2004–05 Preston North End F.C. season
      
During the 2004–05 English football season, Preston North End F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.
Season summary
When Preston went down 1-0 at Brighton thanks to a Marlon Broomes own goal on 28 August 2004, a day later, Craig Brown was sacked and replaced with his assistant Billy Davies.[1]
Davies took Preston to the 2005 play-off final for the first time since 2001, at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium but once again Preston ended up on the losing side, this time to West Ham United, losing 1-0.[2]
Final league table
Results
Preston North End's score comes first[3]
Legend
Football League Championship
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers | 
|---|
| 7 August 2004 | Watford | H | 2-1 | 12,208 | Cresswell, Healy (pen) | 
| 11 August 2004 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2-2 | 26,115 | Lucketti, Healy | 
| 14 August 2004 | Gillingham | A | 1-2 | 7,073 | Fuller | 
| 20 August 2004 | Sheffield United | H | 0-1 | 12,084 |  | 
| 28 August 2004 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 0-1 | 5,996 |  | 
| 30 August 2004 | Rotherham United | H | 2-0 | 11,439 | Etuhu (2) | 
| 11 September 2004 | Stoke City | H | 3-0 | 12,759 | Cresswell (2), Healy | 
| 14 September 2004 | Reading | A | 1-3 | 11,857 | Healy | 
| 18 September 2004 | Sunderland | A | 1-3 | 24,264 | Alexander (pen) | 
| 25 September 2004 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1-0 | 11,823 | Davidson | 
| 28 September 2004 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 1-1 | 11,445 | Cresswell | 
| 2 October 2004 | Leicester City | A | 1-1 | 21,249 | Lonergan | 
| 16 October 2004 | Leeds United | A | 0-1 | 30,458 |  | 
| 19 October 2004 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2-1 | 10,548 | Healy, Cresswell (pen) | 
| 23 October 2004 | Nottingham Forest | H | 3-2 | 12,439 | McKenna, Lucketti, Etuhu | 
| 30 October 2004 | Ipswich Town | A | 0-3 | 23,745 |  | 
| 3 November 2004 | Coventry City | A | 1-1 | 12,478 | Lewis | 
| 6 November 2004 | Leeds United | H | 2-4 | 18,531 | Cresswell (2) | 
| 13 November 2004 | Millwall | H | 1-1 | 10,339 | Lewis | 
| 19 November 2004 | Cardiff City | A | 1-0 | 10,950 | Mawéné | 
| 27 November 2004 | Derby County | H | 3-0 | 12,702 | Alexander (2, 1 pen), Cresswell | 
| 5 December 2004 | Wigan Athletic | A | 0-5 | 10,565 |  | 
| 11 December 2004 | Burnley | A | 0-2 | 15,318 |  | 
| 18 December 2004 | West Ham United | H | 2-1 | 13,451 | Lewis | 
| 26 December 2004 | Stoke City | A | 0-0 | 20,350 |  | 
| 28 December 2004 | Reading | H | 3-0 | 12,795 | Agyemang, Hughes (own goal), Lewis | 
| 1 January 2005 | Sunderland | H | 3-2 | 16,940 | Cresswell (3) | 
| 3 January 2005 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2-1 | 8,667 | Sedgwick, O'Neil | 
| 15 January 2005 | Leicester City | H | 1-1 | 12,677 | McKenna | 
| 22 January 2005 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 2-0 | 13,663 | Sedgwick, Agyemang | 
| 5 February 2005 | Coventry City | H | 3-2 | 13,691 | Alexander (pen), Cresswell, Lucketti | 
| 12 February 2005 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2-1 | 15,620 | Nugent, Lucketti | 
| 18 February 2005 | Ipswich Town | H | 1-1 | 14,418 | Nugent | 
| 23 February 2005 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0-2 | 19,209 |  | 
| 26 February 2005 | Burnley | H | 1-0 | 18,202 | Alexander (pen) | 
| 5 March 2005 | West Ham United | A | 2-1 | 26,442 | Nugent, Agyemang | 
| 12 March 2005 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2-2 | 16,296 | Cresswell, Alexander (pen) | 
| 15 March 2005 | Sheffield United | A | 1-1 | 18,647 | Cresswell | 
| 19 March 2005 | Watford | A | 2-0 | 19,649 | Nugent, McKenna | 
| 2 April 2005 | Gillingham | H | 1-1 | 15,054 | Brown (own goal) | 
| 5 April 2005 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 3-0 | 14,234 | Alexander (pen), Cresswell, Nugent | 
| 9 April 2005 | Rotherham United | A | 2-1 | 6,312 | Sedgwick, Mawéné | 
| 16 April 2005 | Cardiff City | H | 3-0 | 15,141 | Nugent (2), Cresswell | 
| 24 April 2005 | Millwall | A | 1-2 | 11,417 | Nugent | 
| 30 April 2005 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1-1 | 20,221 | O'Neil | 
| 8 May 2005 | Derby County | A | 1-3 | 31,237 | Agyemang | 
Championship play-offs
FA Cup
Main article: 
2004–05 FA CupLeague Cup
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Transfers
In
-   Callum Davidson: from Callum Davidson: from Leicester City, Free Leicester City, Free
-   Gavin Ward: from Gavin Ward: from Coventry City, Free Coventry City, Free
-   Youl Mawéné: from Youl Mawéné: from Derby County, Free Derby County, Free
-   Patrick Agyemang: from Patrick Agyemang: from Gillingham, £350,000 Gillingham, £350,000
-   Chris Sedgwick: from Chris Sedgwick: from Rotherham United, £400,000 Rotherham United, £400,000
-   Matt Hill: from Matt Hill: from Bristol City, £100,000 Bristol City, £100,000
-   David Nugent: from David Nugent: from Bury, Signed Bury, Signed
-   Carlo Nash: from Carlo Nash: from Middlesbrough, Signed Middlesbrough, Signed
Out
References