Preston North End boss Ryan Lowe will face a reunion with Steven Schumacher next season after Plymouth Argyle won promotion.
PNE’s playoff dreams were officially ended this weekend after a 4-1 defeat away at Sheffield United.
North End did equalise to make it 1-1 through Liam Delap but were picked off by the already-promoted Blades.
It’s now mathematically impossible for PNE to reach the playoffs after three defeats in four games.
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That means another season in the Championship for PNE, and Lowe will now have to take on a very familiar face.
Plymouth Argyle have booked their place in the Championship for next season having clinched automatic promotion from League One.
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Niall Ennis scored the only goal of the game as Argyle beat Burton Albion 1-0 at Home Park on Saturday afternoon.
That means Plymouth are up with a game to spare having claimed 30 wins from their 45 games this term.
That’s a superb record and a win on the final day of the season would see Plymouth reach the 100 points mark.
Argyle fans will be absolutely loving it, and not just because this is their first return to the Championship since 2010.
Promotion means Plymouth will be facing PNE next season, pitting Lowe against Steven Schumacher.
Lowe left Plymouth to take the North End job in December 2021, causing some real anger down in Devon.
Lowe did seemingly want Steven Schumacher to follow him to North End having been his assistant at Plymouth.
Instead, Schumacher took the reins and replaced Lowe in a move that has now worked out perfectly for the Pilgrims.
Schumacher and Plymouth may have missed out on the playoffs last season but they have dominated League One this term.
That means we will now see Lowe take on Schumacher next season, with the two friends becoming rivals in the Championship.
Lowe would no doubt love to come out on top in those games and Plymouth fans surely can’t wait to give their former manager a bit of stick next season.