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Players Index Page Last Updated
29 July 2022
 
 

Tom Finney

Preston North End FC

 76 appearances, 30 goals (one on debut)
three penalties scored, one missed

P 76 W 51 D 13 L 12 F 227: A 102
76% successful
1946-58

captain: none
minutes played: 6816

Timeline
  Sir Thomas Finney OBE
Birth 5 April 1922 on St. Michael's Road in Deepdale, Preston, Lancashire [registered in Preston, June 1922]. One of six children to Alfred and Margaret. Margaret died in 1926.
Attended Deepdale County Primary and Modern Schools, while living at 20 Daisy Lane in the town.
Marriage to Elsie Noblett on 1 November 1945 at Emmanuel Parish Church, Preston [registered in Preston, December 1945], by Rev. G.H. Hurst. Reception held at the Grapes Hotel in Goosnargh. Finney was living at 100 Manor House Lane in Holme Slack. Honeymoon was spent in Bispham.
Elsie died in November 2004, she had suffered with Alzheimers Disease.
Death 14 February 2014 in Preston, aged 91 years 315 days [registered in Preston, February 2014].
Funeral 24 February 2014 at Preston Minster, led by the Vicar of Preston, Father Timothy Lipscomb.

Source

 Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &
Biographies Football Round the World - Tom Finney (Museum Press, March 1953)
Tom Finney: My Autobiography - Tom Finney (Headline Book Publishing, London, 7 June 2004).
Tom Finney's Forgotten Season: The story of the 1959/60 season when Tom Finney captained Preston North End to the top of English Football for the last time - Joseph Paul Harrison (Lizlin Publishing Ltd, 1 March 2010).
Football Legend: The Authorised Biography of Tom Finney - Paul Agnew (Carnegie Press Ltd, 1989, reprinted by Milo Books Limited, in March 2002 and 24 May 2012).
 

x. - A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999).

Club Career
Club(s) Began his early schoolboy career playing with Holme Slack FC juniors, of the Preston & District League. He signed amateur forms with Preston North End FC, after turning down apprentice forms, he did however sign professional forms in January 1940, while he was serving with the Tanks Corp during WWII, during which he played with The Wanderers team in the Middle East, as well as the British Services XI. Finney remained with Preston North End FC for his entire career, making 433 league appearances, and scored 187 goals. Finney announced his intention to retire from playing on 25 April 1960.
Club honours Football League War Cup winners 1941; Football League Division One runners-up 1952-53, 1957-58; Division Two winners 1950-51; FA Cup runners-up 1953-54;
Individual honours Football League (seventeen appearances).
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year third 1950-51, runner-up 1952-53, winner 1953-54, 1956-57; Order of British Empire 1961; Knighthood 1998.
Distinctions: The West Stand in Deepdale Stadium was renamed as the Sir Tom Finney Stand in 1995, which adorns his image in the seating pattern. Sir Tom Finney Way (right) runs past Preston North End FC's Deepdale Stadium, renamed from part of Deepdale Road in 1998. His statue (left), sculpted by Peter Hodgkinson, stands outside Deepdale Stadium, and was unveiled on 31 July 2004. As does the Sir Tom Finney Community School in Moor Park, which opened in September 2008. The Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre opened in Preston in January 2011.
Height/Weight 5' 7½", 10st. 6lbs [1950].
 

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

England Career
Player number One of nine who became the 655th player (661) to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside/centre-forward
First match No. 227, 28 September 1946, Ireland 2 England 7, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 24 years 176 days.
Last match No. 327, 22 October 1958, England 5 USSR 0, a friendly match at the Empire Stadium, Wembley, London, aged 36 years 200 days.
Major tournaments World Cup Finals 1950, 1954, 1958;
British Championship 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1952-53, 1953-54, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1957-58, 1958-59.
Team honours British Championship winners 1946-47, 1947-48, 1949-50, 1953-54, 1956-57, shared 1951-52, 1952-53, 1955-56, 1957-58, 1958-59;
Individual honours England B (two appearances, 1947-48);
England's Top Goalscorer 1948-49 (3 along with Mortensen, Milburn and Morris), 1950 (4 with Baily);
Distinctions England's top goalscorer from 1958, overtaking Vivian Woodward's 47 year-old record. Shared top spot with Nat Lofthouse until Bobby Charlton scored his 31st goal in October 1963.
Finney is the oldest England player to convert a penalty, against USSR in the 1958 World Cup Finals, aged 36 years 58 days.
His first eight England appearances were victorious, in which he contributed eight goals. His first fifteen appearances were undefeated.
 most appearanced Englishman at Preston North End since 1947.
Died four days after Gordon Harris and 26 days after Bert Williams

