PNEPreston North End

PNEPreston North End has reached the english top-flight champions decider 8 times on record, first in 1888-89 and most recently in 1957-58. 2 wins against 6 runner-up finishes are recorded below, sourced from our full english top-flight champions list.

Data last verified: 11 August 2026.

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PNEPreston North End — 2 english top-flight champions (1888-89, 1889-90).

Club history

Preston North End evolved from a cricket and rugby club founded in 1863, which adopted association football as a winter fitness pursuit from 1878 before formally reconstituting as a football club in 1880-81. The club has played at Deepdale, on the northern edge of town, since 1875, making it the oldest ground still in continuous use by a Football League club.

Nicknamed the Lilywhites for their white shirts and blue shorts, and simply North End by supporters, Preston are best remembered for the "Old Invincibles" side that swept to the inaugural Football League title in 1888-89 without losing a match, then won the FA Cup the same season without conceding a goal, completing the first domestic Double. A second league title followed in 1889-90. The club remained a First Division fixture for decades and won the FA Cup again in 1938, with a young Bill Shankly in the side, beating Huddersfield Town in the final.

After relegation from the top flight in 1961, Preston endured a long decline, spending 28 of the following 49 seasons in the bottom two divisions and coming close to financial collapse before businessman Trevor Hemmings took control in 2010. A play-off promotion in 2015 restored them to the Championship, where they have remained a stable if unspectacular presence. Their fiercest rivalry is the West Lancashire derby against Blackpool.

Sourcing caveat: Sources give differing 'founding' years for Preston North End: 1863 marks the original cricket and rugby club, while 1880 (sometimes cited as 1881) is when the football section was formally established as a distinct club -- most modern references use 1880 for the football club proper.

Sources

English Top-Flight Champions won (2)

  • 1888-89
  • 1889-90

Runner-up finishes (6)

  • 1890-91
  • 1891-92
  • 1892-93
  • 1905-06
  • 1952-53
  • 1957-58

See the full english top-flight champions list for the winner each of these years.

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