Where does Francis Lee rate?

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

I am one of the fortunate ones who saw Franny play for City. He was certainly a lot more than the Lee Won Pen he was portrayed as. Obviously the majority of todays supporters rely on here say, you tube and maybe media reports about him but where would fans put him in their list of City greats? For me I couldn't put him above Colin Bell, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne or Sergio Aguero but he must high up most peoples list.

 

[Rory Bluelow]

I am one of the fortunate ones who saw Franny play for City. He was certainly a lot more than the Lee Won Pen he was portrayed as. Obviously the majority of todays supporters rely on here say, you tube and maybe media reports about him but where would fans put him in their list of City greats? For me I couldn't put him above Colin Bell, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne or Sergio Aguero but he must high up most peoples list.

Remember watching him warm up before his Maine Road debut (v Wolves I think) and him trapping the ball and rattling the crossbar from 20 yards out. Hell of a player, hard as nails, a bit like Tevez but I’d say Franny was better.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

Tevez possibly was the best comparison to Franny for todays fans

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Tevez possibly was the best comparison to Franny for todays fans

Yeah that's a fair comment.

I remember something in possibly Shoot football annual with a double page spread on Franny & John Richards for Wolves. Discussing different styles of play and effectiveness.

The Franny part of the article started with ......Nobody spits and snarls more than Francis Lee..... that line has stuck in my head for more years than I care to remember.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

4th for me, in City chairmen during my lifetime.

1st Khaldoon
2nd= Bernstein/Wardle
4th Lee
5th Thaskin

















6th Swales.

 

[Cravenvirgin]

I also saw Franny play and for me he was up there along with the likes of KDB Colin Bell Sergio etc.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

You can't compare him to Bell, Silva or KDB as they are completely different types of players from Franny. It's an interesting question and probably harder to answer as we didn't have wall-to-wall TV coverage of that era. If we had a reel of every Lee goal then it might be easier to make that judgement. But he was good with the ball at his feet and could wriggle through spaces, plus he had pace that took him past defenders. And there was his unbelievably powerful shot. I'm not sure he was level with Sergio, who had more in his locker as a striker

But the important thing with Franny, like with Sergio, is that he was the final piece of the jigsaw we needed, which was a reliable striker.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Tevez possibly was the best comparison to Franny for todays fans

I was just about to write that Gatito built his game around what he'd seen of Franny's videos. Same build, same potency. Both great to watch.

 

[billfromthehill]

I am one of the fortunate ones who saw Franny play for City. He was certainly a lot more than the Lee Won Pen he was portrayed as. Obviously the majority of todays supporters rely on here say, you tube and maybe media reports about him but where would fans put him in their list of City greats? For me I couldn't put him above Colin Bell, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne or Sergio Aguero but he must high up most peoples list.

a very good player Rooney reminds me of franny lee.

 

[give it to gordon]

To me as an 63yr old that team of Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Doyle, Oakes, Corrigan, Booth, Pardoe, Young, Book, etc are so special to me.

Living down south I only had my grandad sending down the football pink for me to read anything about City.

But come Easter we would visit grandad for two weeks taking in as many games as we could. The magic bit for me as City werent shown much on southern tv was to meet my heroes.

The most memorable meeting was one Friday we were let into Maine Road to see the players train. Some on the pitch, some in a small dingy gym under the main stand.

Every single player had time to sign our autograph books bought from Burnage lane !. It was mind blowing for little me.

These heroes I worship from the football pink, stood in front of me chatting and signing my book. Doyle didnt have a clue were Ramsgate was lol

You see that's why its impossible to rate these players, every single one of them, heroes. Thanks to this it made it abit easier being the only City in the village when we were shit !

I still have that autograph book :)