Francis Lee RIP

[blueju]

Born the year we were reigning champions and our neighbourhood seemed to be totally blue so we were brought up with misty eyed tales about Franny and the rest of the squad by everyone around us for years.Legends forever, RIP Franny

 

[eastmanc]

My dad used to take me and my brother to maine road in the early days and i loved watching franny.
a great player tough as nails hard as fuck and scored some great goals.
As a 9 year old i used to have his posters on the bedroom wall.
R.I.P franny.

I had a Franny Lee puzzle.

 

[come-on-barney]

Sad news.

My first ever game at Maine Road we beat Coventry 4-0 on 27th November 1971 and Franny got two and Colin the other two. Remember being upset when he went to Derby when I was on holiday. I did cheer in the Platt Lane when he scored on his return.

A sad day indeed.

 

[Hes the left back remember]

How times have changed.
Was at platt lane with my 2 sons watching first team train. Buzzer came walking along and said have a cup of tea in the café upstairs the lads will be up after training. We went up and there was Franny having a cup of tea looking at the youth training on the Astro pitches. Shook his hand and he had a chat with my lads. Came over as a really genuine nice guy.
I always thought he was underrated as an international.
Great player for City a true legend!

 

[supercity88]

I, like many, grew up with stories about him as he was before my time. My Dad, who doesn't really support a team but admires the game, often talked about the brilliance of Lee. He talked about Book and Bell and Summerbee as well, but he seemed to talk about Franny the most. I think it was the fact he had the extra edge to go with his talent. He would give it all and he'd never back out of winding the opposition up and getting stuck in. City were slick, but we had that edge all great sides need.

And as it took me until my early 20s to see City win a trophy, these players were immortal. They were legends. I grew up hoping for an FA Cup run and maybe a league cup. If I ever watched the CL on ITV I did so thinking we'd never play in it.

We've had so much success and a lot of dramatic victories so a lot of the more straightforward ones can be lost as we've been so spoilt in recent years. But that side of the 60s kept City on the map and was a source of joy to all of us, whether we got to see it or we grew up hearing about it. Without them, we may not have found our way through the dark times that followed - although Franny can shoulder some of the blame for that! Now we can look back with a smile though. Our rise from that point is part of the remarkable story of our club and one of the many reasons it's the greatest club in the world.

 

[sweeps feet]

RIP Francis Lee ,a true Manchester City hero.Always give his all for City.

 

[Centurions]

Ha, according to Wiki he was the first England player to receive a yellow card. He certainly never took prisoners.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Nice article on BBC by Phil McNulty about Frannie

Francis Lee: 'One of Manchester City's most important figures'

Francis Lee will be regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Manchester City, writes BBC Sport's Phil McNulty.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[RiversideBlue]

I hope we commemorate Francis properly.

Let's hope Puma don't design a kit made of bog roll to honour him!

 

[Big Swifty]

By my reckoning, that leaves only Tony Book, Alan Oakes, Mike Summerbee and (I tink) Tony Coleman of the 1968 title-winning team still with us.

"Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away", as the hymn says. How true, alas.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Nice article on BBC by Phil McNulty about Frannie

Francis Lee: 'One of Manchester City's most important figures'

Francis Lee will be regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Manchester City, writes BBC Sport's Phil McNulty.

www.bbc.co.uk

Agreed. McNulty's often very fair with us, and he knows his football history. A nice change from quite a lot of other people who work for the Beeb. I think it helps (a lot) that he is neither a former player of LFC nor United.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Agreed. McNulty's often very fair with us, and he knows his football history. A nice change from quite a lot of other people who work for the Beeb. I think it helps (a lot) that he is neither a former player of LFC nor United.

I liked this...

City and Lee were a marriage made in heaven, Mercer and Allison presiding over one of the most colourful and brilliant teams to grace the English game.

 

[Vienna_70]

Brought up on his tales, and felt so let down as our chairman.

Arguably, made some of the worst decisions to impact the club.

He bought the club with Barlow and Dunkerley, and it always felt it was a little club of their own, making decisions on the fly.

I also couldn't forgive him sacking Colin Bell so ruthlessly?

I choose to herald the man who is one of our greatest ever players and extend sympathy to his family.

He didn’t sack Colin.

Nijinsky's superior wanted a change of staff, and Frannie felt he had to back him, rather than Colin.

It was a very sad situation, and one I wish had never occurred, as do many others, I’m sure.

Buzzer tried repeatedly to reconcile them, but failed, as far as I know.

 

[J.G.Blue.]

Very Sad R.I.P. Franny, when Me & my brother were kids in the late 60s early 70s he was tall & thin so when we played football he was Colin Bell & I was short & stocky So I was Franny Lee, Thinking back we were so lucky to be blues (thanks Dad) in that era & to watch such a truly great team from the Platt Lane,
The only trouble was when me & my brother were having a kick around I always had to try & take a penalty like my hero Franny, Head down & hit it on target as hard as I could which usually resulted in a very long walk to go and get the ball again!
I think Franny is still the best penalty taker I have ever seen with Mario & Yaya close behind :-)

 

[Craig]

He didn’t sack Colin.

Nijinsky's superior wanted a change of staff, and Frannie felt he had to back him, rather than Colin.

It was a very sad situation, and one I wish had never occurred, as do many others, I’m sure.

Buzzer tried repeatedly to reconcile them, but failed, as far as I know.

That was always my take on it. Lee was getting stick for interfering and for having too many old boys around. The new manager wanted his own people so in a way it was a no win situation for Franny. Obviously we weren’t to know at the time just how shite the new manager would turn out to be. A real shame if Lee and Bell never sorted out their differences after.

 

[Blue Tooth]

A foundation stone of the club along with all the greats from the 68 team and onwards. I loved watching Franny play..blue through and through...and I always remember buzzer saying you could see his Blue shirt under the white one when he scored that goal for Derby.
R.I.P Franny

 

[ColinBellsjockstrap]

 

[ctidblue]

R.I.P. Franny What a player Legend.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

As well as the Denis Law back heel assist, another assist those of us lucky to have experienced that era will remember was the 1970 League Cup semi-final second leg at the swamp. It was finely balanced, with us having won our home leg 2-1 and united 2-1 up late in the second.

City were awarded an indirect free kick, about 25-30 yards out. Lee blasted it straight at the united goal and Stepney instinctively saved it, but could only knock it out to Mike Summerbee, who scored and won the tie for us. I wished I'd asked Franny if he meant that, or whether just hadn't realised it was indirect. Mind you, I think I know what he'd have said!

 

[give it to gordon]

In the mid-1960s, I watched a number of mid-week matches not involving City at the likes of Stockport, Bury, Oldham, and Bolton.

After winning promotion in 1966 and consolidating in 1967, it was apparent that City lacked a top-class centre forward. Derek Kevan had gone and age was catching up on Jimmy Murray while Ralph Brand never really settled. City even tried Mike Doyle at number 9 for an extended run.

Francis Lee was the obvious choice but Bolton were not prepared to listen to offers. Lee had built up his bog roll business and was financially independent. He basically threaten to go on strike to force through the move to City. Bolton realised he wasn’t bluffing and sanction the transfer to City. The rest is history until Swales appeared to force him out of the club.

When my son was born in 1981, Francis was my choice for a name. My wife was hesitant until I suggested Kazimierz as an alternative. So Francis it was. He is a City supporter to this day despite having lived his life mostly in Edinburgh and now in London.

I did the same when my lad was born only I turned the name around so as his first name is Lee with the middle name of Francis.
My lad born in the south and like yours a die hard blue