Retro Preston North End Shirts – The Original Invincibles

The story of Preston North End is inseparable from the story of football itself. When William Sudell, the club's visionary early chairman, helped engineer the formation of the Football League in 1888, he did so knowing his Preston side was already streets ahead of the competition. That first season proved it brutally: Preston went 22 games unbeaten, winning the league by 11 points and defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0 in the FA Cup final. The 'Invincibles' were born, and their legend has never dimmed.

They retained the title the following season in 1889–90, cementing themselves as the dominant force of early English football. The club would reach four more FA Cup finals in the years that followed – 1888, 1922, 1937, and 1954 – eventually lifting the trophy again in 1938, defeating Huddersfield Town 1–0 at Wembley thanks to a George Mutch penalty in extra time, a moment that remains one of Deepdale's most treasured memories.

The post-war era brought a golden generation. Preston finished runners-up in the First Division in 1952–53 and again in 1957–58, and reached the FA Cup final in 1954 and 1964. The 1964 final against West Ham United ended in heartbreak, a 3–2 defeat, but it underlined that Preston were still a top-flight force.

Relegation from the top division in 1961 began a long, difficult journey. Preston drifted through the divisions, even spending time in the fourth tier in the 1980s – almost unimaginable for a club of such stature. Deepdale, however, was transformed in the 1990s into an all-seater stadium, one of the most atmospheric and lovingly maintained grounds outside the Premier League.

The late 1990s brought hope. Under David Moyes, Preston won the Third Division title in 1996 and the Second Division championship in 2000, reaching the First Division play-off final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. A heartbreaking defeat to Bolton Wanderers denied them a top-flight return that felt so close. The club has remained in the Championship – the second tier – for much of the 21st century, always promising, occasionally agonising, but never without that unmistakable sense of a sleeping giant.

No name looms larger over Deepdale than Tom Finney. The 'Preston Plumber' – so nicknamed because he maintained his plumbing business throughout his playing career – is widely considered one of the greatest English footballers of the 20th century. Between 1946 and 1960, Finney made 433 league appearances for Preston, scoring 187 goals. He could play on either wing or as a centre-forward and was twice named Football Writers' Footballer of the Year. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Finney remained loyal to Preston his entire career, rejecting a lucrative offer from Italian club Palermo. A bronze statue of him stands outside Deepdale; it is the club's most enduring symbol.

Before Finney, there was Johnny Goodall – one of the very first truly professional footballers, a key figure in the Invincibles side and a player who helped define what a centre-forward could be. Nick Ross was another Invincibles stalwart, a commanding full-back in an era when defensive excellence was rare.

Bill Shankly – yes, that Bill Shankly – played 297 games for Preston between 1933 and 1949 before going on to reshape Liverpool into a dynasty. His tactical intelligence was already evident in his Preston years, and he later managed the club between 1949 and 1951.

Howard Kendall, who would become an Everton legend as a manager, played for Preston in the 1960s. Alex James, the brilliant Scottish schemer who later became Arsenal's creative heartbeat in their 1930s glory era, began his career at Preston. More recently, David Beckham completed a loan spell at Deepdale in 2001, making 5 appearances as he recovered match sharpness – a quirky footnote that delighted supporters. Kevin Kilbane brought energy and commitment in the 1990s, while the Alan Kelly goalkeeping dynasty – father and son – spanned decades of Preston history.

Preston North End's traditional colours are white shirts and navy blue shorts, a combination that has remained reassuringly consistent across well over a century of football. The simplicity of the white home shirt is part of its charm – it is clean, classic, and carries the weight of the original Invincibles without needing embellishment.

The Edwardian and pre-war shirts were heavy cotton affairs with lace-up collars, deeply evocative of football's earliest professional era. Tom Finney-era shirts from the late 1940s and 1950s are among the most prized by collectors – the rounded collars, the deep cotton weave, and the understated white with blue trim evoke a period when Preston were genuine title contenders.

The 1960s and 1970s brought synthetic materials and bolder designs, including some attractive away kits in deeper blue and occasional stripes. The 1980s, as with many clubs, produced some adventurous – and occasionally bewildering – designs as shirt sponsorship arrived and manufacturers competed for attention.

The 1990s and 2000s saw Preston adopt more modern templates. The deep red away shirts of certain Championship seasons have proved popular among fans. A retro Preston North End shirt from the promotion-era late 1990s carries particular emotional resonance for supporters who remember the Moyes years and the near-miss at Cardiff.

The club crest has evolved over time, from simple early designs to the more ornate lamb-and-flag emblem that graces modern shirts – a reference to the 'PNE' heritage and Lancashire identity.