[Archived] Rest in Peace Sir Tom Finney

[wilyrover]

Loads of flowers and scarves left at his statue. But Tom would have preferred these well-wishers to go to the match instead. Only 13K turned up against Orient. They were expecting a lot more.

[ABBEY]

13? They said 24,000 on the radio. ?

[thenodrog]

Loads of flowers and scarves left at his statue. But Tom would have preferred these well-wishers to go to the match instead. Only 13K turned up against Orient. They were expecting a lot more.

I can't imagine many more could have seen him play. Rem he's been retired 50 years. To anybody under 65 he's not even a distant memory. Not much video footage and that makes a massive difference.

[Stuart]

C'mon Gordon. Any PNE supporter who isn't aware of Tom Finney does deserve the title.

[tomphil]

Loads of flowers and scarves left at his statue. But Tom would have preferred these well-wishers to go to the match instead. Only 13K turned up against Orient. They were expecting a lot more.

Knobbers only turn out for Blackpool at £10 a ticket Think the short space between it being announced and the game the next day won't have helped to be fair.

[only2garners]

Loads of flowers and scarves left at his statue. But Tom would have preferred these well-wishers to go to the match instead. Only 13K turned up against Orient. They were expecting a lot more.

I went to the game. Although I normally don't have much time for people who criticise announced attendances, the official gate yesterday does take some believing. According to the PNE website the ground holds a bit over 23K. The Bill Shankly Stand, which holds 5K, was empty except for about 200 Orient fans but the other three stands were pretty much full, so I would have thought the gate was around 17K.

[den]

I went to the game. Although I normally don't have much time for people who criticise announced attendances, the official gate yesterday does take some believing. According to the PNE website the ground holds a bit over 23K. The Bill Shankly Stand, which holds 5K, was empty except for about 200 Orient fans but the other three stands were pretty much full, so I would have thought the gate was around 17K.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/local/deepdale-falls-silent-for-sir-tom-finney-1-6442329

[somersetrover]

Loads of flowers and scarves left at his statue. But Tom would have preferred these well-wishers to go to the match instead. Only 13K turned up against Orient. They were expecting a lot more.

13000 is about 3000 up on what they have been getting for home games of late. And it was only announced late Friday night that he had died so an extra 3000 is pretty good.

[Al]

I remember as a star struck 11 year old going to Bill Eckersley's testimonial match seeing the likes of Matthews and Finney. Both giants of the game. Tom Finney was, in the wider world, often under Matthew's shadow, but to football fans in the North West, he was number one. I remember my dad telling me that when he was playing on the wing, you could actually see the line on the pitch where he'd been hugging the touch line all game.

Not many of the old greats left now. Pity. The game's changed a lot and we won't see the likes of Tom Finney again. To think Tom Finney probably earned less in his entire footballing career than Rooney et al in a couple of weeks.

Nice to see younger fans on here who never had the chance to see him play, paying tribute.

I think your memory is playing tricks on you there. Stanley Matthews never played in Bill Eckersley's testimonial match. He was billed to play but demanded to be paid for playing and was left out in favour of a Chinese winger who was on Blackpool's books at the time.

[Al]

I am probably one of the few posters on here who actually saw Sir Tom in action and take it from me he was better than George Best both as a player and as a man.

Matt Woods was one of the best centre halves I have ever seen and Sir Tom, playing as a centre forward, tied him in knots. I hate Rovers being beaten but it was sheer pleasure to watch that man that day.

Rest in peace Sir Tom. You gave an awful lot of people an awful lot of pleasure when times did not afford the working man a great deal of pleasure.

Thank you and good bye. You were a real football legend.

[Mike Graham]

13000 is about 3000 up on what they have been getting for home games of late. And it was only announced late Friday night that he had died so an extra 3000 is pretty good.

The PNE CEO was saying before the match they expected a 20K+ sell out and they would open up the visitors end to Preston fans. They must be very disappointed with the turn out.

Mind you the fans gave Sir Tom a good send off. RIP

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I think your memory is playing tricks on you there. Stanley Matthews never played in Bill Eckersley's testimonial match. He was billed to play but demanded to be paid for playing and was left out in favour of a Chinese winger who was on Blackpool's books at the time.

Let me help you out Al, the stand in for Mathews could have been Chi-Doy Cheung born in Hong Kong. Played two league games for Blackpool, scored one goal.

[Jock]

Matthews always demanded money for appearances. He never did any awards at boys clubs around Blackpool. That's why the lashers love Morty not him.

[grinder]

I am probably one of the few posters on here who actually saw Sir Tom in action and take it from me he was better than George Best both as a player and as a man.

Matt Woods was one of the best centre halves I have ever seen and Sir Tom, playing as a centre forward, tied him in knots. I hate Rovers being beaten but it was sheer pleasure to watch that man that day.

Rest in peace Sir Tom. You gave an awful lot of people an awful lot of pleasure when times did not afford the working man a great deal of pleasure.

Thank you and good bye. You were a real football legend.

Well put - the dignity that he showed troughout his career puts some of the puerile comments made by mourinho this week to shame.

This picture appeared in the Sunday Times today - anyone got any ideas of when and where and who the Rovers players are ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Well put - the dignity that he showed troughout his career puts some of the puerile comments made by mourinho this week to shame.

This picture appeared in the Sunday Times today - anyone got any ideas of when and where and who the Rovers players are ?

Err, try reading my post 30 in this thread. Where ? Mm, Ewood Park. When ? Probably during our 4-1 defeat on the 3rd of October 1959 but it could but it could be from our 4-1 win on the 11th of October the previous season.

[grinder]

Err, try reading my post 30 in this thread. Where ? Mm, Ewood Park. When ? Probably during our 4-1 defeat on the 3rd of October 1959 but it could but it could be from our 4-1 win on the 11th of October the previous season.

Thanks - somehow passed me by -its been a long weekend.....!

[Fife Rover]

Can anyone please let us know what the funeral arrangements are when the details become known?

Thanks in advance.

[tomphil]

Can anyone please let us know what the funeral arrangements are when the details become known?

Thanks in advance.

The info so far is a Civic funeral 1pm on Feb 27 at Preston Minster. From the LT.

[ABBEY]

Check radio lancs .. They just announced it but I wasn't listening .

[only2garners]

From the LEP. The minster holds 500 but will be filled with official guests. The council are considering relaying the service to the crowd outside.