Beyond England
Left school to become an apprentice plumber with Pilkington's of Fulwood, turning down an apprenticeship with Preston North End FC to continue his plumbing training. Became vice-President at Preston North End FC from 1973. President during 1975-76. Head of a Preston plumbing firm and electrical contracting firm. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.97.


The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps unused/
reserve		 minutes goals ave.min comp. goals captain
64 76 40 one 6816 30 227 min 12 3 32 none
1
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
76 51 13 12 227 102 +125 6 22 2.987 1.342 75.7 +39

When The 30 Goals Were Scored

0-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-ht ht-50 51-55 56-60 61-65 66-70 71-75 76-80 81-85 86-90 injury extra
time
2 1 0 1 1 1 0 2 2 2 2 1 4 2 5 1 2 1 0 0
10 20 0

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 30 24 3 3 101 35 +66 1 10 3.367 1.167 85.0 +21
Away 40 26 8 6 116 55 +61 3 11 2.90 1.375 75.0 +20
Neutral 6 1 2 3 10 12 -2 2 1 1.667 2.00 33.3 -2

Shirt Record

Colour P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
White 71 47 13 12 213 94 +119 5 22 3.00 1.324 75.4 +35
Blue 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 1 0 0.00 1.00 0.00 -1
Red 4 4 0 0 14 7 +7 0 0 3.50 1.75 100.0 +4

Competition Record

Competition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L

WCP

 9 8 1 0 37 11 +26 0 1 4.111 1.222 94.4 +8
WCF 7 2 2 3 12 12 =0 2 2 1.714 1.714 42.9 -1
World Cup 16 10 3 3 49 23 +26 2 3 3.063 1.438 71.9 +7
British Championship 29 20 6 3 88 36 +52 0 9 3.034 1.241 79.3 +17
The 1949-50 and the 1953-54 records of the World Cup preliminaries and British Championship are duplicated, and are deducted from the grand total.
Friendly 36 26 4 6 112 49 +20 4 11 3.111 1.361 77.8 +20

Tournament Record

World Cup Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WCP/BC 1949-50 3 3 0 0 14 3 +11 0 1 4.667 1.00 100.0 +3
WCP/BC 1953-54 2 2 0 0 8 3 +5 0 0 4.00 1.50 100.0 +2
WCP 1956-58 4 3 1 0 15 5 +10 0 0 3.75 1.25 87.5 +3
WCP All 9 8 1 0 37 11 +26 0 1 4.111 1.222 94.4 +8
World Cup Final Tournaments
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WCF 1950 3 1 0 2 2 2 =0 2 1 0.667 0.667 33.3 -1
WCF 1954 3 1 1 1 8 8 =0 0 1 2.667 2.667 50.0 =0
WCF 1958 1 0 1 0 2 2 =0 0 0 2.00 2.00 50.0 =0
WCF All 7 2 2 3 12 12 =0 2 2 1.714 1.714 42.9 -1
World Cup
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WC/BC 1949-50 6 4 0 2 16 5 +11 2 2 2.667 0.833 66.7 +2
WC/BC 1953-54 5 3 1 1 16 11 +5 0 1 3.20 2.20 70.0 +2
WC 1956-58 5 3 2 0 17 7 +10 0 0 3.40 1.40 80.0 +3
WC All 16 10 3 3 49 23 +26 2 3 3.063 1.438 71.9 +7

