The club was saddened to hear of the passing of former player David Sneddon, who sadly passed away on 24th December 2020.
Sadly another of Sir Tom Finney’s Preston North End team mates, Davie Sneddon, has passed away on Christmas Eve, aged 84. He had been diagnosed with vascular dementia about eight years ago.
Sneddon had five seasons playing for Dundee before Preston North End bought him in April 1959 for a modest £12,000 plus the takings raised from a friendly match arranged between the two clubs.
He actually made his North End league debut in the last game of the 1958-1959 season, at Deepdale in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, taking the place of Jimmy Baxter in the number ten shirt. The Scottish U-23 international was a stylish inside-forward who always gave his best in the North End shirt as those who saw him play would testify.
During Sir Tom’s last season, 1959/60, Sneddon was a regular in the team, playing in 40 league games and chipping in with 11 league goals against the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds United and Blackpool.
If North End had not been relegated the following season maybe he would have stayed at Deepdale longer, who knows? However, when Kilmarnock came asking about his availability in November 1961 North End transferred him for £17,000 as they had a younger version of him coming through the ranks in Alan Spavin.
It was to prove a good move for Sneddon as he had seven good years at Rugby Park, even playing European football, (twice against Real Madrid), having won the Scottish League championship in 1965. After spells with Raith Rovers and Hurlford he re-joined Kilmarnock initially amongst the backroom staff. Spells as coach and caretaker manager followed before he was appointed manager of Kilmarnock in 1977, a role he had for three and a half seasons.
As Tom Finney was honoured in Preston with Deepdale Road being re-named Sir Tom Finney Way, the same situation arose in Kilmarnock in 2008 as there is now a Davie Sneddon Way in respect of what he achieved for football in Kilmarnock.
Our condolences go out to his family and friends at this sad time.
Ian Rigby
Club Historian