The legendary Preston and England winger Sir Tom Finney has died aged 91.

 

Over 400 League appearances for Preston North End

 

76 caps and 30 goals for England

 

A true footballing legend.

 

Sad news indeed.

I don't know much about Sir Tom but the record speaks for itself and former colleagues have spoken very highly of him. RIP.

Before my time too, but my old man rated him at least as highly as he rated Sir Bobby Charlton.

 

And he really rated Sir Bobby Charlton as a player,

My first game at Stamford bridge was against Preston in 1958. Tom Finney waltzed around 3 Chelsea defenders and the keeper and then side-footed the ball wide of the empty goal. I was in awe of him - he could play left wing, right wing and centre forward. I saw him a few years later at the Bridge, he had retired but played in an all stars XI for Frank Bluntstones testimonial. He scored a penalty, the ball in top right hand corner and the keeper going the other way.

There are many old stories from former team mates. A couple I like - It was either Tommy Docherty or Bill Shankly (both played behind Tom) who said if they were tired they would get the ball to Tom and ask him to run around with it for 10 minutes.

The other was definitely Shankly when asked many years after Tom's retirement if the current Liverpool winger was as good as Tom Finney he replied "Aye probably but ye have ta remember Tom is nearly 60".

That'a a great post. ^ particularly that last quote.

There was a feature on the Radio this morning about the pre-PFA footballing world where Sir Tom played. He earned £15 a week at the peak of his earnings due to the wage cap (as I'm sure you know pipoldchap) and worked in the family plumbing business in and out of season. Along with many other players in pre PFA days, he got to and from games on the same buses and trains as the fans, often after having worked for half a day in plumbing and THEN playing.

Im too young to know of him as a player but I heard he turned down Palermo for Preston and sounds Like he was a legend of the British game. RIP

That'a a great post. ^ particularly that last quote.

There was a feature on the Radio this morning about the pre-PFA footballing world where Sir Tom played. He earned £15 a week at the peak of his earnings due to the wage cap (as I'm sure you know pipoldchap) and worked in the family plumbing business in and out of season. Along with many other players in pre PFA days, he got to and from games on the same buses and trains as the fans, often after having worked for half a day in plumbing and THEN playing.

 

£15 in 1958 is the equivalent of roughly £300 in today's money. Amazing to think that many of today's youth (15-19) players make more than Sir Tom did at the peak of his career.

The Dutch commentator for the Arsenal-Liverpool match announced a minute silence because of the death of Albert Finney :-)