IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Moor Park, PRESTON, PR1 6AU

Autumn colours abound around this pond in the north-eastern section of Moor Park. The Serpentine was originally created in the 1830s but has changed its size and shape many times since. It is home to a variety of wetland birds.

From the stadium looking across into the park. Moor Park has some claim to be the first municipal park in Britain. (Part of a circular walk around Preston – continues at Image)

Tom Finney played for Preston North End between 1946 and 1960, making 433 football league and 40 FA cup appearances for the club, scoring 210 goals. He also made 76 England appearances, scoring 30 goals. His bronze statue, outside the club's Deepdale Stadium, was unveiled in 2004. The sculptor was Peter Hodgkinson and it is called 'The Splash', based on a photograph of Finney playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in waterlogged conditions.

Tom Finney played for Preston North End between 1946 and 1960, making 433 football league and 40 FA cup appearances for the club, scoring 210 goals. He also made 76 England appearances, scoring 30 goals. His bronze statue, outside the club's Deepdale Stadium, was unveiled in 2004. The sculptor was Peter Hodgkinson and it is called 'The Splash', based on a photograph of Finney playing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in waterlogged conditions.

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.

This path winds round the northern side of the park with North Lodge in the background. Moor Park was created when Preston Council enclosed 100 acres of Preston Moor making it the first municipal park in the new industrial towns of north-west England. Improvements were carried out between 1862 and 1865 by garden designer Edward Milner using the labour of unemployed cotton workers.

Tom Finney spent the best part of 20 years playing for the Club in the 1940's and 50's. A local plumber by trade, he was seen as one of the most, if not the, complete footballer of his generation. Able to shoot with either foot and have the ability to play anywhere along the forward line, he was endeared by the Preston fans and many around the country. He spent his entire career at Preston before retiring in 1960. However in terms of honours he had little to show for his time at Deepdale, with the Club finishing twice runners up in Division One and narrowly being defeated by West Bromwich Albion in the 1954 FA Cup final. He was though capped 76 times by England. Always a true gentleman. The statue unveiled in July 2004, was inspired by a photo taken at the Chelsea v Preston game played in 1956. After a large downpour before kick off, parts of the pitch were covered in water, but the game was still allowed to start. Whilst with the ball and having just got around a defender Finney ended up in one of the pools of water. A photographer captured the moment and the photo later won the 'Sports Photograph Of The Year Award'. The statue sculpted by Peter Hodkinson, pays tribute to the player and that 'splash' moment. It is certainly more imaginative to any other footballing statue so far unveiled around the country.