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Museum object - Sir Tom Finney knighthood Supported by Martin Ainsworth & MAD Systems |
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Sir Tom Finney
| Category: | Male Player |
| Year Inducted: | 2002 |
Profile by Football's Greatest Heroes author Robert Galvin, the official National Football Hall of Fame book:
Tom Finney, a man described by Bill Shankly as ‘the greatest player I ever saw in all my time', was the toast of international football during a 12-year career with England .
In the days of specialist positions, the versatile Finney was talented enough to play on both wings and at centre-forward for his country. He scored 30 goals, a record at the time, in 76 appearances. ‘No better player than Tom has ever won an England shirt,' Billy Wright said.
In Europe , Finney was a revered figure. An Italian millionaire once offered him a fortune to join Palermo . The Sicilians were also prepared to pay Preston North End £30,000 for his transfer. Preston refused to sell, even for a record fee; Finney, they said, was irreplaceable.
At the official banquet following England 's 5-3 victory over Portugal at Goodison Park in 1951, all 11 Portuguese players stood in salute. The captain made a toast: ‘To Mr Finney – the Master'. Four years earlier Finney had been a prominent member of the England team that defeated Portugal 10-0 in Lisbon .
Bill Shankly once joked that Finney, his Preston team-mate, could beat his marker ‘wearing an overcoat'. He had watched Finney practise his skills, using both feet, against a wall at Deepdale. When he became manager of Liverpool in 1959 Shankly introduced similar drills at Anfield.
‘Tom was crafty, quick and elusive,' Shankly said. ‘He could beat you on either side without breaking stride. When he had the ball, that was it, you'd never get it back. A brilliant, exceptional player.'
A loyal one-club man, Finney played for Preston for 14 years, between 1946 and 1960. North End were a decent side during the 1950s, losing an FA Cup final and twice finishing runners-up in the First Division.
Although left-footed, Finney preferred playing on the right wing. From here, he could cut inside for a shot on goal. If he went the other way, he could cross accurately with his marginally weaker right foot, the same one he used when taking penalties.
The opposition had no idea which way he would go. ‘Three or four Arsenal defenders dithered like old women on a zebra crossing every time Finney had the ball,' one newspaper wrote. Johnny Haynes described him as ‘quite exceptional'.
North End relied heavily on the versatile Finney, who at one time or another occupied all five forward positions for the club. One national newspaper said he ‘was half the Preston team'. As if to prove the point, North End were relegated from the First Division the season following his retirement.
If Finney didn't perform, more often than not, nor did Preston . Their defeat against West Bromwich Albion at Wembley in 1954 was Finney's greatest disappointment in the game. Nerves and a mass of defenders got the better of him. ‘My legs felt heavy and I was running around like I had a sandbag across my shoulders,' he said.
Finney was an established England player when Preston were relegated in 1948-49. Had he agitated for a transfer, Blackpool and Manchester United were said to be ready to pay a record fee for his signature.
Finney had a quiet word with the chairman. Assured that the club had the means and ambition to recover, Finney was happy to stay. Two years later, Preston won promotion.
His loyalty to the club and the then town was rewarded later in life. In 1972, he was made a Freeman of Preston. A magistrate and civil servant, Finney was knighted in 1998. A statue in his honour stands outside the ground at Deepdale, which can be found on the re-named Sir Tom Finney Way .