True RC, just a shame he only spent 3 seasons at the lane

Tom Finney

Personal information
Full name -Sir Thomas Finney
Date of birth -5 April 1922 (1922-04-05) (age 86)
Place of birth-Preston, England

Playing position
Striker, Outside Right

Senior clubs 1

Years at Club
1946-1960

Preston North End
App (Gls)*
433 (187)


[b]National team App (Gls)
1946-1958 England 076 0(30)



Early Life

Finney was born at home in Preston on a street next to the Deepdale stadium. He was frail and somewhat sickly in his youth and stood only 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m) at the age of fourteen. When he was offered the opportunity to sign for Preston North End (PNE), his father insisted that he complete his apprenticeship in the family's plumbing business before signing as a professional. This led to one of his nicknames, the 'Preston Plumber'.

Finney's mother Margaret died while he was still a child.


Second World War

Soon after he signed, however, World War II began and normal football was suspended, though Finney started to achieve some recognition during war-time tournaments. Called up to the Royal Armoured Corps in 1942, he fought in Montgomery's Eighth Army in Egypt. Local leave in North Africa allowed him to play in army teams against local opposition and on one occasion he played against the future actor Omar Sharif. [1]

Post-war career and England debut

Once normal competition was restored, he made his debut for the club in August 1946 and soon established himself as an agile forward. Post-war demand for plumbers ensured that he had a second income to supplement the £14 he received under football's maximum wage regulations, and he became famous as the "Preston plumber". One month after his first appearance for Preston, Finney made his England debut, going on to win 76 caps and score 30 goals.



Retirement

He retired from Preston North End in 1960, only when forced out with a persistent groin injury. He had played his entire career for his local club, appearing 433 times and scoring 187 goals. The balance of Preston's team hardly matched Finney's brilliance, the young Bill Shankly notwithstanding, and he never won the championship (in 1953 and 1958 Preston North End came close to completing the three-peat, but each time they had to settle for runner-ups) or any other trophy. His loyalty is remarkable, even extending to rejecting a 1952 offer from Italian club Palermo that included a £10,000 personal signing-on fee and high pay and perquisites. He did, however, come out of retirement in 1963 to play for Northern Irish outfit Distillery against Benfica in the European Cup


The Splash

On 31 July 2004, Sir Tom unveiled the water feature sculpture "The Splash" which stands outside The National Football Museum. The sculpture was inspired by the 1956 Sports Photograph of the Year which features Tom Finney beating two defenders at a waterlogged Stamford Bridge


Continuing links with Preston North End

As of 2007, Sir Tom maintains his links with Preston North End as the club's president. 2006 marked 60 years since his first league debut for PNE. To mark this occasion the National Football Museum, an organisation which he has championed and has close links with, invited football fans to sign a specially commissioned flag which was presented to Sir Tom at the beginning of the 2006-07 season to mark his 60 years with PNE.

He also writes a regular PNE column for the University of Central Lancashire's students' union newspaper, Pluto


Ability

His total mastery of all the techniques triumphed over the lack of medals. He was versatile, playing in all the orthodox five forward positions of the day for Preston and appearing for England at right-wing, left-wing and centre-forward. He was a genuine two-footed player, packing an explosive shot in either his right or his left. He had speed, balance, was a pin-point passer and, for a man of no great height, could head with awesome power.


Quotes about Finney

* "Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age ... even if he had been wearing an overcoat." (Bill Shankly)

* "Tom Finney should claim income tax relief ... for his 10 dependants." (Satirical observation on the weakness of the Preston team in his absence)

* "If all the brains in the game sat in committee to design the perfect player, they would come up with a reincarnation of Tom Finney." (Anonymous newspaper feature)


Honours

* Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, 1954 and 1957;
* OBE, 1961; and
* Knighthood, 1998.
* Inducted into English Football Hall of Fame

Thief!!!

Can't believe his middle name was Chelsea!

Anyway, I'd go along with Hoddle being the symbol of our club (the topic title), although I personally hold the likes of Mackay, Blanchflower and Greaves as greater club legends.

Hoddle epitomises our club in several ways: he was known for playing a very attractive brand of football - a style that we have been famous for playing through the years - and he never quite hit the big time either, again very similar to our club. We always seem to be on the periphery of things. Hopefully Ramos will change that? Whatever, Hoddle get's my vote too.

I never saw Bobby Moore play as he was before my time so have choosen Trevor Brooking
as my symbol as the 1980 cup final win against Arsenal was the first time I saw him play.....

1967-1984
West Ham United
528 appereances 88 goals

National team
1974-1982 England 47 caps 5 goals

2003---West Ham manager.

We are truly blessed at West Ham to have had so many heroes to admire over the years at Upton Park.

Brooking, Billy Bonds, Alvin Martin, Alan Devonshire, Tony Cottee - all great players in their time.

HA HA......I bet that comment went over the head of the majority on this forum. I believe you are referring to the stolen jewels saga at the Mexico World Cup.

Spot on mate, you know your football

haha you always go there dont you!!

he was innocent and you know it!! i will let you cling on to the one 'stain' on his unblemished character if you like

perhaps i should start up JFB (justice for bobby) so that the truth gets out to the people