Tom Finney facts for kids
Finney with the original Football League Championship Trophy in 1999
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Finney | ||
| Date of birth | 5 April 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Preston, Lancashire, England | ||
| Date of death | 14 February 2014 (aged 91) | ||
| Place of death | Preston, Lancashire, England | ||
| Playing position | Winger and centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1946–1960 | Preston North End | 433 | (187) |
| 1962 | Toronto City | 1 | (1) |
| 1963 | Distillery | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 434 | (188) | |
| National team | |||
| 1948 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| 1946–1958 | England | 76 | (30) |
|
|||
Sir Thomas Finney (5 April 1922 – 14 February 2014) was an amazing English footballer. He played from 1946 to 1960. He was a winger or centre forward. Sir Tom played for Preston North End and the England national team. Many people think he was one of the best players ever.
He was very loyal to Preston. He played 433 League games and 40 FA Cup games for them. He scored 210 goals in total for Preston. For England, he played 76 times and scored 30 goals.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and Football Dreams
Sir Tom Finney was born on 5 April 1922 in Preston, Lancashire. His family lived very close to Deepdale stadium, where Preston North End plays. His parents were Maggie and Alf Finney. He had an older brother, Joe, and four sisters. When Tom was young, his mother Maggie sadly passed away at age 32. His father, Alf, worked hard to keep the family together.
Tom loved football from a very young age. He played at school and in nearby fields. His big dream was to become a professional footballer. However, he was quite small and not very strong when he was young. When he left school at 14 in 1936, he was only 4 feet 9 inches tall. He started working as an apprentice for a plumbing company.
A year later, Tom saw an advert for junior players at Preston North End. He asked his father to help him get a trial. Tom played so well in the trial that Preston offered him a contract. But his father said he must finish his plumbing apprenticeship first. Preston agreed, so Tom joined as an amateur. He trained in the evenings after work and played for the club's junior teams.
Tom worked very hard in training. He was inspired by Bill Shankly, a first-team player, who became his "football mentor." Tom quickly earned a spot on Preston's youth team, the B team. They won four trophies with him playing. Even though he liked plumbing, his main goal was to play for Preston's first team.
Playing During World War II
Becoming a Professional Player
When World War II started in September 1939, Tom Finney was 17. He was about to join another club, Blackburn Rovers, but Preston North End sent him a letter. He signed on as a professional player for them. He was paid ten shillings for each match during the war.
During the war, regular league football was stopped. Instead, regional competitions were played to keep people's spirits up. Preston played in the North West League in 1939–40 and finished second. Tom continued to play for the youth team.
First Team Debut
In the 1940–41 season, Preston joined the North Regional League. On 31 August 1940, 18-year-old Tom made his first team debut. He played on the right wing for Preston against Liverpool at Anfield. Five of his youth teammates also played their first senior game. The match ended in a 3–3 draw. Tom helped create two of Preston's goals. The local newspaper praised his performance.
With Tom in the team, Preston had a great season. They won the North Regional League. They also won the Football League War Cup. They beat Arsenal 2–1 in a replay after the first final at Wembley Stadium ended 1–1. Tom said playing at Wembley was a huge moment for him. He faced Eddie Hapgood, the England captain, and felt nervous. But Tom played well and helped set up Preston's first goal.
War Service Abroad
In April 1942, when he was 20, Tom joined the Royal Armoured Corps. He was sent to Egypt and served with Montgomery's Eighth Army. When he had time off, he played football for army teams against local teams in North Africa.
In April 1945, Tom was a Stuart tank driver in the 9th Lancers. He took part in the final attacks of the Battle of the Argenta Gap.
Professional Football Career
Preston North End
League Debut and Success
Regular league football started again on 31 August 1946. Preston was in the First Division. Tom Finney made his official league debut at home against Leeds United. He played on the right wing. Preston won 3–2. Tom scored one of the goals, a "brilliant solo effort." Even though he had played during the war, this was when people truly saw how talented he was.
Tom played for Preston for 14 seasons, from 1946 to 1960. Twelve of these seasons were in the First Division. Preston was relegated to the Second Division in 1949. But they won the Second Division championship in 1951 and were promoted back to the First Division. Preston's best league finishes with Tom were second place in 1953 and 1958.
The Preston Plumber
After the war, there was a high demand for plumbers. Tom had a second job as a plumber, which added to his football earnings. He became famous as "The Preston Plumber." He ran his own successful plumbing business for many years, from the 1940s to the 1990s.
