with a soft spot for Scotland
“Aye — but only because Tommy is over 50 now,” was the Shankly retort.
Tommy Docherty was another of his Scottish colleagues at Preston, when Finney was paid £2 a week more than the rest of the squad.
The same applied when wages were reduced during the close season.
The Doc argued with the Preston chairman that if they weren’t playing, Finney wasn’t worth more during the summer than he was, but to no avail.
The first time I met the great man was when Preston supplied the opposition for a charity match against an Edinburgh X1 at Easter Road in 1957.
Finney was the star attraction, but he came over to this awe- struck nine-year-old as an ordinary mortal.
That was one of his many gifts. While he was revered and a supremely-gifted footballer, Sir Tom remained a humble, decent man all his life.
Years later when I joined The Sunday Post, I was encouraged t o ma k e contact with Sir Tom to help preview a Scotland game against England.
Obviously I was apprehensive, but I need not have worried. He was a gentleman and couldn’t have been more helpful.
The Deepdale club never recovered from Finney retiring in 1960.
The following year they were relegated and, nearly 54 years later, they have yet to return to England’s top flight.