Franny was always the Maine man

SWASHBUCKLING FORWARD BECAME CLUB ICON THANKS TO MIX OF FLAIR AND STEEL

- NEAL KEELING

HE was a swashbuckling centre-forward, a Manchester City legend, and a fine England international. Francis Lee, who has died aged 79 was, said Joe Mercer, the final piece of the jigsaw of the team which would taste success at home and abroad with a mix of flair and steel.

The iconic picture of Lee with hands aloft in front of 20,000 travelling City fans at Newcastle United after scoring the goal which clinched the First Division championship in 1968 captures him perfectly – drive, skill, nous, and exuberant.

His grit was as big a part of his game as his undoubted ability to find the back of the net. Another unforgettable image of Lee was, when playing for Derby County, he and Leeds United’s Norman Hunter slugged it out in the middle of the pitch trading punches.

He scored 143 goals for the Blues in all competitions in 320 appearances during which time they won the league in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969, and in 1970 the European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup. He spent eight years as a player with the club before moving to Derby where he was in team that won the league. 

Another iconic Lee moment was when he returned to Maine Road as a Derby player and scored. His beaming smile after scoring prompted commentator, Barry Davies to spontaneously screech: “Just look at his face, just look at his face”.

Lee was the kind of centre forward hewn from the rough and hard English football of the 1960s and 70s. He knew how to look after himself and was brave in an era when you had to commit a section 18 assault to get a red card.