In their Championship match against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night, Preston North End will pay tribute to their all-time greatest player. That is Sir Tom Finney, of course. The Lilywhites will don a limited edition home shirt to commemorate Finney’s death ten years ago today at the age of ninety-one.
Deepdale will commemorate and remember Finney during the midweek game played under floodlights. The one club man’s name is synonymous with English football. Following World War II, the number seven made his club debut and went on to score 210 goals in 472 games for North End. Finney has played 76 games and scored 30 goals for England; he continues to be the Preston player with the most caps for his country.
At the age of 39, he participated in his final club match against Luton Town in April 1960. Footballer of the Year was awarded to Finney twice during his career, in 1954 and 1957. He was a wing wizard. Preston had a genuine affinity for football clubs. “North End has been a love affair for me,” he once remarked. I could never really put into words how much I loved the place.” A fan could not ask for more.
Finney’s entertainment value was what made him the player he was, according to Stanley Matthews, who once compared him to Diego Maradona, Pele, and George Best. Tommy Docherty said to the BBC in 2012 that Lionel Messi was Finney reincarnated. He was worth a thousand diamonds. Finney is the player I would purchase if I were a manager and could purchase any player who has ever played the game.” North End was indeed fortunate.
The North End icon, who was knighted at Buckingham Palace and later awarded an OBE, served as club president for a number of years. Finney’s successful business in his hometown gave rise to the moniker “Preston Plumber.” Sadly, he passed away on February 27, 2014. One day later, PNE players wore black armbands for the home match against Leyton Orient.
Deepdale, home of the renowned “Splash” statue outside the stadium and a stand bearing his name, is where his legacy will always endure. The water feature, which debuted in 2004, was influenced by a well-known photo of Finney from 1956 sliding across a soggy Stamford Bridge pitch. The historical moment that inspired Wednesday night’s shirts. And Deepdale will rise, as it always does, and remember a life that will never be forgotten as Ryan Lowe’s team goes toe-to-toe with Boro.
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