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1946-47 2 2 0 0 10 2 +8 0 1 5.00 1.00 100.0 +2
BC 1947-48 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 0 2 2.333 0.667 83.3 +2
BC 1948-49 3 2 0 1 8 5 +3 0 1 2.667 1.667 66.7 +1
BC/WCP 1949-50 3 3 0 0 14 3 +11 0 1 4.667 1.00 100.0 +3
BC 1950-51 2 1 0 1 6 5 +1 0 0 3.00 2.50 50.0 =0
BC 1951-52 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 0 1 1.667 0.667 83.3 +2
BC 1952-53 3 1 2 0 9 6 +3 0 0 3.00 2.00 66.7 +1
BC/WCP 1953-54 2 2 0 0 8 3 +5 0 0 4.00 1.50 100.0 +2
BC 1955-56 3 1 1 1 5 3 +2 0 1 1.667 1.00 50.0 =0
BC 1956-57 2 2 0 0 5 2 +3 0 0 2.50 1.00 100.0 +2
BC 1957-58 2 2 0 0 8 0 +8 0 2 4.00 0.00 100.0 +2
BC 1958-59 1 0 1 0 3 3 =0 0 0 3.00 3.00 50.0 =0
BC All 29 20 6 3 88 36 +52 0 9 3.034 1.241 79.3 +17

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WC 16 10 3 3 49 23 +26 2 3 3.063 1.438 71.9 +7
BC 29 20 6 3 88 36 +52 0 9 3.034 1.241 79.3 +17
The 1949-50 and the 1953-54 records of the World Cup preliminaries and British Championship are duplicated, and are deducted from the grand total.
40 25 9 6 115 53 +62 2 11 2.875 1.325 73.8 +19


 
 Club: Preston North End F.C. - 76 full appearances (6816 min) 30ᵍ manager: Walter Winterbottom - 76 full appearances (6816 min) 30ᵍx

apps match pic match details comp res. rundown shirt

Age 24
1 227 28 September 1946 - Ireland 2 England 7
 Windsor Park, Belfast		 BC AW ¹ 60 7

one of nine who became the 655th player (661) to appear for England.
the twelfth player from Preston North End FC to represent England.
the 121st player to score on his England debut

2 228 30 September 1946 - Éire 0 England 1
Dalymount Park, Dublin		 Fr AW ² 82 7
3 229 13 November 1946 - England 3 Wales 0
 Maine Road, Manchester		 BC HW   7
4 230 27 November 1946 - England 8 Netherlands 2
Leeds Road, Huddersfield		 Fr HW 26
³ 44		 7
  

Age 25
5 232 3 May 1947 - England 3 France 0
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury		 Fr HW ⁴ 51 7
233 18 May 1947 - Switzerland 1 England 0, Hardturm Stadion, Zürich tour AL unused sub
B  
one appearance - Switzerland 21 May 1947
6 234 25 May 1947 - Portugal 0 England 10
 Estádio Nacional, Lisboa		   AW 2
⁵ 21		 11
7 235 21 September 1947 - Belgium 2 England 5
Stade du Heysel, Bruxelles		 Fr AW ⁶ 19header
⁷ 63header		 11
8 236 18 October 1947 - Wales 0 England 3
Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC AW ⁸ 6 11
9 237 5 November 1947 - England 2 Ireland 2
Goodison Park, Liverpool		 BC HD   11
10 238 19 November 1947 - England 4 Sweden 2
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury		 Fr HW   7

Age 26
11 239 10 April 1948 - Scotland 0 England 2
 Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC AW ⁹ 44 11
12 240 16 May 1948 - Italy 0 England 4
 Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino		 tour AW ¹⁰ 72volley
¹¹ 74		 11
B  
one appearance - Switzerland 19 May 1948; unofficial unused sub - FC Schaffhausen 22 May 1948;

241 26 September 1948 - Denmark 0 England 0, Idrætsparken, København Fr AD withdrew injured
13 242 9 October 1948 - Ireland 2 England 6
Windsor Park, Belfast		 BC AW   11
14 243 10 November 1948 - England 1 Wales 0
Villa Park, Birmingham		 BC HW ¹² 39 11
244 2 December 1948 - England 6 Switzerland 0, Arsenal Stadium, Highbury Fr HW withdrew injured

Age 27
15 245 9 April 1949 - England 1 Scotland 3
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HL   11
16 246 13 May 1949 - Sweden 3 England 1
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna		 tour AL ¹³ 67 7
B  
party member - Finland A 15 May 1949
17 247 18 May 1949 - Norway 1 England 4
Ullevål Stadion, Oslo		   AW ¹⁴ 37 7
B  
party member - Netherlands A 18 May 1949
18 248 22 May 1949 - France 1 England 3
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris		   AW   7

his 3 goals in 1948-49 makes him the top goalscorer (with Mortensen, Milburn & Morris) for the season

