Preston North End announce Phil Brown as new manager



Brown wants "to put smiles back on faces"

Preston North End have unveiled former Hull City boss Phil Brown as their new manager.

He takes charge at the club following the sacking of Darren Ferguson on New Year’s Eve.

The 51 year old has taken training with the players this morning, and will be in charge for the next match, the FA Cup Third Round match at Deepdale against Former boss Billy Davies’ Nottingham Forest.

“I’m more than excited to be here. We are trying to get the club out of the situation they are in, with 22 games to do it in.”

Brown takes charge at a time when Preston are rooted to the bottom of the Championship, having lost their last three matches, including the relegation dogfight at Crystal Palace on 3^rd January. That result has left the Lilywhites four points behind second-bottom Scunthorpe, and seven behind fourth-bottom Sheffield United.

The new management team at their first press conference

Alongside Brown was his assistant, Brian Horton, a man who has been in football management for almost 30 years, with Manchester City among his former clubs. He was equally positive about the challenge ahead.

“We’ve seen the players today, and we like what we’ve seen so far”

When asked about the prospects of climbing to safety, he was as positive as the new manager: “Seven points is nothing, there are 66 points to play for”.

Between them, they are looking at a target of winning half of their remaining games, which should see the side remain in the Championship come the end of the season.

Caretaker manager David Unsworth and his assistant Jamie Hoyland have been asked to stay on to work with the new management team, but as yet, there are no firm commitments.

One main concern is the current size of the squad, made threadbare through the return of five loanees to Manchester United and Stoke City, as well as the loss of talismanic striker Jon Parkin to Cardiff City.

When asked about the opportunities for new signings, Brown said: “Assurances have been given, and we have five or six places to fill, so we need to have the conversations with the owner and chairman.”