1. Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!

Sir Tom Finney

Discussion in 'Charlton' started by User deleted as requested, Feb 17, 2014.

  1. User deleted as requested

    User deleted as requested Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    18,196
    Likes Received:
    8,079
    Watching the marvellous tributes to the Great Man over the weekend should have given every football fan food for thought.

    Not only were his career statistics amazing, his 'life statistics' said a lot about the man, too.

    569 appearances for his home town club, Preston North End

    433 league appearances and 187 goals.

    Married to his childhood sweetheart for nearly 60 years

    Served in Monty's 8th Army, and saw active service in North Africa

    In short, Sir Tom was a proper person, and the type of man we used to look up to in this country <applause>

    The comparisons to the society we live in today, and the type of characters who now play the Beautiful Game, are not just inviduous, they are positively embarrassing.

    Nobody who has watched the tributes to Sir Tom over the weekend can tell me that both society and football are better off now than they were when Sir Tom was a player.
     
    #1
  2. User deleted as requested

    User deleted as requested Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    18,196
    Likes Received:
    8,079
    P.S:

    No jokes along the 'Captain Mainwaring' lines please...but some pernicious evils have afflicted our country & society over the last 20-30 years.
     
    #2
  3. Ponders Revisited

    Ponders Revisited Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2011
    Messages:
    11,352
    Likes Received:
    8,345
    Great thread, Vol. <applause>
     
    #3
  4. ForestHillBilly

    ForestHillBilly Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2011
    Messages:
    14,601
    Likes Received:
    5,953
    Also a huge difference in the character of supporters in Tom Finney's day. The constant factor is the large amounts of money that disappear into black holes at most clubs, then and now. A childhood hero of mine was Frank Beattie, who led Kilmarnock to their only league triumph in 1965. Until the age of 25 he worked down the mines from 6am till 2 pm, he'd have a bite to eat at his Dad's, then train in the evening with the club he graced for over 20 years.
     
    #4
  5. Captain Blackaddick

    Captain Blackaddick Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2011
    Messages:
    3,870
    Likes Received:
    71
    Agree, Vol.

    RIP Sir Tom.

    His autobiography, published a few years ago, is well worth a read. As is Stanley Matthews' autobiography 'The Way It Was'.

    Tom Finney and Stan Matthews in the same England side, with Nat Lofthouse up front... those were the days.
     
    #5
  6. User deleted as requested

    User deleted as requested Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    18,196
    Likes Received:
    8,079
    Wigan chairman Dave Whelan told a great story about Sir Tom at the weekend.

    Whelan had just returned from a broken leg, and was due to go head to head with Finney when Blackburn played Preston. Finney was at the peak of his powers, and approached Whelan before kick off

    "I won't run at you today, you deserve it after the bad injury that you have had"
     
    #6
  7. Addick4Life

    Addick4Life Active Member
    Forum Moderator

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2011
    Messages:
    1,208
    Likes Received:
    12
    Along with Stanley Matthews / Bobby Moore / Sam Bartam / Nat Lofthouse / Bobby Charlton etc... another Footballing great I really wish I'd seen

    Following on from Vol's initial post its laughable the games being cancelled when they've been using this photo for Tom

    splash2.jpg
     
    #7
  8. deleted.....

    deleted..... Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2011
    Messages:
    13,064
    Likes Received:
    4,764
    He used to turn up at the training ground with a big brown bag, when asked what was in it he replied that it was his tools because he had a plumbing job to do after training. That was when football players were real men!
     
    #8
  9. User deleted as requested

    User deleted as requested Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    18,196
    Likes Received:
    8,079
    His nickname was "the Preston Plumber".
     
    #9
  10. User deleted as requested

    User deleted as requested Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2013
    Messages:
    18,196
    Likes Received:
    8,079
    Can anyone think of a modern footballer who could fit into same category as Sir Tom Finney, not just for the footballing side but equally the non footballing side?

    The only possible contender I can think of in my era is Billy Bonds.
     
    #10

  11. ForestHillBilly

    ForestHillBilly Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 12, 2011
    Messages:
    14,601
    Likes Received:
    5,953
    I think he was the last of a breed.
     
    #11
  12. Franco5

    Franco5 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2011
    Messages:
    1,461
    Likes Received:
    146
    Great thread Vol...!!

    It's so very rare for a footballer to be so widely loved as Sir Tom is/was.

    In defence of some modern day footballers... take someone like David Beckham. He has done a hell of a lot for numerous charities.
     
    #12

Share This Page