19 249 21 September 1949 - England 0 Republic of Ireland 2
Goodison Park, Liverpool		 Fr HL   11
20 250 15 October 1949 - Wales 1 England 4
Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC/
WCP		 AW 26 74 7
 
the twentieth England player to reach twenty appearances

21 251 16 November 1949 - England 9 Ireland 2
Maine Road, Manchester		 BC/
WCP		 HW 25 68 7
22 252 30 November 1949 - England 2 Italy 0
 White Hart Lane, Tottenham		 Fr HW   7

Age 28
23 253 15 April 1950 - Scotland 0 England 1
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC/
WCP		 AW   7

B  
party member - Italy 11 May 1950
24 254 14 May 1950 - Portugal 3 England 5
Estadio Nacional, Lisboa		 tour AW ¹⁵ 5
¹⁶ 28
¹⁷ 55
¹⁸ 72		 11

the 46th (ninth post-war) hat-trick & 23rd/24th successful penalty kicks
the sixth player to reach the fifteen goal milestone

B  
party member - Netherlands 17 May 1950
25 255 18 May 1950 - Belgium 1 England 4
Stade du Heysel, Bruxelles		   AW 65 88 11
B  
withdrawn party member - Luxembourg 21 May 1950
 
WCF		 outside rightx
26 256 25 June 1950 - England 2 Chile 0
Estádio Municipal, Rio		 NW 51 7
27 257 29 June 1950 - United States 1 England 0
Estádio Independência, Belo Horizonte		 NL   7
28 258 2 July 1950 - Spain 1 England 0
Estádio Municipal, Rio		 NL   11
259 7 October 1950 - Ireland 1 England 4, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AW withdrew injured
29 260 15 November 1950 - England 4 Wales 2
Roker Park, Sunderland		 BC HW   7
   

his four goals in 1950 makes him the top goalscorer (along with Baily) for the year

Age 29
30 262 14 April 1951 - England 2 Scotland 3
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HL ¹⁹ 63 lob 11
 
the fifth England player to reach thirty appearances

31 263 9 May 1951 - England 2 Argentina 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW   7
32 264 19 May 1951 - England 5 Portugal 2
Goodison Park, Liverpool		 Fr HW ²⁰ 75
89		 7

the fifth player to reach the 20-goal milestone (4yrs 223dys)

33 265 3 October 1951 - England 2 France 2
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury		 Fr HD 4 7
34 266 20 October 1951 - Wales 1 England 1
 Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC AD   7
35 267 14 November 1951 - England 2 Ireland 0
Villa Park, Birmingham		 BC HW   7
268 28 November 1951 - England 2 Austria 2, Empire Stadium, Wembley Fr HD withdrawn starter

Age 30
36 269 5 April 1952 - Scotland 1 England 2
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC AW   7
37 270 18 May 1952 - Italy 1 England 1
Stadio Comunale di Firenze, Firenze
tour		 AD   7
38 271 25 May 1952 - Austria 2 England 3
 Praterstadion, Prater, Wien		 AW   7
39 272 28 May 1952 - Switzerland 0 England 3
Hardturm Stadion, Zürich		 AW   11
40 273 4 October 1952 - Ireland 2 England 2
Windsor Park, Belfast		 BC AD   7

the third England player to reach forty appearances

41 274 12 November 1952 - England 5 Wales 2
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HW ²¹ 5
35 53		 7
42 275 26 November 1952 - England 5 Belgium 0
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW 60 7

Age 31
43 276 18 April 1953 - England 2 Scotland 2
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HD 18 69 7

unofficial  
unused substitute - Buenos Aires XI 14 May 1953
44 277 17 May 1953 - Argentina 0 England 0
Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires abandoned after 36 minutes
tour		 AabD    ³⁶ 7
45 278 24 May 1953 - Chile 1 England 2
Estadio Nacional de Chile, Santiago		 AW   7
46 279 31 May 1953 - Uruguay 2 England 1
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo		 AL   7
47 280 8 June 1953 - United States 3 England 6
Yankee Stadium,New York		 AW 43
²² 48
²³ 77		 7
48 281 10 October 1953 - Wales 1 England 4
Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC/
WCP		 AW   7
   
