Francis Lee RIP

youngbob said:
The statue is a great tribute but it permanently irks me that the man who scored two goals to win the league against Newcastle, scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final, and then scored the opening goal in the Cup Winners Cup final, has seemingly been forgotten by the club for his role during our second most successful period as a club.
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NellyFuneral.jpg
 
Gary James said:
I want to add to all the tributes today by including here an interview I did with Francis back in 2010 (I hope there are no Franny windups in it!). This is one of many interviews I did with him over the decades and I want to include this one today as it was written up as a Q&A style piece with Francis' own words documented. Follow the link to read it…

gjfootballarchive.com

Francis Lee

It’s going to be an emotional day today as it is the funeral of Francis Lee. I’ll be at the cathedral to pay my respects but I also wanted to mark today by including here an interview I…
gjfootballarchive.com gjfootballarchive.com
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Thanks for that Gary. A great interview with a great man. He was forthright and showed his class.
I met him once with my then husband, who knew him through friends, and to my eternal shame I don't remember saying a word to him or a word of what they talked about either!! I was just a naïve youngish fan at the time though in my defence. :-)
 
Gray said:
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I remember it all too well, sadly.

Before Neil died he used to coach an under-16s Sunday soccer school at a school in Bramhall, Stockport. I got invited along by a close friend about a year before Neil passed away and ended up going to a few sessions. He taught me a lot about football. My friend was close with Neil and his family, especially his wife Carmen.

We drove up to the gates of the school on a Sunday morning in December 2010 and there was a note pinned to it saying Neil was unwell and that the soccer school would be closed for the foreseeable. We had no idea he had cancer until the news came through that he was terminal. Obviously me and my mate were devastated.

So I went to that Leicester away game, with thousands of us wearing the black and red scarves. Of course we were playing Leicester - the universe has its way. I hoped Neil would at least last long enough to see us lift a trophy but sadly he didn't. He was the first person I thought of when Yaya scored against Stoke at Wembley.

It was only after he'd died and I'd grown up a bit that I read Catch a Falling Star. I know him and the club didn't have the best relationship, and I know it was a different era for retired footballers, but I do think he was left on the scrapheap a bit. Sadly because of this I do think he's been a bit forgotten by the club.
 
Sadly, I think Neil Young was undervalued by the fans and the club even at the time. Why, I will never understand, but it's not unique. He was one of our own and came through from the youth teams. Maybe because we paid nothing for him he was taken for granted.

Anyway, that team that won the League in 1968 were awesome and I rejoice I am old enough to have seen them. And Francis H. Lee was the finishing touch that we needed to complete it.

RIP Frannie.
 
youngbob said:
I remember it all too well, sadly.

Before Neil died he used to coach an under-16s Sunday soccer school at a school in Bramhall, Stockport. I got invited along by a close friend about a year before Neil passed away and ended up going to a few sessions. He taught me a lot about football. My friend was close with Neil and his family, especially his wife Carmen.

We drove up to the gates of the school on a Sunday morning in December 2010 and there was a note pinned to it saying Neil was unwell and that the soccer school would be closed for the foreseeable. We had no idea he had cancer until the news came through that he was terminal. Obviously me and my mate were devastated.

So I went to that Leicester away game, with thousands of us wearing the black and red scarves. Of course we were playing Leicester - the universe has its way. I hoped Neil would at least last long enough to see us lift a trophy but sadly he didn't. He was the first person I thought of when Yaya scored against Stoke at Wembley.

It was only after he'd died and I'd grown up a bit that I read Catch a Falling Star. I know him and the club didn't have the best relationship, and I know it was a different era for retired footballers, but I do think he was left on the scrapheap a bit. Sadly because of this I do think he's been a bit forgotten by the club.
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Neil was my first City hero,don't know how that came about but I presume,I was 4 in 1969 and it was his goal to win the FA Cup that made him my hero along with my dads praise for him.
The only thing I have stolen in my life was a playing card of Neil in his City kit,must of been 69 or 70, and I was 4 or 5,still remember nicking it in class.
 
I've put a few thoughts down on today's funeral for Francis plus a selection of photos from his City career... Follow the link for the story and images (all free to read/see of course):

https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/10/19/francis-lees-funeral/

As so many have said there are plenty of legends and star players that get forgotten or missed over the years. I guess it's down to all of us to ensure we remember them and highlight their lives and careers. Seeing Tony Book and Alan Oakes in particular at the Cathedral today shows what a wonderful heritage of players we have. These men were part of that wonderful era but both men dedicated so much more to the City cause and English football than perhaps the football world realises. The struggles of the 80s and late 90s really gave the world a different view of our club and our rivals were all too quick to play down the significance of men like Oakes and Book (and Young, Doyle, Pardoe.... etc.).

