Fan Tributes

My grandad was a season ticket holder (West Stand) and he took me along to see Tommy Finney's last game in 1960. And since then I stayed on to go on Deepdale until moving away in 1972, Deepdale End. Saw Archie Gemmill and Club-foot Charnley :)

Tommy Finney, Lillywhites Forever RIP

Ian 

the end of one of footballs greatest players,a faultless career.a never to be surpassed example to everyone who plays the wonderful game on how to conduct oneself/I had the pleasure to meet Sir Tom and Sir Matt Busby when they were at an FA conference many years ago in Bournemouth ,for me one of lifes richest moments
Goodbye SIR TOM YOU WILL AALWAYS BE REMEMBERED

brian devine 

RIP Sir Tom.
The Pearly Gates are wide open for you. Hope you got your tools with you and stop this rain. If you have got a bit of sway up there, get us automatic please.

Mike Mitchell (mitchpne7) 

RIP Sir Tom. You are Preston North End.

John Crewe 

Si Tom has been an iconic figure for the past 54 years of my life. My Dad loved and admired him and wanted me to see him play "live" so I saw four games in his last season, including his last game against Luton- I am there watching him take the corner in a much posted photo of that match.
From that day, North End's form has shaped my moods, dictated my travel arrangements, forged my friendships and dominated my domestic decor. I've also spread the word internationally, and have received condolences from USA and Tanzania today where my work has also taken me. The first name that I have shared in all these contexts is TOM FINNEY. I have been proud to share that name because not only was he the greatest English player ever, but also a perfect example of sportsmanship, dignity and humanity.
Sir Tom's legacy will be this season's promotion.
Thanks for the memories Sir Tom and for all that you have meant to my Dad, me and my son.
Les Fry

Les Fry 

R.i.p to sir tom a true gentleman I am to young to have seen you play but your reputation preceededs you ive been a north end fan all my life and although I no longer live in preston I always look out for north ends results

graham whalley 

I am a 72 year old Bristolian and for 64 of those years Tom's been my hero.were I to be asked what my 3 biggest regrets in my life are,one of those 3 would be that I never met him,although I was lucky enough to see him play twice.i did write to him in my late 40's to thank him for being an inspiration to football lovers the world over and within 2 weeks received a letter in reply,which can be imagined is my prized possession,along with a birthday card and various other letters and signed photos he subsequently sent me,He maymbe gone,sadly,but he'll live as long as I'm alive and long after,the very few people like \Tom live forever,and are never forgotten.my condolences to not just Toms family,but to the people of Preston,their supporters,and football lovers the world over a very sad day indeed.Terry Dudley.Bristol

terry dudley 

my fondest memory of sir tom finney.was in the late 1940s.i saw him play at Bradford park avenue.there was 2 inches of snow on the pitch and blowing a blizzard ,but sir tom was bkilliant,and after the game,iwas stood outside the dressing roomwaiting for the plyers autographs,when sir tom came out,and told the man on the door to let us in he took me in and signed his autograph which I still treasure,and took me to the team and got them to sign my book,he was a fantastic footballer an a true gentleman and without a doubt the best allround footballer I have ever seen .after watching football ,for the past 67 years god bless sir tom finney and thank you ken armstrong

ken armstrong 

Thank you for providing generations of our family with happy and proud PNE memories.

Kevan Flintoff 

This story is absolutely true. It happened a few years after the end of the Second World war, which, like others robbed Tom of many years of his career. My Dad, Denis Vickers, was organising a summer fete to raise money for Freckleton FC. He wrote to Tom and asked if he would open the fete. Tom not only opened the fete but stayed to the very end, signing autographs for the youngsters and chatting to all and sundry. Towards the end of the day he turned to Dad and asked him if there was anything else the team needed. Dad said the club's kit was in a poor state and they did not have the funds to replace them. Tom said he would see what he could do. Dad thought he might get some used Preston shirts. However, later in the week a batch of pristine England shirts arrived, each of which had only been worn once. The England badges had been removed but not the famous number 7. For the next few seasons Freckleton FC were known as the team with 10 number sevens.

Peter Vickers