Where does Francis Lee rate?

The only game I ever watched at Maine Road from the Main Stand was the one where Franny made his debut in a 2-0 win against Wolves, that's one of the reasons it sticks in my mind.

Francis didn't need football, he played it for the love of the game, even by the time he signed from Bolton, his paper converting business was doing well.

Never one to mess about, he always played football route one, and had an incredible turn of speed, must have been a nightmare to play against.

Will go down in history as one of City's finest servants.
 
TonyColemansbagofapples said:
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.
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Lee ONE pen

As i said on his tribute thread this nickname came from The Pink, in results it would list scorers so Lee 1 (Pen) or Lee 2 (1Pen)

I don't like comparisons as its not possible to do so for different eras I agree that the nearest comparison, for those who didn't see him play, would be Tevez

Lets just say he was one of our greats like Bell, Summerbee, Young Oakes, Silva, Kun, Yaya, KDB, and those I never saw play, going off what I dad said Doherty K.Barnes, Trautmann, Swift, Leivers etc
 
Lee was the best of his day. He was fast, could dribble and shoot harder than most. He had more to his game than the likes of Hurst and Astle and people of that ilk, but they were usually preferred by Alf Ramsey, but imho they were far lesser players than Frannie.

40 years later, along came Tevez and Sergio. Until then, he was the best I'd seen as a striker. So, 40 years on is like comparing Frannie to our 1930's strikers, or perhaps someone like Billy Meredith. Suffice to say that Frannie remains one of our all time greats without a doubt, imho.

I was honoured to see him regularly at his best, from his debut to his departure - which I was sad about. It was so ironic when he blasted one in against us at Maine Road when he came back to win with Derby County - who went on to win the league - and not many win the league twice/with 2 different teams.

So, for me, he was the best of his day - and our best for many a year. And I got his autograph outside the main entrance in 1968 when he uttered the immortal words, " Your pen's run out son." I went over the signature he left
when I got home.

Happy days; jumpers for goalposts.
 
the blue panther said:
Lee was the best of his day. He was fast, could dribble and shoot harder than most. He had more to his game than the likes of Hurst and Astle and people of that ilk, but they were usually preferred by Alf Ramsey, but imho they were far lesser players than Frannie.

40 years later, along came Tevez and Sergio. Until then, he was the best I'd seen as a striker. So, 40 years on is like comparing Frannie to our 1930's strikers, or perhaps someone like Billy Meredith. Suffice to say that Frannie remains one of our all time greats without a doubt, imho.

I was honoured to see him regularly at his best, from his debut to his departure - which I was sad about. It was so ironic when he blasted one in against us at Maine Road when he came back to win with Derby County - who went on to win the league - and not many win the league twice/with 2 different teams.

So, for me, he was the best of his day - and our best for many a year. And I got his autograph outside the main entrance in 1968 when he uttered the immortal words, " Your pen's run out son." I went over the signature he left
when I got home.

Happy days; jumpers for goalposts.
Click to expand...
I was thinking that yesterday. Players who were that influential in a team that won a league title at more than one club. I could only think of Kante and Cantona in my lifetime other than Lee.
 
Only tevez was better as a centre forward for city in my time ( 67 onwards ) , I idolised the man
 
Even after promotion in 66, I'm guessing that City still suffered from an inferiority complex, especially when compared to Law, Charlton and Best.
We needed a touch of arrogant self belief, and Lee's signing was the perfect storm.

Sadly, the BBC bias resulted in dozens of George Best goals preserved for posterity (even in games where United lost) and just a few flickering images of Lee's brilliance, so I'll have to imagine his vital goals at Anfield and Old Trafford in 67-68, or even the late FA Cup Quarter Final winner v Tottenham the following season.

As for the OP's original question, I remember sitting in the Platt Lane in the 1970s and listening to the old timers regale me with tales of Eric Brook, Fred Tilson, and Peter Doherty, and how they would walk into the current team.
Fifty years later, I smile to myself in the role of old timer, just happy that I witnessed the last few years of Bell, Lee, and Summerbee.
A completely different era when football seemed more innocent, but probably wasn't. No point in comparing. Just happy that City are doing so well.
 
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He was in the right place at the right time, Manchester City was going places and money was invested in promising young talent by the club, We also had the very best in football management and coaching in Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison,

I always say football is a team sport but it helps when you have 3 or 4 players that are world-class to win you games.
Lee Summerbee Bell, Scare the life out of teams and worked as a unit around a very good setup,
 
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