 With John McGrath now in the Deepdale hot seat North End stormed to promotion with Bob's three-pronged defensive partnership with Sam Allardyce and Alex Jones, nicknamed "the solicitors" an absolute rock at the back.Atkins scored one of the goals of the season to equalise from distance away at Crewe on Boxing Day 1986.The following three seasons for Atkins were much the same with him missing only a handful of games and turning out some sterling performances,indeed he was named the club's official player of the year in 1987-88 and was also awarded the club captaincy in 1988–89.