|

THE PROUD PRESTON PLUMBER.

John J O’Connor

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 “ Excuse us Mr Finney,
we know later, you have a game,
but the outside toilet got blocked last night,
and there’s a problem with the drain.”

2 Leave a comment on verse 2 0 “I’ll make my way right over,”
said the great man from North End,
“I’ll just stop by the supply shop
to buy a copper bend.”

3 Leave a comment on verse 3 0 See, while our modern players,
are being fed pasta & health drinks,
pre- match for Tommy Finney,
was fixing peoples sinks.

4 Leave a comment on verse 4 0 He’d then jump on the local bus,
he could not afford the rail,
and make the journey with the fans,
to Preston’s ground Deep – dale.

5 Leave a comment on verse 5 0 Tom Finney was born in 22,
a Preston man by birth,
rated by many in the 50’s,
as the best wing man on earth.

6 Leave a comment on verse 6 0 He made his Preston debut,
at the late age of Twenty-Four,
his career being put on hold,
until the end of war.

7 Leave a comment on verse 7 0 The great Bill Shankly said his claim to fame,
was sending Finney his first pass,
“ a right bad un too, “ quipped Finney,
“ it went four feet off the grass.”

8 Leave a comment on verse 8 0 A natural left footed player,
but who was comfy on both flanks,
“ he could have played brilliant with an overcoat,”
was another quip from Shanks.

9 Leave a comment on verse 9 0 He’d beat defenders down the wing,
with body dips and weaves,
and his thirty goals for England,
were the most ‘til Jimmy Greaves.

10 Leave a comment on verse 10 0 He won no major trophies,
though was acclaimed by all his peers,
and in 54 and 7,
he won player of those years.

11 Leave a comment on verse 11 0 He retired in 1960,
to much fanfare and hype,
and returned full time, to what he knew,
bending copper pipe.

12 Leave a comment on verse 12 0 He was made a Sir in 98,
and a Stand built in his name,
and when they had the opening,
fans in their thousands came.

13 Leave a comment on verse 13 0 They cheered Sir Tommy Finney,
and sang the name aloud,
of the man who more than anyone,
made the North End Proud.

14 Leave a comment on verse 14 0 So when you see a Premier player,
pull up pre-match in a Hummer,
remember he couldn’t lace the boots,
of the bus riding PRESTON PLUMBER.

© John J O’Connor Dec 30 2006

Notes

John J O’Connor Dec 30 2006

Preston were known as a one man team in the 50’s. Another quote from the Great Bill Shankly was that Tom Finney should have got tax relief because he had ten dependents. The year after he was forced into retirement, Preston were relegated. They have yet to return to the top flight.

Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/the-proud-preston-plumber/