Preston North End have confirmed a pre-season friendly against Bruno’s Magpies ahead of the trip to Campoamor.
Ryan Lowe will take his North End squad back to Spain this summer having headed over there last year.
PNE will be based at the Real Club de Golf Campoamor Resort, just 25 minutes from Torrevieja and an hour from Alicante.
A little further out is Benidorm, where many PNE fans will stay and travel just over an hour to the training facility.
Why Chelsea FINALLY Turned A Corner.
The trip last summer was a great one for PNE fans, who were able to watch North End take on La Liga side Getafe.
PNE’s plans to head back to Campoamor have been in place for a while but no fixture had been announced, leaving some fans confused.
MORE PRESTON STORIES
North End have now announced a friendly and will take on Bruno’s Magpies on Wednesday the 5th of July at Pinatar Arena.
Bruno’s Magpies are hardly a household name, so let’s dig into just who PNE will be facing…
Who are Bruno’s Magpies?
Bruno’s Magpies were only founded 10 years ago as friends who drank at the Bruno’s Bar and Restaurant in Gibraltar decided to form a club.
After starting out in the Gibraltar Second Division, Bruno’s Magpies started moving forward and in 2019, they clinched promotion to the top flight.
Former Watford chairman and British athlete Haig Oundjian then got involved, purchasing a stake in the club to try and go to new heights.
Bruno’s Magpies recently won the Rock Cup, and finished third in the Gibraltar National League to clinch a Europa Conference League first qualifying round spot.
Bruno’s Magpies play the Victoria Stadium, which is where every single team in Gibraltar’s top flight play their fixtures.
With a name like Magpies, they simply had to play in black and white stripes and there is a connection to Newcastle United.
Mick Embleton, the club’s first manager, is a diehard Newcastle fan and even a friend of club hero Alan Shearer.
Embleton allegedly agreed to manage the club as long as they were called the Magpies in homage to Newcastle.
What started as ‘a pub team, just formed to allow a group of ex-pats and Europeans to have a kickabout’ according to co-owner Louis Perry has now become a serious project.
Bruno’s Magpies are currently managed by former Sevilla player and Malaga assistant Alfonso Cortijo.
Former Bolton Wanderers striker Dean Holdsworth is even involved, serving as the club’s technical director.
This is a fascinating story and Bruno’s Magpies will now be able to test themselves against Championship opposition in PNE.
Where is Pinatar Arena?
PNE’s game against Getafe last year took place at the Campoamor resort but North End will head slightly further afield this time.
PNE will take on Bruno’s Magpies at Pinatar Arena, a 3,000-seater stadium in Murcia.
The stadium is situated just about a 20 minute drive south of North End’s Campoamor base and has been used regularly by visiting clubs in years gone by.