Francis Lee

[Didsbury Dave]

I'll tell you a story about Franny. My Dad played with him when Franny was a young kid at Bolton. They were playing West Ham and in the dressing room before the game, the Bolton lads were asking Franny what it felt like to be up against Bobby Moore, one of the best centre halves in the world. My Dad said Franny was going "He's shit, he's too slow, I'm going to give him the hardest game he's ever had". My Dad said he thought to himself "You arrogant bastard".

But apparently Franny did exactly that, at 19 years old or whatever: gave Bobby Moore the absolute runaround. My Dad couldn't believe it.

True story that and sums Franny up in lots of ways: horribly arrogant, but a brilliant player.

Awful, awful chairman, though. Something he has had a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card with City fans for.

he loved the club but the lad although wadded never had enough money to sort city out, we were that bad. in fact had we not copped for the type of owner we have now we'd still be lagging behind. the prem now is all about billionaires, millionaires just don't cut it at the top table.

Agree mate. He did actually raise a fair bit of cash, too. But his dictator approach can never work running a football club. Remember David Makin's infamous phone call to GMR, which ultimately brought Lee down? I've got the text of it on my hard drive somewhere. Imagine that happening today: a club director ringing a phone in to bring down the chairman. It would be massive news.

Here is it. Still incredible after all these years:

“The reason I am not at the ground is that six months ago, or four
or five months ago, I saw my backside with the chairman. I think there
massive chemistry problem within the club. I really do. He overrides everybody. He tries to be dominant. I am in business and I know if you haven’t got a happy workplace then there are problems. I don’t think City is a happy
workplace and, frankly, I think there is a problem. So everybody is looking at Frank. Yes, I’ll be honest, so am I. His tactics have left a hell of a lot to
be desired but, by the same rule, I think it’s upstairs and I think Francis should do us all a favour and live up to what he said [a reference to Lee’s
statement that he would get out within three years if City hadn’t won
anything].
“Iget down like the best of the City fans and I’ve had enough. I will be doing my best in the next few weeks to remove the chairman because he is staying there and I don’t know whether he is bloody minded or stubborn. He is
being proud. If I was him I think I would put a moustache and a cap on
hide. I know there are people ready behind the scenes ready to take over I
not going into any detaiLs.
“It can happen — that’s for certain — and I think it should. I have seen
enough and I know the fans are hurt. I still go in the Kippax. I have been
near to tears with the best of them. The first thing I would do when Franny is
gone is to find the guy who has probably been barred for throwing his
season ticket away on the pitch and put him in the directors’ box. It sums up how
the fans feel.
“I own about ten per cent of the shares, or my missus does, because I was sick
of it, I just wanted to get out. I was just gutted. I know for a fact that there are people waiting to take over Manchester City. I am privileged to know that information. I just want to go on record as saying — because Lee
won’t listen himself and maybe this is a way of pushing things’ along, that I believe the chairman, if he has any pride, should be walking away.
“There is no doubt that with the fan base they’ve got a chance of getting back to the top. But it is eroding, there is no doubt about it. My kids are in primary school. There are not that many City fans. When I was in primary school it was 50;50

 

[cibaman]

Have a look at the footage on youtube of Franny and Norman Hunter having full on fight on the pitch. If you google it there are plenty of stories about it. Franny was fucking livid and had to be restrained in the dressing room after he's been sent off to stop him going after Hunter.
He was a hard c**t was Franny, especially for a fat little fucker.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8kxMnc5KUs[/video]

Franny and Bite 'yer legs have long since made up.

I remember quite clearly Lee's city debut, he was one of the finest players ever to grace Maine Road, as hard as nails.

Was it Roy McFarland who recently said the fokelore about Hunter being scared of Franny was wrong? I think he said that Hunter made a point of going into the players lounge after the match to make sure that he couldnt be accused of being afraid of Round 2.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

remember when we paid £60k for franny from bolton , which was an absolute fortune at the time , probably equivalent to £30m now , but he was the final piece in the jigsaw , of the '68 team . A lot of pundits rabbit about "mentality" in current football teams , that '68 side was a team full of winners , no one messed with buzzer,franny,tommy doyle,skipper etc and they could play a bit.

 

[Damocles]

Remember David Makin's infamous phone call to GMR, which ultimately brought Lee down? I've got the text of it on my hard drive somewhere. Imagine that happening today: a club director ringing a phone in to bring down the chairman. It would be massive news.

The reason I am not at the ground is that six months ago, or four or five months ago, I saw my backside with the chairman. I think there is a massive chemistry problem within the club. I really do. He overrides everybody. He tries to be dominant. I am in business and I know if you haven’t got a happy workplace then there are problems. I don’t think City is a happy workplace and, frankly, I think there is a problem. So everybody is looking at Frank. Yes, I’ll be honest, so am I. His tactics have left a hell of a lot to be desired but, by the same rule, I think it’s upstairs and I think Francis should do us all a favour and live up to what he said.