284 25 November 1953 - England 3 Hungary 6, Empire Stadium, Wembley Fr HL withdrawn starter
49 285 3 April 1954 - Scotland 2 England 4
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC/
WCP		 AW 14 50
83		 7

Age 32
50 286 16 May 1954 - Yugoslavia 1 England 0
Stadion JNA, Beograd		 tour AL   7

second & oldest England player to reach fifty appearances

B  
party member - Yugoslavia 16 May 1954
51 287 23 May 1954 - Hungary 7 England 1
Népstadion, Budapest		   AL   11
B  
party member - Switzerland 23 May 1954
 
WCF		 outside left 11x
52 288 17 June 1954 - Belgium 4 England 4ᴭᵀ
Sankt Jakob Stadium, Basel		 ND 36
53 289 20 June 1954 - England 2 Switzerland 0
Wankdorfstadion, Bern		 AW  
54 290 26 June 1954 - Uruguay 4 England 2
Sankt Jakob Stadium, Basel		 NL ²⁴ 67
the oldest World Cup Finals goalscorer so far

291 2 October 1954 - Northern Ireland 0 England 2, Windsor Park, Belfast BC AW withdrew injured
   
55 293 1 December 1954 - England 3 West Germany 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW   11
   

Age 33
56 298 2 October 1955 - Denmark 1 England 5
Idrætsparken, København		 Fr AW   11
57 299 22 October 1955 - Wales 2 England 1
Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC AL   11
58 300 2 November 1955 - England 3 Northern Ireland 0
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HW ²⁵ 86 7

4th player (oldest & slowest) to reach the 25-goal milestone (9yrs 35dys)

59 301 30 November 1955 - England 4 Spain 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW 6 saved
 ²⁶ 50		 7

Age 34
60 302 14 April 1956 - Scotland 1 England 1
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC AD   7
   

second & oldest England player to reach sixty appearances

61 308 14 November 1956 - England 3 Wales 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HW 48
²⁷ 75		 9
62 309 28 November 1956 - England 3 Yugoslavia 0
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW 59 9
63 310 5 December 1956 - England 5 Denmark 2
Molineux, Wolverhampton		 WCP HW 2 20 11

Age 35
64 311 6 April 1957 - England 2 Scotland 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 BC HW   9
65 312 8 May 1957 - England 5 Republic of Ireland 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley
WCP		 HW 17 38 40 11
66 313 15 May 1957 - Denmark 1 England 4
 Idrætsparken, København		 AW 76 11
67 314 19 May 1957 - Republic of Ireland 1 England 1
Dalymount Park, Dublin		 AD 91 7
68 315 19 October 1957 - Wales 0 England 4
 Ninian Park, Cardiff		 BC AW ²⁸ 64 11
   
69 317 27 November 1957 - England 4 France 0
 Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW   11

Age 36
70 318 19 April 1958 - Scotland 0 England 4
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC AW 66 11

second & oldest England player to reach seventy appearances

71 319 7 May 1958 - England 2 Portugal 1
 Empire Stadium, Wembley
tour		 HW   11
72 320 11 May 1958 - Yugoslavia 5 England 0
Stadion JNA, Beograd		 AL   11
73 321 18 May 1958 - USSR 1 England 1
Lenin Stadium, Moskva		 AD   11
 
WCF		 outside left 11x
74 322 8 June 1958 - England 2 USSR 2
Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg		 ND TOP SCORER
 ²⁹ 84

the oldest World Cup Finals goalscorer - the first penalty kick at WCF
oldest player to score a penalty kick (36 years 64 days)
18th successful penalty kick scored (34th overall)
the first player to score 29 goals for England

323 11 June 1958 - Brazil 0 England 0, Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg   ND injured
party member
324 15 June 1958 - England 2 Austria 2, Ryavallen Stadion, Borås ND
325 17 June 1958 - USSR 1 England 0, Nya Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg NL
75 326 4 October 1958 - Northern Ireland 3 England 3
Windsor Park, Belfast		 BC AD ³⁰ 65 11

the first player to score thirty goals for England

76 327 22 October 1958 - England 5 USSR 0
Empire Stadium, Wembley		 Fr HW  80 11
   

Finney ended his England career as =Top Goalscorer (with Nat Lofthouse) (They will remain top goalscorer for another five years) and second in the most appearances list

   

 
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