Preston Supporters Group (PSG) > Fans Focus

Fans Focus

Schoolboy Errors

Dan Philipson

Thursday 1st November 2007

Last week, after Paul Simpson turned down a bid from Stoke City for North End midfielder Danny Pugh, we saw a deluge of posts on PNE-Online suggesting that our illustrious manager had made a terrible blunder, particularly given that the hobbit-lookalike is currently out of the first team.

This got me thinking about previous howlers that the current manager has made, and those of PNE bosses down the years. Therefore, I decided to run a fun poll to find out what people thought were the hugest of the huge schoolboy errors made over the past quarter of a century.

After managing to collate 200 votes, my exclusive rundown shows that a short-arsed Scot features rather prominently:

Dan's Schoolboy Errors - The Top Ten

=9. Paul Simpson turns down money for Danny Pugh

Last week's decision seems somewhat unpopular with North End fans - after all, the former Manchester United man has hardly covered himself in glory with his recent displays. A spell in the stiffs beckons, and no much-needed funds in the club's coffers.

=9. Paul Simpson fails to replace Brian O'Neil until it's too late

When North End's promotion bid faltered last season, many put it down to the premature retirement of midfield lynchpin and property mogul BON. Despite attempting to shore up the gap with a couple of Johnny Foreigners in the form of Seyfo Soley and Pavel Pergl, neither worked out. The jury is still out on his eventual natural successor, Kevin Nicholls.

=7. Billy Davies perseveres with an exhausted David Nugent in the play-off final, 2005

After North End had pretty much failed to even show up for the game with West Ham, the Stumpmeister put his team's woeful performance down to the fact that young striker and home porno star David Nugent was over-tired. An interesting theory, but one suspects that Richard Cresswell ploughing a lone furrow up front wouldn't have fared much better on the day.

=7. David Moyes sells David Eyres years too early

"He's fast, he's Scouse, he'll rob yer f*cking house... David Eyres..." However, in October 2000, Eyresie wasn't doing too much house-robbing, because his pace had sadly begun to desert him. Moyes therefore decided that he was too old for the quick pace of the Championship and released him to Oldham for nowt. The former Lasher and Dingle (what a CV!) went on to spend six seasons with the Latics, appearing in 200 matches. D'oh!

6. Tommy Docherty puts his entire first team squad up for sale, 1981

Soon after taking the reigns at Deepdale, the outspoken Scot decided that his entire squad was a load of old crap and put them all on the transfer market. His time in charge lasted a mere six months, but to be fair he did replace some of those he booted out of the club with quality signings like Jonathan Clark. Hmmmmm.

5. Paul Simpson blames North End's early season form on Elvis Presley

As far as PR-gaffes go, this really does take some beating. After a woeful start to this season, Simmo decided that playing "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You" before the game was having a detrimental effect on his team's performances. Cue much mirth amongst rival supporters and an army of Elvis lookalikes marching to the manager's home to attempt to lynch the bugger.

4. Paul Simpson sells Graham Alexander, leaving his squad short of defenders

Another Simpson attempt to take first prize, and a fine one at that. As if it wasn't enough that he shunted the legendary club captain out of the door without as much as a goodbye or a f*ck off (well, maybe he did get that), a few games later injuries and suspensions mean that he has to go on a frantic search for a loan defender. The number of votes for this just goes to show that 'Grezza' will forever be in our thoughts. *sigh*

3. Billy Davies claims "Job Done!" at Leeds

Play-off semi-finals, 2006; a Nuge-inspired PNE come away from the first leg at Elland Road with a valuable 1-1 draw. Cue the vertically-challenged buffoon punching the air, screaming "Job Done!" at the top of his voice. If anything was going to fire Leeds up this was it, and following a drubbing at Deepdale the Leeds players daubed their dressing room wall with the very same phrase. Revenge, surely, has never been so sweet.

2. John Beck drops Stuart Hicks for the play-off final, 1994

Had this been more recent it might have won, but it truly was a monumental bollock and no mistake. Despite inspiring North End to Wembley with a dominant display and a goal in the epic comeback against Torquay in the semi-final, Beck promptly drops Hicks and replaces him with rookie/donkey Jamie Squires. Squires scores an own goal and a Simon Garner-inspired Wycombe Wanderers vanquish us 4-2. Whisky-thief Beck never quite recovered, and neither did Squires.

1. Billy Davies bizarrely employs four strikers in the play-off semi-final

The piece de resistance. 1-1 from the first leg (see number 3!), one might have expected Jimmy Krankie to play it cagily, protect the away goal and secure a second trip to the Millennium Stadium in two years. Not a bit of it. Instead, Davies inexplicably fielded no fewer than FOUR strikers in Brett Ormerod, Marcus Stewart, David Nugent and Danny Dichio, played right into Kevin Blackwell's sides hands and left Deepdale amidst accusations of 'throwing' the game. The match was also notable for the lights going out at half-time - they certainly went out on Davies's PNE reign that night!