I get down like the best of the City fans and I’ve had enough. I will be doing my best in the next few weeks to remove the chairman because he is staying there and I don’t know whether he is bloody minded or stubborn. He is being proud. If I was him I think I would put a moustache and a cap on hide. I know there are people ready behind the scenes ready to take over I not going into any details.

It can happen — that’s for certain — and I think it should. I have seen enough and I know the fans are hurt. I still go in the Kippax. I have been near to tears with the best of them. The first thing I would do when Franny is gone is to find the guy who has probably been barred for throwing his season ticket away on the pitch and put him in the directors’ box. It sums up how the fans feel.

I own about ten per cent of the shares, or my missus does, because I was sick of it, I just wanted to get out. I was just gutted. I know for a fact that there are people waiting to take over Manchester City. I am privileged to know that information. I just want to go on record as saying — because Lee won’t listen himself and maybe this is a way of pushing things’ along, that I believe the chairman, if he has any pride, should be walking away. There is no doubt that with the fan base they’ve got a chance of getting back to the top. But it is eroding, there is no doubt about it. My kids are in primary school. Where are not that many City fans. When I was in primary school it was 50:50

Strangely, I'm reposting that from a post you made about it years back

 

[paulchapo]

Franny was a tough little bugger and a fantastic footballer with a thunderous shot on him,a great penalty taker too.

His fight with Hunter was when he was playing for Derby after Swales sold him,i remember signing a petition organised by Helen Bell to stop him going.

Mike Doyle wasn't dropped to accomodate Marsh it was Tony Towers.

 

[TGR]

Franny was a tough little bugger and a fantastic footballer with a thunderous shot on him,a great penalty taker too.

His fight with Hunter was when he was playing for Derby after Swales sold him,i remember signing a petition organised by Helen Bell to stop him going.

Mike Doyle wasn't dropped to accomodate Marsh it was Tony Towers.

Not in the games I went to and in those days I went to virtually all of them home and away.

 

[The Colonel]

I'll tell you a story about Franny. My Dad played with him when Franny was a young kid at Bolton. They were playing West Ham and in the dressing room before the game, the Bolton lads were asking Franny what it felt like to be up against Bobby Moore, one of the best centre halves in the world. My Dad said Franny was going "He's shit, he's too slow, I'm going to give him the hardest game he's ever had". My Dad said he thought to himself "You arrogant bastard".

But apparently Franny did exactly that, at 19 years old or whatever: gave Bobby Moore the absolute runaround. My Dad couldn't believe it.

True story that and sums Franny up in lots of ways: horribly arrogant, but a brilliant player.

Awful, awful chairman, though. Something he has had a bit of a get-out-of-jail-free card with City fans for.

he loved the club but the lad although wadded never had enough money to sort city out, we were that bad. in fact had we not copped for the type of owner we have now we'd still be lagging behind. the prem now is all about billionaires, millionaires just don't cut it at the top table.

Agree mate. He did actually raise a fair bit of cash, too. But his dictator approach can never work running a football club. Remember David Makin's infamous phone call to GMR, which ultimately brought Lee down? I've got the text of it on my hard drive somewhere. Imagine that happening today: a club director ringing a phone in to bring down the chairman. It would be massive news.

Lee's chairmanship was an important step in the modernisation of the club ultimately into the club we are today. The place was literally falling apart after the years of Swales neglect. He set up the club as a moden business - remember Bernstein was his man. We shouldn't underestimate the mess left by Swales!

 

[paulchapo]

Franny was a tough little bugger and a fantastic footballer with a thunderous shot on him,a great penalty taker too.

His fight with Hunter was when he was playing for Derby after Swales sold him,i remember signing a petition organised by Helen Bell to stop him going.

Mike Doyle wasn't dropped to accomodate Marsh it was Tony Towers.

Not in the games I went to and in those days I went to virtually all of them home and away.

I was a kid back then,about 13 and went to all the home games and a few i could afford away and i am certain Tony Towers made way for Marsh and great player though Marsh was it upset the blanace of the side.Why would Doyle be dropped he doesn't even play in the same position?

 

[cibaman]

Franny was a tough little bugger and a fantastic footballer with a thunderous shot on him,a great penalty taker too.

His fight with Hunter was when he was playing for Derby after Swales sold him,i remember signing a petition organised by Helen Bell to stop him going.

Mike Doyle wasn't dropped to accomodate Marsh it was Tony Towers.

Not in the games I went to and in those days I went to virtually all of them home and away.

My memory was that it was Towers. But I also seem to remember that Allison tinkered about with the team when it became obvious that it wasnt working. So it could be that Doyle made way at some point,

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Lee scored 17 or 18 pens in one season. The myth started by that other lot is franny got them by diving. From what i remember and have read lee only won one of those penalties.

According to Wikipedia, Frannie scored 15 penalties in 71-72, though I thought it was 13! I seem to remember hearing somewhere that he won only four of those.

Frannie is my all-time favourite player and I well remember the incident with Hunter, as well as the goal he scored for Derby on his return to Maine Road. The King claimed on the 'Bell, Lee, Summerbee' video that all the City supporters rose and cheered the goal because they could still see the light blue shirt under the white Derby County one!

i thought it was 13. maybe that was the league total only?