Forward With Franny

[Anonymous]

We used to stand outside the main entrance demanding he go.

Was so chuffed when Franny took over. My opinion is that Franny probably underestimated the size of the job when he took over. I'm also of the opinion he genuinely believed Ball would do a good job for us, in spite of all the evidence to the contrary before he came.

 

[uweuweuwe]

I was forward with franny and if I could go back in time knowing how it would turn out I'd still back lee. I think franny Lees problems were that when he took over the state of the club was much worse than they had been told hence the employing of Alan ball rather than George graham etc. Plus there were still people in the club still loyal to certain people and instead of having the clubs interests at heart they were all in it for themselves so franny was never ever going to be able to do what he needed to do.

 

[Blue2112]

Frannie was undoubtedly an improvement on Swales. Swales took us backwards and it was desperate times for City under his leadership. Lee didn't deliver what he and everyone expected but in getting rid of Swales it eventually led us to where we are now.

I remember Franne being interviewed on some football programme hosted by Jimmy Hill (still have it on a VHS tape somehwere in the garage) and he said that when they were looking to buy Lee Bradbury he watched him over a few games and thought we we're making a bad mistake in signing him but he would be critiscised for interferring with Frank Clark if he refused to buy him and he would have trouble with the leagues management association but equally if he let Frank Clark sign him he knew we'd be blowing all our money (a record for us at the the time of 3m) on a player nowhere near the requred standard. In the end Frannie said he had to let the manger manage the team but knew it was the wrong decision and good money thrown away.

I don't think he or anybody else realised the mess we were in behind the scenes and it was always with hindsight going to take years to sort out or what eventually thankfully happened a huge buyout. Nevertheless there is doubt in my mind Frannie's takeover was the start of it all.

 

[levets]

I remember Richard keys hosted a debate on sky at Maine road John (mad axe ) maddocks was on it with I think Rodney marsh, I've got on video somewhere, this, while all this shit was hitting the fan, anyone remember it, it was live on sky.

I was a 'planted' guest at this ...
Malcolm Allison was on the panel... not Marsh as I recall.

! was responsible for the break up of the Official supporters club and formation of the 'Independent' supporters club... which eventually became the Centenary supporters club.

Appeared on Piccadilly sport alongside Crerand

Also organised the march to maine rd.... I have so much to answer for.

 

[The Colonel]

As football fans we tend to only look at things from an on the field perspective (e.g. "Lee brought us Kinkladze"). Franny Lee and his team (which critically included Bernstein) started the modernising of a club that had become a decaying dinosaur in terms of a business, structure and infrastructure. The changes that Lee bought will not be the visible to most and seem to have been forgotten. In my opinion he doesn't get the credit he deserves for this. The Ball appointment was not his first choice and in fact Lee had been messed about by a few over that summer. Ball had almost been got at the last minute as the season was about to start, and admittedly was a poor 'hobsons' choice.

The fact remains that Lee undid a good deal of the harm created by Swales. I believe that the process that Lee began (followed by Bernstein and Wardle) led us to being an investible club and with a solid base (despite Thaksins attempt to wreck us again!). Without this I think we would still be where Everton are now - owned by an aging egomaniac with with the club crumbling from within.

 

[njmcfc1894]

Also Franny had to change badge as Swales had sold badge to his mate who he owed money to so city made no money off merchandise (possibly greenhalls?)

The Kippax killed any plans FHL had to take club forward, IIRC we had to sell Flitcroft pretty cheap just to pay wages/bank.

I was 15 when i joined the sit in on Kippax after Reid sacking at Coventry home game, went Goodison on a school night on train on the tuesday, we got beat 1-0 and big banner from seats above us (still standing behind goal) said "wheres the £6m Swales" obviously made a false promise, i was only a kid then but i think Swales cared too much and his obsession with taking over united sunk him and club further into debt, he had last laugh by dying 3 days before we got relegated, TYPICAL CITY

 

[Blue_Rossy]

Yep Guilty. I had a swales out poster on my works office window. Worked on swan st at the time, and the office infront, think it was Inkon typesetters they had same lol.

Me and my mates got bus down from Moston at the time and had a few chants.

 

[paulchapo]

I protested against Swales quite a bit and was excited by all the promises and vision the Francis Lee takeover was supposed to give us,unfortunately it never materialised.

Looking back it mattered not a jot that Swales was a Blue,or where his heart was he was a disaster as our chairman and should have gone years before he did.

 

[mancitymick]

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[fathellensbellend]

certainly a lot of support for franny on this thread, but we never went to the old division 3 under swales.

the sacking of Horton was unjust and the appointment of ball was mind boggling.

my fading memory of lee's tenure was one mediocre signing followed by another.

also the sale of flitcroft at the most pivotal time of the season played a huge part in city going down, and not recovering ever during lee's stay in charge.