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Jack Griffin
Guest
Before my time, but always celebrated as a true gent and a great footballer.
Before my time, but always celebrated as a true gent and a great footballer.
SlowerThanPlatt
Well-Known Member
RIP. One of the greats of English football.
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Jack Griffin
Guest
Hmmm.. BBC lancashire seem to have pulled their earlier tweet & posted one saying
Wheres Wally (and Fergie)
Active Member
Just looked at the PNE official site which confirms the news. Making official statement tomorrow. BBC haven't picked up on it yet! A true legend! Was the oldest living international after Bert Williams died.
ArchieLittle
New Member
Had the pleasure of meeting him at PNE about 15 years ago. Absolute gentleman, and fascinating to listen to his comments during the game. RIP
Houchens Head
Fairly well known member from Malvern
Up there with the great Stanley Matthews. Great players, both of them. I'm just old enough to remember Stan Matthews playing, but missed out on Tom Finney by 2 or 3 years. They could show todays Prima Donnas a thing or two!
georgehudson
Well-Known Member
i'd echo all of those thoughts, a true footballing legend
thaiskyblue
New Member
Legend. R.i.p.
jesus-wept
New Member
The great Bill Shankly always put Tom Finney as our greatest ever player and who can argue with him
derbyskyblue
Well-Known Member
Interesting read, worth noting he was never booked or sent off in his career...http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26194543
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Jack Griffin
Guest
They didn't call of matches in his day for a little bit of water. (this was taken at Stamford Bridge)
skybluetony176
Well-Known Member
They didn't call of matches in his day for a little bit of water. (this was taken at Stamford Bridge)
Are you sure its at stamford bridge? it looks like an august pre season friendly at sixfields in the middle of a nationwide hose pipe ban
I don't agree with that at all. You could take the best English league team of the fifties and play them against the best team of the last few years and they would get murdered. Football has moved on so much in terms of fitness, strength and speed, diets, physios and even technique. I'm not saying these things have made the game a better spectacle as sometimes the tremendous athleticism can mean defensive teams dominate but IMHO I've never seen any real evidence to suggest that the games players of the old days would have been able to compete in todays world.
bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
I get your point but talented players from other eras would still be talented wouldn't they ?the likes of Finney,Matthews,Lofthouse,etc were gifted so they'd be gifted in the 50's 60's 70's and today too.It's like saying would Tyson have beaten Marciano ? It can't be answered can it ? But when you're good at your sport I feel the decade you play in doesn't matter.
I agree, some fabulous talents, I'm not trying to take anything from them, just saying due to modern advances in fitness and strength and consequently pace it would be a lot harder for some of these guys to skip away from defenders as they did in their day !
bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
Fair comments Ashdown. It's the age old argument would say someone like Best or Greaves be able to cut it in today's game ? England in the fifties were classed as the worlds greatest team especially at home,but Hungary thrashed them at Wembley.Hungary had invented total football,they showed England that football had moved on,so even then times were changing !
You'll Never Beat McPake
Well-Known Member
How many of today's top players could fit a toilet in the morning and then play a first division fixture in the afternoon. The footballers of 50 years ago had more in common with the spectators watching them than todays prima donnas
They didn't call of matches in his day for a little bit of water. (this was taken at Stamford Bridge)
That's a great still there Jack,Black and White ,I think I can just about make out a football and a Chelsea player In that wall of spray.
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Jack Griffin
Guest
There is a statue of Finney outside PNE ground depicting that moment, complete with fountains to throw up the water, I don't know if Sir Tom installed the plumbing, LOL.
bringbackrattles
Well-Known Member
We have a lot in common with toilets, we've got shit owners and our club is going down the pan !
oscillatewildly
Well-Known Member
And our venue for "home" games is currently a bog.
oscillatewildly
Well-Known Member
Are you mad? All the evidence you need is from that famous match from the early 1930's'/90's, highlights of which were shown on the Harry Enfield show. Old Arsenal tore into Liverpool in the second half, completely putting to bed any doubts you may have.
TrueSkyBlueLiam
Member
My Great Grandfather went to Sir Tom's testimonial, 26th September 1960 and he gave me the programme he bought that day, along with a ton of other historical programmes he bought on his travels. Sometimes I just look at Sir Tom and I think to myself "Now that is a REAL footballer". Rest in peace Sir Tom Finney
The Gentleman
Well-Known Member
I not sure about that. Football nowadays is about athletes being big and strong and being able to get from box to box. That is why we cream ourselves when players like Gazza, Rooney, Wilshere, Owen and Shearer come on the scene. But when you look at the players from yesteryear, they would be able to compete with today's players comfortably. I would hazard a guess that the England team of 66 would beat the current one. What we would do for a centre half like Moore or the skill and trickery of Alan Ball or the natural finishing ability of Jimmy Greaves. Also when you talk about strength, did you see them balls from years ago, you would need legs like tree trunks to boot them! I think the biggest difference from previous eras to today's is pressure and fear of failure. It would be good to do a team comparison of say players from 50's-75 and then 75-90 and then 90's onwards of English players only. I bet the best team would be from the first era.
oscillatewildly
Well-Known Member
Hypothetical tho it all is, if you were to make todays 'stars' wear yesteryears footwear it might go a little way towards being a leveller. Game also to be played with a casey of course.