Tributes paid to Sir Tom Finney
England international and Preston North End stalwart Sir Tom Finney, described by Bill Shankly as “the best player ever born”, dies aged 91.
Sir Tom made 433 appearances for the Lancashire club between 1946 and 1960 and won 76 England caps.
He bagged 30 goals for England, making him joint sixth on the all-time top scorers list with Alan Shearer and Nat Lofthouse.
Preston North End paid tribute to the winger in a statement on their website, saying: “Sir Tom was the greatest player to ever play for Preston North End and one of the all time greats for England.”
Current Preston North End striker and England international Kevin Davies tweeted: “Tonight we have lost a footballing Legend. A true gent and a loyal servant to his beloved PNE. RIP Sir Tom Finney”.
Match of the Day presenter and former England striker Gary Lineker tweeted: “Sir Tom Finney has left us. One of the greatest players this country has ever seen, and a true gentleman. #RIP”
Former team-mate Bill Shankly, who made 297 appearances with Preston before going on to huge success as Liverpool manager, once described Sir Tom as “the best player ever born”.
Fellow winger Sir Stanley Matthews said of Sir Tom: “To dictate the pace and course of a game, a player has to be blessed with awesome qualities.
“Those who have accomplished it on a regular basis can be counted on the fingers of one hand – Pele, Maradona, Best, Di Stefano, and Tom Finney.”
And Sir Bobby Charlton said: “Sir Tom Finney was one of the greatest footballers there has ever been – he was the type of player that people would travel a long way to see.”
Preston Plumber
Sir Tom was born at his parents’ home in the street next to Preston North End’s Deepdale stadium and was nicknamed the “Preston Plumber” after completing an apprenticeship with his family’s plumbing business.
After his playing career ended, he served as the club’s president. He was knighted in the 1998 Queen’s New Year Honours list.
The Deepdale stadium is currently located on Sir Tom Finney Way and the ground’s old West Stand was renamed the Sir Tom Finney stand in 1995, with his image on its seats.
A statue outside the stadium’s National Football Museum depicts a famous image of Sir Tom splashing through a puddle during a game at Chelsea in 1956.