Book reviews

Preston were the first League champions in 1889 and still a force in the Fifties but, as Dave Russell describes, they have struggled to live up to their history ever since

Preston North End have entered the new century in good shape, with a squad that finally looks good enough to end two decades in the League’s lower divisions. The name of manager David Moyes now invariably features in any press speculation about Premiership vacancies and under chairman Bryan Gray, Deepdale has been partially but dramatically redeveloped.

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Between acting, punditry and chat shows, does Ally McCoist have the time to score goals for Kilmarnock? Graeme Jamieson reports

Is the fairytale over? Breaking his leg against Rangers in October may have been Ally Mc­Coist’s last act in football. Those cheery souls in the Scottish press suggested that the Kil­marnock striker, who will retire at the end of the season, would never play again. The offic­ial line is that he’ll be back after the winter break. The question is, should he bother?

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Huge debt, daily losses and a bankrupt chairman – Dominic Fifield recounts the sorry saga at Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace, founder members of the Premier League which they left just two years ago, have now been perched on the brink of oblivion for nearly a year. Over £20 million in debt and losing £40,000 every week, south London’s perennial under-achievers have been brought to their knees by gross financial mis­management.

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Blessed with an unpopular chairman, Colin Dobell writes on how a group of fans were encouraged to formulate a plan to make Mansfield their own once more

The story of Mansfield Town’s decline is a familiar one of dubious financial dealings, serially broken promises and a wanton lack of investment. However, it may not have a conventional ending if the efforts of a group of fans achieves its goal of ousting the current chairman Keith Haslam. Unlike other such campaigns, they also have concrete ideas about how to go about replacing him effectively.

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Relieved to see the end of Peter Johnson's reign at Everton, Neil Wolstenholme hopes for better times at Goodison Park

Given the many false dawns over the past year I will only believe that Bill Kenwright has bought Everton when Peter Johnson’s shares are safely transferred. As Kenwright is a current director of the club, the process of due diligence, allowing for the books to be examined before the deal is a concluded, should not be a problem. A bigger concern for many fans lies in the identity of the new owner’s possible backers, rum­oured to include marketing moguls the Barclay brothers and the corporate raider Philip Green, recently lin­k­­ed to an attempted takeover of Marks and Spencer. It is to be hoped Kenwright will identify his partners as soon as possible.

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