Francis Lee RIP

Probably an age thing but the Mercer Allison team will always be the greatest in my mind. Proper working class players and attitude. You could identify with them a lot more and the game was far better for it. Franny was an icon for the club through good and bad. It was comforting that he retained that connection until the end. So many great memories. Rip Franny.
 
Prestwich_Blue said:
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!
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I always thought that was a rehearsed move, if you watch the goal again on youtube you can see that Buzzer is moving towards the goal even before the ball is struck. I think it was a gamble that Stepney either got a touch and it went in the net or parried it out as happened.
 
half & half derby scarf said:
Probably an age thing but the Mercer Allison team will always be the greatest in my mind. Proper working class players and attitude. You could identify with them a lot more and the game was far better for it. Franny was an icon for the club through good and bad. It was comforting that he retained that connection until the end. So many great memories. Rip Franny.
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I understand what you mean about relatability but that's through my adults eyes, as a little wide-eyed lad the likes of Colin the King and Franny might as well have had capes because to me they were like super heroes :-)
 
RIP Franny great player. . Very nearly became a Wolves player as the 2 clubs had agreed terms but the Chairman was outraged by a foul tackle by him and he cancelled the transfer.
 
A Liverpool fan here. Just had to say how much I enjoyed watching Franny Lee play. That barrel chest and defenders bouncing off him. RIP Francis Lee a proper footballer from the time when real men played the game without rolling all over the place after being hit by a feather
 
Not been on the board for a few days........so first chance to express my sadness at such an iconic legends passing.

No history eh??

RIP Franny x
 
You were a winger Franny, just a winger. Then some manager put you at centre forward. I remember thinking what a silly decision that was because you were too small. On that wintry Wednesday night, in the cup, you ran Newcastle ragged. I think we won 1-0, you scored that one goal and you were substituted before full time. Few had an answer to your rapid acceleration and your strength, you were not easily pushed off the ball - perfect centre forward material in fact!
Thanks for the wonderful memories Franny and RIP.
 
Rip Franny, a true City legend, unfortunately due to age I don't remember that much of his playing time for us, that and my pure love for King Colin.
I do remember him coming back with Derby when he scored that peach of a goal, and I'm convinced the Kippax started singing, you're a womble, you're a womble, you're a womble Franny Lee, what a shit song.
Slept well Franny.
 
Vienna_70 said:
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.
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Last I knew, they never spoke again to each other, but happy to stand corrected.
 
Craig said:
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.
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Also, it gets largely forgotten about now but there were huge signs of progress when Frank Clark first became our manager halfway through the 96/97 season. We finished mid-table but had been in a far more perilous position than that when he was appointed, and as such there was a lot of optimism ahead of the following season. From what I can remember, the sacking of King Colin was right at the back end of that 96/97 season and I don't recall there being a a great deal of uproar amongst the fans about it. It came as a bit of a shock for sure but we all soon got over it.
 
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