The fans of certain clubs and the management of those clubs have been quick to promote their own heroes and boast about their histories whereas we've tended to have a laugh and play down our achievements. Too often we focus on 'Typical City', 'Cups for cock Ups', our one and only 3rd tier season etc. instead of European glory in 1970; thrilling trophy-winning football under Mercer and Allison; the Trautmann years (and all those major moments for decades before that); and our title challenging, exciting team of the mid to late 1970s (remember we won more trophies than Utd in the 70s and were a major rival to LFC before Utd returned to be title challengers)... We need to sing loud and proud and boast of our heroes while they're still with us and when they're gone we need to keep on banging home the fact these men were incredible footballers.
 
BrianW said:
Sadly, I think Neil Young was undervalued by the fans and the club even at the time. Why, I will never understand, but it's not unique. He was one of our own and came through from the youth teams. Maybe because we paid nothing for him he was taken for granted.

Anyway, that team that won the League in 1968 were awesome and I rejoice I am old enough to have seen them. And Francis H. Lee was the finishing touch that we needed to complete it.

RIP Frannie.
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I've said it before on BM but I reckon it's worth saying again. We City fans of my generation have been truly blessed to have watched the teams of the Mercer years and the Pep era.
 
Gary James said:
He absolutely should. So should record appearance holder Alan Oakes which is why I’d love to see a Hollywood Stars style walkway around the stadium so that every legendary figure can be remembered.
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Brilliant idea that. Let’s face it, if we carry on with successes the same way we have the last 10 years or so, we will have more statues than Tussaud’s.
 
Gary James said:
I've put a few thoughts down on today's funeral for Francis plus a selection of photos from his City career... Follow the link for the story and images (all free to read/see of course):

https://gjfootballarchive.com/2023/10/19/francis-lees-funeral/

As so many have said there are plenty of legends and star players that get forgotten or missed over the years. I guess it's down to all of us to ensure we remember them and highlight their lives and careers. Seeing Tony Book and Alan Oakes in particular at the Cathedral today shows what a wonderful heritage of players we have. These men were part of that wonderful era but both men dedicated so much more to the City cause and English football than perhaps the football world realises. The struggles of the 80s and late 90s really gave the world a different view of our club and our rivals were all too quick to play down the significance of men like Oakes and Book (and Young, Doyle, Pardoe.... etc.).

The fans of certain clubs and the management of those clubs have been quick to promote their own heroes and boast about their histories whereas we've tended to have a laugh and play down our achievements. Too often we focus on 'Typical City', 'Cups for cock Ups', our one and only 3rd tier season etc. instead of European glory in 1970; thrilling trophy-winning football under Mercer and Allison; the Trautmann years (and all those major moments for decades before that); and our title challenging, exciting team of the mid to late 1970s (remember we won more trophies than Utd in the 70s and were a major rival to LFC before Utd returned to be title challengers)... We need to sing loud and proud and boast of our heroes while they're still with us and when they're gone we need to keep on banging home the fact these men were incredible footballers.
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Absolutely spot on mate. I've no idea why our glorious history is conveniently forgotten. Well maybe I do, it doesn't suit the agenda. Watching that wonderful side as a young kid growing up was truly magical. It had everything. If there was an internet and saturation coverage then,like there is today, it would still being talked about. It was that good. Leading that charge was the swashbuckling golden haired striker up front. Powerfully built with a rocket shot the hope and pulse rate raised significantly when he was on the ball, legs pumping and head down. It usually ended with the net bulging and his grin of delight saluting the crowd. What a player, what a man. Thanks for the memories Francis
 
There are days I still miss being in Manchester in the pissing rain and other days I really miss being in Manchester. Today at the Cathedral is one of the latter.
Hope that on Saturday someone goes on a charge into the Brighton penalty area, gets brought down (no dive, of course) and a burly blond lad smashes the penalty kick into the net.
 
Gary James said:
One of the things that came across well at the cathedral today from Jonny’s eulogy was his dad’s sense of humour. Jonny revealed how Franny often told interviewers fake facts like how he could play the piano to classical concert standard and some of these jokes have made it into obituaries. Brilliant.I may need to review my own writing and see if I can spot any Franny windups!
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Back in 1994 wasn’t Franny’s good mate Franz Beckenbaur going to be manager. We were also in for a young Louis Figo, he loved a wind up did Francis good rest his soul.

wonder what he made of the treble and seeing City crowned kings of Europe? RIP
 
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