Tom Finney - Splash!

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 9 Jun 2019

Sir Tom Finney CBE (5 April 1922 – 14 February 2014) was a footballer who played from 1946 to 1960 for England and Preston North End with whom he spent his entire career. He is widely acknowledged to have been one of the sport's greatest-ever players. He was noted for his loyalty to Preston, for whom he made 569 first-class appearances and for many outstanding performances in international matches. A true “one-club man”, he later became the club’s president and, in 1995, the main stand at Preston’s Deepdale ground was redeveloped and re-named “The Tom Finney Stand”. This statue of the great man was placed outside the Tom Finney Stand in July 2004, unveiled by Finney himself, then aged 82. The statue/water feature was designed by Preston-born sculptor Peter Hodkinson; it was inspired by an iconic image taken during the Chelsea v Preston game played at Stamford Bridge in 1956 after a heavy downpour before kick-off. The photograph, which may be viewed at the Sir Tom Finney photo gallery http://sirtomfinney.com/photo-gallery/ , later won the 'Sports Photograph of the Year Award' for 1956. It shows Finney aquaplaning through a pool of water after just going round a Chelsea defender.

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