Francis Lee (1944-2023)

[Wowbagger]

I think Lee kicked the ball harder than any player I ever saw.

[Von Broad]

Lived a full and varied life, that's for sure.

Two things come to mind with Franny lee:
The match against Brazil in the Mexico 1970 World Cup, where the heat dictated a positively walking pace at times, and the grainy satelite imagery.
And of course, when he played for Derby, the game against Leeds.....and a certain tussle with good old Norman [also no longer of this world of course]...
Jimmy Hill: "Well this is an appalling scene and something we never want to see on a football field, but let's just have a look at it one more time to see what actually happened".....or words to that effect ....lol!

[Wowbagger]

Now that brings back some memories...

I seem to remember that Leeds decided to market a "Super Leeds" image, involving the players doing a lap of honour before the game kicked off, and chucking their garters into the crowd like a bunch of strippers at a working men's club. I don't recall whether it was the match in question, but it was certainly the early 1970s, because I watched it in the television room at college. The first time they pulled this laughable stunt, they were well beaten, I think by Derby County.

[Von Broad]

Now that brings back some memories...

Not wishing to move to stray too far away from Frances Lee here, but I've just spent a whole two hours going down a 1970s Leeds United You Tube rabbit hole [what has happened to our lives?], finishing off with yet another famous piece of football television history and that was the live interview between Don Revie and Brian Clough [bought together when neither knew the other was going to be present in the studio at the same time], when Revie left Leeds for England and Cloughie was appointed the new manager of Leeds - a club he made no hiding of the fact that he despised. I've always though that Cloughie being appointed the manager of Leeds at that time still stands as the most bizarre and inscrutable managerial appointments ever made by any club in the history of Association Football in this country. What on earth were the Leeds board thinking? He was there 44 days! I remember reading his autobiography and he said he was able to pay off his mortgage and buy a bigger house with the 98k payoff [huge in those days] he got after being sacked What an era that was - an era where the chairman was invisible and the manager did virtually everything in those clubs....save tying the players boot laces!

Anyway back to Francis L
RIP

[Wowbagger]

I've long since forgotten the match, of course, but I have a vague recollection of Lee taking a penalty that hit the bar twice before bouncing out - my reference to him having the hardest shot in football.

[farfetched]

There is a short tribute film on YouTube....

   https://youtu.be/3DQcdGyvuF8?si=Q7N7Q6DddUqigbBR

A couple of things to note,  the pitches were terrible.
and the goal he scored for Derby against City with the commentary from Barry Davies
" look at his face  - just look at his face! "

[Wowbagger]

The quality of pitches, in both rugby and football, is massively improved from what it was in the 1970s.

Here's England prop Fran Cotton:

[Peter]

No, honestly, he looks better like that!

Is that Roger Uttley on the right?  I played against Gosforth when I was at university but mercifully he hadn't been thought of by then!

[Wowbagger]

I'm afraid I don't know who the other two are. But it's a wonderful photo.

[Peter]

Yes, a classic.  I get shirts from Cotton Traders (Fran's firm) - but not my washing powder!

[Wowbagger]

My Dear Wife is also on their mailing list. I'm afraid I'm rather more upmarket with my shirt tastes: Joseph Turner and Charles Tyrwhitt are my go-to brands...

I do like a good linen shirt.

[Peter]

I'm experimenting at my wife's suggestion (shut it!) so I've just got a couple of linen ones from Land's End.  They used to do very good seersuckers but have stopped.  So other "non-iron" solutions are needed.  I suppose simply not ironing would be one of them!  The fact that I find it very difficult to do up buttons now is a bit limiting, too - hence CT polo shirts.

[Wowbagger]

I discovered last week that one of my rather nice Charles Tyrwhitt shirts has two buttons at each cuff! This was a nuisance as I was wearing it whilst attending a blood test.

I wore a very nice linen shirt for our choir's concert in July. I sang Council for the Plaintiff in our rendition of "Trial by Jury" and I was quite keen to avoid emulating Tony Blair at one Labour Party conference when his shirt selection left a good deal to be desired.

[Peter]

Ha, didn't see Tony Blair's shirt but I did see my late brother sing in Trial By Jury, in a school production.  "Tinky tank" comes to mind - is that right, or am I mixing memories?  I can't locate it, so probably I am.

Anyway RIP Francis Lee - a whole-hearted player - and inspiration to Fran Cotton!

[Wowbagger]

Yes. Tink-a-tank is sung by the defendant.

[Peter]