Preston North End fans heading to West Brom for Gentry Day

PNE fans on Gentry Day in 2018 at Bolton Wanderers

This season Preston North End fans will travel to West Bromwich Albion for Gentry Day.

Organised by fans with the club’s support, Gentry Day is the annual game that remembers anyone connected to PNE who has passed away in the previous 12 months.

Tickets for the match went on sale on Friday, and sold out just over 24 hours later – meaning 2,737 North End fans will make their way to the Hawthorns on Saturday 13 April.

While Gentry Day is always a popular event, the play-off excitement building around Deepdale will no doubt have contributed to the speedy sell-out.

Some fans were left lamenting on social media after missing out on tickets.

Should have used the loyalty point system for this one, do 10-15 away games every season and pretty much every home game and can't even get a ticket for West Brom, I'm fuming but also didn't expect it to sell out in like 24 hours
— aidan bermingham (@aidan_pne) March 16, 2019

Those lucky enough to secure tickets are being encouraged to take a remembrance slip to fill out and leave on their seat.

A post in the Preston North End Fans Forum on Facebook said: “The idea is we are taking the memory of North End fans that are no longer with us.”

A limited number of slips are available from the PNE ticket office, Reilly’s Butchers, Deepdale Labour Club and The Ribble Lodge.

The annual Gentry Day tradition sees fans dress up in suits and bowler hats to honour the Gentry term, which was coined in the early 1970s after Alan Ball Snr told a press conference: “Preston fans are the best, they’re the gentry”.

Last season over 4,000 fans travelled to Bolton Wanderers for Gentry Day. Then, PNE came from a goal down to beat their local rivals thanks to a Seani Maguire brace.

Fans will be hoping for similar drama – and more importantly a similar result – this season at West Brom.

Are you going to this season’s Gentry Day? Let us know in the comments below.