Football may be off the pitch for the time being, but a book celebrating 15 Preston North End greats is still attracting the crowds.
North End Souls is heading towards its fundraising goal to raise £1,000 for the Gary Parkinson Trust.
The book, written by author and lifelong PNE fan Keith Harrison, features PNE stars such as David Moyes, Graham Alexander and Sean Gregan.
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Keith says: ‘The response has been phenomenal and we are close to selling out the initial print run.
‘So far we’ve donated £900 to the Parky trust in just under six months and with a few more bits and bobs still to come in, I’m hoping we can top the £1,000 mark soon.’
The book features personal accounts of life at Deepdale, taking readers inside the dressing room in some of the clubs biggest games over the past 35 years.
It has drawn rave reviews from fans and players alike with ex-PNE goalie Andy Lonergan, who now plays for Liverpool, saying: ‘It’s a great read. Hopefully every North End fan will pick up a copy.’
Lonners is just one of the big names telling their stories in the book, which also features Paul Gallagher, Ricardo Fuller, Youl Mawene, Joe Garner, Neil Mellor, Chris Lucketti, John Welsh, Craig Brown, David Lucas and Lee Ashcroft. Ex-Preston star and BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson contributed the foreword.
Former 1980s hero John Thomas also features and says: ‘It’s a cracking read for all Preston fans and brings back some brilliant memories.’
Author Keith, a journalist and Leader in Residence at UCLan, added: ‘There’s a real mix of emotions in each chapter and some interesting revelations too.
‘Players really open up about the highs and lows of life at North End and reveal exactly what went on in some really big games.
‘It was a pleasure for me to put it all together and to raise money for the Gary Parkinson Trust is just fantastic.’
A spokesman for the Gary Parkinson Trust said: ‘It’s a brilliant book and we want to thank all the North End fans who have bought it for their support.’
The book is available from www.northendsouls.com for £9.99 with ten per cent of profits going to the charity.