he recalls.
“My mum couldn’t really afford to take me on Deepdale when I was young, she was always working, so I didn’t go on until 1992.
“It was a friend of the family - Fred Murphy was his name - he was a steward and he also worked at Preston North End Snooker Club when that was still there.
“He introduced me to it. He got me on for nothing on the old West Stand and I remember walking up the steps and just being in awe of what I saw . That was my first experience of it and I have been hooked ever since.”
One of his favourite memories is when under manager John Beck, North End defeated Torquay United in the play-off semi-finals and after the final whistle, the fans swarmed onto the pitch to rip up the plastic pitch which was being replaced in favour of traditional grass that summer.
O’Rourke admits there have been ups and downs over the years - title successes, relegations, play-off failures - barring the one success in 2015 at Wembley - but he has loved his time supporting the club, believing there are better times to come in the future.
The long-time supporter remains cautious about the planned takeover this summer which could see US-born Saudi businessman Amr Zedan take control of the club from the Hemmings Family.
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While he would love to see significant investment to help boss Paul Heckingbottom turn the team into a promotion candidates, he has been happy with the stable ownership the Hemmings family have provided since the late Trevor Hemmings took over the club in 2010.
“I like Paul Heckingbottom and I like his assistant Stuart McCall,” he added. “At the start of this season, we did seem to be a bit more direct, we were creating chances and the atmosphere was better.
“The fans can be a little bit fickle sometimes, you have got to recognise the budget and what the manager is working to. We have punched above our weight.
“Even with this supposed takeover talk, I am a bit cautious to be honest because we have been quite steady under Hemmings. The grass isn’t always greener.”
A nifty footballer himself in his youth, O’Rourke - who is a friend of former PNE goalkeeper David Lucas since childhood - was once on the books of North West rivals Wigan Athletic as a schoolboy.
One of his proudest moments is representing his school at Deepdale in the Preston Schools’ final.
“I think we shared the trophy as we drew with Our Lady’s Corpus Christi Catholic High School,” he added.