Sir Tom’s European swansong
SIMON ROWBOTHAM remembers the great man’s final match in Belfast
Tom Finney will be forever remembered as one of the all time greats of football. Admired for his flawless technique and humble attitude, Sir Tom ended his remarkable career with Preston North End in 1960, making over 400 appearances for his boyhood club and winning 76 caps for his country.
He was often categorised by football followers as part of the remarkable one-club wonders, those rare breed of professionals who have represented one club throughout their entire playing career.
However, strictly speaking, this is untrue.
Finney did represent another club in an extraordinary turn of events which saw him pitted against some of Europe’s elite at the age of 41.
Three and a half years after he announced his retirement from Preston, Finney received a telephone call from George Eastham Sr – father of Newcastle United, Arsenal and Stoke City star George Eastham – and then manager of Belfast based club, Distillery FC.
Having piped Linfield FC to the Irish League Championship the season before, Distillery had gained qualification to the prestigious European Champions Cup.
It was set to be a baptism of fire for Eastham’s men as they entered the European stage for the first time and were subsequently drawn against giants Benfica, armed to the teeth with the likes of Eusebio, Jose Augusto and Antonio Simoes.
Benfica had laid waste to other European sides before reaching the final of the competition at Wembley only four months previously.
It seemed a daunting and colossal task for The Whites and it was evident that Eastham needed some firepower of his own for this deadly encounter.
He decided to call upon his friend Tom Finney in order to inspire his crop of local parttimers and to add his own brand of flair to the side.
After much persuasion, and Finney’s own ambition to compete in the European Champions Cup, the Preston Plumber decided to leave his tools at home and follow up on Eastham’s offer. After a three and a half year absence Finney made his return to football on a rain-soaked evening in Belfast in September 1963.
In front of a 20,000 crowd at Windsor Park in Belfast, Finney sported the white strip of Distillery, the same colour that he had famously worn for Preston North End and England on many occasions before.
It must have been something of a shock to the ranks of Benfica fans for them to behold one of the all-time greats among such an obscure and virtually unknown set-up.
The same man, who 15 years previously, had put the Portuguese national side to the sword in a 10-0 demolition in Lisbon and who also managed to score four against The Seleccao during the 5-3 romp in Liverpool. The Portuguese knew all about Finney’s deadly goal-scoring touch.
Faced with the task of inspiring the Northern Irish part-timers against one of Europe’s elite club sides, Finney donned the No. 9 shirt rather than the No. 7 he famously graced while playing on the Deepdale turf, and took the role of centre forward in this surreal saga.
The semi-professionals got off to a flyer as defender John Kennedy put the Northern Irish club in front within the first minute against the previous year’s finalists.
Serafim Pereira equalised for the Portuguese on 15 minutes, but winger Kenny Hamilton scored for Distillery to ensure that the Ulstermen ended the first half in front.
Serafim again equalised on the hour mark for the visitors, before the versatile Freddie Ellison put the underdogs ahead yet again for the third time.
But, just when it looked as if the Preston Plumber had inspired the modest Distillery side to victory on their maiden European voyage, another footballing great made his mark.
With two minutes left on the clock, Eusebio pounced to grab the final equaliser for The Eagles and deprive Distillery and Finney of a dream victory.
Nevertheless, Benfica had failed to take the lead once during the game, an extraordinary effort. As the referee called time on the thrilling 3-3 encounter, so too did Tom Finney on his playing career once more.
Rather than finishing his remarkable career at Deepdale where he had spent his entire playing career for his local boyhood club, Sir Tom made his final bow at Windsor Park.
Despite the fairytale football in the first leg, the men from Northern Ireland were brought back to reality in the return leg in Lisbon.
Without the dazzling presence of a legend in their ranks, Distillery were brushed aside 5-0 by the Eagles, with Eusebio, Antonio Simoes and Serafim Pereira registering on the score sheet. Distillery were knocked out 8-3 on aggregate while Benfica progressed to meet Borussia Dortmund in the next round.