Staying Loyal to Preston
Tom Finney was one of England's most famous players after the war, along with Stanley Matthews. In 1952, an Italian club called Palermo offered Preston £10,000 for Tom. This was a lot of money back then! But Preston's chairman said no. Tom stayed with Preston his whole career, becoming a one-club player.
FA Cup Final
Tom played in the 1954 FA Cup Final against West Bromwich Albion. This was his only FA Cup final. Preston lost 3–2. Tom later said he wasn't fully fit for the game and didn't play his best.
He formed a strong attacking team with Tommy Thompson in the 1950s. They scored many goals together.
Playing for England
Tom Finney made his first international appearance for England on 28 September 1946. This was only four weeks after his league debut! The game was against Ireland in Belfast. Tom scored one goal in England's 7–2 win. He said this was his "proudest day as a footballer."
He played 76 games for England and scored 30 goals. His England career lasted 12 years. He scored his 29th goal in June 1958, becoming England's joint top-scorer at the time. In October that year, he scored his 30th goal, becoming the sole record holder for a short time. He played his last game for England in October 1958, a 5–0 win against the Soviet Union.
His Playing Style
Tom Finney was a very flexible attacker. He could play in any forward position, on either side of the field, or as a centre-forward. People often compared him to Stanley Matthews. Fans would argue about who was better. Tom was small, but he was strong and could avoid defenders with his quick moves and great ball control. He scored many goals himself, but he was also excellent at creating goals for his teammates. This is why he was seen as the "ideal team man."
Tom was voted Footballer of the Year twice, in 1954 and 1957. He was the first player to win this award more than once.
He always played fairly and was known for his good sportsmanship. He was never given a yellow or red card in his entire career. Everyone knew him as a true gentleman, both on and off the field.
Retirement and Later Life
Tom Finney stopped playing professional football in 1960 because of a long-term groin injury. He had played his whole career for his local club, Preston North End. He made 433 League appearances and scored 187 goals. After he retired, Preston was relegated from the First Division and has not returned since.
Even after leaving Preston, Tom continued to play football in charity matches. In 1962, he played one game for Toronto City in Canada and scored a goal. In 1963, he even played for a Northern Irish club called Distillery in the European Cup against Benfica.
Later Years and Recognition
Tom Finney continued to run his plumbing business in Preston. He also worked for local charities and hospitals. In 1988, he was featured on the TV show This Is Your Life.
On 31 July 2004, Tom Finney unveiled a special sculpture called The Splash. It was made by Peter Hodgkinson and is outside Deepdale stadium. The sculpture was inspired by a famous photo from 1956. The photo shows Tom Finney beating two Chelsea defenders on a very wet field.
Tom remained connected to Preston North End as the club's president. In 2006, he celebrated 60 years since his league debut. The National Football Museum honored him with a special flag signed by fans.
Tom received many awards for his work and charity. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961. Later, he became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1992. In 1998, he was made a Knight, becoming "Sir Tom Finney."
Personal Life
Tom Finney was married to Elsie Noblett from 1945 until she passed away in 2004. They had two children, a son named Brian and a daughter named Barbara. In her later years, Elsie suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Tom was her full-time carer and became a strong supporter of the Alzheimer's Society. Two care homes in Preston are named after them: Finney House and Lady Elsie Finney House.
Death and Legacy
Sir Tom Finney passed away in Preston on 14 February 2014, at the age of 91. He was one of England's oldest living former international footballers.
Many people in football spoke highly of him. His former teammate Bill Shankly called him "the greatest player I ever saw." Stanley Matthews said Tom was one of the few players who could "dictate the pace and course of a game."
The Football Association said he was "one of England's all-time greatest players." Bobby Charlton said Tom's contributions to football were "immeasurable." In April 2014, a football ground was renamed the Sir Tom Finney Stadium in his honor.
In 2022, a special football match was held to celebrate what would have been Sir Tom Finney's 100th birthday. Preston North End played Blackpool at Deepdale, and Preston won 1–0.
Honours and Awards
Preston North End
- Football League First Division: runners-up 1953, 1958
- Football League Second Division: winners 1951
- FA Cup: runners-up 1954
England
- British Home Championship: winners 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
Individual Awards
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1954, 1957
- SPFA Special Merit Award: 2006
