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FEW people will have taken greater pleasure from David Beckham's magnificent season than us North End fans. We all still look back with fond memories on his magnificent loan spell here in 1995, when he heralded his arrival to the English game with a superb goal on his debut direct from a corner at Deepdale.
How many modern-day supporters of PNE can claim that they were there the day a world-class player made his league debut?? Some for Tom Finney's maybe, but that's it - until now. Beckham, is, for the benefit of those who've been in hibernation for the past two years, a world star, a magnificent player with a pop star girlfriend who is feared by his opposition the world over. Swedish goalkeeper Magnus Hedman said, before
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David Beckham's Deepdale record:
4th March 1995
v. Doncaster Rovers (h) 2-2
Goals: Davey, Beckham
I'm sure we all remember this one. The youngster on loan from United comes on as a second half substitute for Paul Raynor, and with practically his first touch, curls the ball in direct from a corner in front of the Town End. A star is born.
11th March 1995
v. Fulham (h) 3-2
Goals: Beckham, Raynor, Conroy
Beckham's first start in English league football, and what a start!! He blasts the ball home from a free-kick on the edge of the area, giving him early confidence for what will prove to be his speciality.
18th March 1995
v. Bury (h) 5-0
Goals: Moyes, Carmichael (2), Conroy (2)
He turns in a man-of-the-match display to help North End's strikers to a brace apiece. He was so good, even then, that one of those strikers he assisted was Matt Carmichael, who was quite frankly, crap.
21st March 1995
v. Exeter City (a) 1-0
Goal: Bryson
25th March 1995
v. Lincoln City (a) 1-1
Goal: Kidd
This proved to be Beck's last game for PNE, before Alex Ferguson called him back to Old Trafford, and promptly selected him in the first team squad. That season, we lost to Bury in the play-offs, and every PNE fan I know still reckons to this day that if Beckham had stayed, we'd have gone up.
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his country's clash with England in the Euro 2000 qualifier: "I look at Beckham and I see perfection. He's not just the best crosser in the world, he's also one of the greatest players in Europe at the moment."
All this praise for someone who was labelled 'the man who let his country down' with his senseless sending off during the clash with Argentina in last summer's World Cup.
But you know, he owes it all to us. It was Deepdale that hardened him, that gave him a timely reminder that if he didn't make it at Old Trafford, he'd be playing in the third division at places such as Exeter and Lincoln, and playing alongside players such as Matt Carmichael and Jamie Squires.
Deepdale - the only away ground in the country David Beckham would get a good reception.
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