Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Sir Tom Finney (born April 5, 1922) was an
England|English association footballer famous for
his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End
F.C., and for his performances in the England
national football team|English national side.

==Early life==

Finney was born in Preston in a street next to the
Deepdale stadium. He was frail and somewhat sickly
in his youth and stood only 4 foot (unit of
length)|foot 9 inch (1.45 metre|m) at the age of
fourteen. When he was offered the opportunity to
sign for his local club, his father insisted that
he complete his apprentice|apprenticeship in the
family's plumbing business before signing as a
professional. 

==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 Bernard Law
Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of
Alamein|Montgomery's British 8th Army|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.

==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, capable
of playing on either wing or in the centre.
Post-war demand for plumbers ensured that he had a
second income to supplement the GBP14 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 national football team|England
debut, going on to win 76 cap (football)|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 not
withstanding, and he never won a major trophy. His
loyalty is remarkable, even extending to rejecting
a 1952 offer from Italy|Italian club US Città di
Palermo|Palermo that included a GBP 10,000
personal signing-on fee and high pay and
perquisites.

==Continuing links with Preston North End==

As of 2005 he maintains his links with Preston
North End as club president.

==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 dependents." 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|Football Writers'
Association Footballer of the Year, 1954 and 1957;
*Order of the British Empire|OBE, 1961; and
*Knighthood, 1998.

==Bibliography==

*Finney, T. (2004) Tom Finney Autobiography ISBN
075531106X
*Finney, T. (1982) Tom Finney's Preston North End
Scrapbook ISBN 0285625543 
*Finney, T. (1958) Finney on Football ISBN
B0000CK63X
*Finney, T. (1955) Instructions to Young
Footballers ISBN B0000CJABP 
*Finney, T. (1953) Football Round the world ISBN
B0000CIMPY 
*Agnew, P. (2002) Tom Finney: A Football Legend
ISBN 0953084795 
*Booth, J. (ed.) (1998) Tom Finney: A Pictorial
Tribute ISBN 1901966003

==External links==
*http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/finney-intlg.h
tml Full list of Finney's international goals
*http://www.ifhof.com/hof/finney.asp Tom Finney at
the International Football Hall of Fame
*http://www.shankly.com/finneyint.htm Interview
with Finney from 1999

start box
succession box|title=FWA Footballer of the
Year|Football Writers' Association Footballer of
the Year|before=Nat Lofthouse |after=Don
Revie|years=1954
succession box|title=FWA Footballer of the
Year|Football Writers' Association Footballer of
the Year|before=Bert Trautmann |after=Danny
Blanchflower|years=1957
end box