

23 superb pictures of Preston North End fans from yesteryear queuing for tickets at Deepdale: gallery
Remember those days when you had to take your place in the queue to get your hands on a Preston North End match-day ticket?
It might be an alien concept for certain Lilywhites fans now, but back in the day it was common practice for supporters to head to Deepdale in order to get their match-day tickets.
With no internet to book seats from home, no high-tech phones to download your match tickets, or no simple clicks of a button to transfer your payment to either the club or a mate, at times the only way to guarantee your place at the game was by joining a physical queue and putting up with the weather!
Some, of course, were longer than others - depending on the game in question. Yet they still required perhaps an early alarm call, a detour on your way to or home from work, or a mate or family member good enough to get in line on your behalf if work or college got in the way of the sales window opening.
A tent, sleeping back, a picnic hamper and a good-old newspaper might have been required on other occasions. And there were plenty of North End fans prepared to do it when the need arised as they looked to be part of the Preston fan base for these memorable games.
To salute these efforts, we've been looking through our picture archive to capture these moments. Here's 23 of our favourite snaps as Preston North End fans from yesteryear look to snap up PNE tickets.

1. Preston fans queue for tickets
Preston North End fans Cyril Ashcroft, left, and Mark Carroll show off their tickets for Arsenal's FA Cup third-round trip to Deepdale in January 1999 after joining the queue early in the morning. Photo: Lindsey North

2. Preston fans queue for tickets
While some awaited patiently for Preston North End v Birmingham Championship play-off tickets in 2001, others got a ball out to help pass the time. Photo: Ian Robinson

3. Preston fans queue for tickets
Jubilant fans, from left, Stuart Snape, Nerissa Wilkinson, Lee Snape and Daniel Snape who had queued from 10pm the nght before to get Preston North End v Arsenal FA Cup tickets in 1999. Photo: Lindsey North

4. Preston fans queue for tickets
Preston North End fans wait for the ticket office to open so that they can get their hands on PNE v Chelsea FA Cup tickets in 2010. Photo: Ian Robinson