On This Day: City Signed Francis Lee

Early Life

Born in Westhoughton, on the edge of Bolton, Francis remembers that sport played a big part in his early life.  His father used to play a lot of football with him and encouraged him to develop his skills.  The young Francis would play any other sporting activity, but it was football which brought him to the attention of the local scouts.  

While training at Horwich Technical College an offer came from Bolton Wanderers:  “I went to college in Horwich but left to sign for Bolton.  The principal said I was stupid but my father, who had spent forty years working in a cotton mill doing something he didn’t like, said why not give it a crack.  He said I could always go back to college if I didn’t make the grade, and the idea was to give myself a year.  Within six months I thought I had a chance of making it.”

Francis’ new footballing career was about to develop at an incredible pace.  On Bonfire Night 1960, he made his debut at the age of 16 after only appearing in eight Central League matches.  The game was, co-incidentally, against Manchester City and Bolton won 3-1 with Francis marking a superb debut with a goal:  “I scored at exactly 3.15.  I know because there was a photo of me the next day, heading past Bert Trautmann with the time on the stand clock in the background.”

To score a debut goal against such a legendary goalkeeping figure was clearly something Francis could hardly have dreamed of six months earlier, and inevitably it was enough to keep the Westhoughton youngster in the side for the following five League games.  A further five games followed in 1961-62, and then the next season Francis found himself having a sustained run in the side making 23 League appearances and scoring twelve goals.  Four of those goals came from the penalty spot, including two in a game at West Bromwich Albion in September, and it’s fair to say Francis’ success from the penalty spot throughout his career helped to develop his name.  

Malcolm’s Bath

During January 1964 Francis played against Malcolm Allison’s Bath City in the FA Cup.  On a miserable and difficult pitch at non-League Bath Bolton were awarded a penalty.  Francis prepared to take the kick but as he did so he heard his own captain whisper to another Bolton player:  “He’s due to miss one, you know.”  Whether it was the conditions or the vote of ‘no confidence’ is unclear but the penalty was not one of Francis’ best.  It did, however, go into the net off the inside of the post.  It may not have been the perfect penalty, but it certainly made Bath’s Malcolm Allison notice the player, and it saved Bolton from an embarrassing defeat.  

The match went to a replay and the Trotters won the return 3-0 with Francis once again scoring from the penalty spot.  Francis’ approach to penalty taking is clear:  “You’ve got to want to take penalties to be good at it.  You’ve got to enjoy it.  The kick itself is the easy part.  Any player who can’t hit the corner of the goal from twelve yards shouldn’t be playing.  Nerve is the key.  Everyone said I blasted the ball, but I used to aim for the stanchion and hit the ball at three-quarter speed, pretending I was passing the ball fifty or sixty yards.  I would take a long run up to give the ‘keeper longer to think about it – it gave him less of an idea which side I was going to hit it.”

Time to Leave

Francis’ career at Bolton continued until October 1967.  By that time he had made a total of 210 League and cup appearances and netted 106 goals, and was clearly a man other sides were interested in.  Unfortunately, his final year had become a difficult one as far as his relationship with the club was concerned:  “It was enjoyable at Bolton, but frustrating.  I really wanted to get away from the age of 18 or 19 because I could see they were going nowhere.  The wages were poor and the club just wasn’t changing with the times on or off the field.  My contract was up in the June (1967) and they didn’t want to sell me, so I signed a monthly contract.  Bolton said they would never sell me and offered £150 a week to stay.  I was only on £30 at the time, but I knew the only chance to further my ambition was to leave.  By October I had served my contract, and the option, and virtually retired!  I hadn’t played football for about three weeks.  I just did a bit of training on my own.  Eventually, Bolton realised they had a rapidly depreciating asset.”

Manchester City were interested from the start.  Malcolm Allison remembered Francis from the Bath-Bolton match and, of course, he had played in the Bolton-City Second Division game in November 1965, but the Blues were not the only interested party.  Stoke made an offer; Wolves were very keen; and Bill Shankly at Liverpool had also been very interested, but in the end it was Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison who got their man.  

At one point Mercer turned to the player and said:  “I hope you will sign.  We feel we’ve got the start of a good side.  We are just one player short, and we think you are that player.  The odd goal or two will turn us into a great team.”

But even after the main negotiations had been agreed the transfer still stuttered – the League refused to accept the registration at first.  Eventually Francis did sign, and his transfer did help turn City into a great side as Mercer predicted.  Within seven months of his arrival the Blues were League Champions for the first time since 1937.

Playing on the right, with Mike Summerbee as centre-forward, Francis scored sixteen League goals in 31 games and ended that Championship season as second highest goalscorer – only three short of Neil Young.  There had been many thrilling and memorable performances with famous victories over Tottenham, Manchester United, and the last day tussle with Newcastle all grabbing the headlines.  Francis was a key player in each of these games, but it’s fair to say he excelled throughout the season.  Prior to his arrival, City had lost five of the eleven games they had played, with Francis in the side that record improved considerably and they were worthy champions.  Mercer had been right, Francis was the last piece of the jigsaw.

Cup Success

Much was expected of the Blues at the start of the following season, but injury to Tony Book affected City more than anyone could have anticipated.  In addition, every side seemed to raise its game when it faced City making average opposition appear like world beaters.  Francis was moved into the number nine shirt for the second half of the season and, although league form remained mixed, City started to compete well in the FA Cup.  Francis: “Having murdered everybody in my first season, we floundered as soon as the next season started.  We thought we had a divine right to go out and thrash people.  Mike (Summerbee) didn’t start very well at centre-forward because opponents got wise to his style.  So they changed us.  I was perfectly happy, it didn’t matter where I played.  But I don’t think centre-forward was my best position.  I was happiest when I was supporting a big striker.”

“When I played for England, Geoff Hurst was the striker up front, and when City bought big Wyn Davies I scored 33 goals one season.  In my time at Maine Road there was talk of buying Joe Royle or John Toshack and I think if we had, my record would have been better.”

The 33 goals mentioned by Francis came in 1971-72 and remains the second highest total of goals scored in a League season by a Blue, but before that Francis played in three major finals for City.  The first, the FA Cup in 1969, saw City defeat Leicester 1-0 with a goal from Neil young:  “I was delighted to beat Leicester and win the cup, but I didn’t have the best preparation for the Final.  I’d been out since the semi with a leg strain, and though I was fit, I had missed a couple of weeks’ training.  I don’t think I played outstandingly, I just had an average game, which was a shame.”

Less than a year later Francis did play a major part in the League Cup success over West Bromwich Albion, and the ECWC win over Polish side Gornik Zabrze.  Writing in his autobiography in 1970 Francis felt the Gornik match had been tough at times:  “The result was better than we dared hope.  Secretly, I thought beforehand that Gornik were going to be really difficult, and that with Mike Summerbee out we could easily struggle unless we hit absolutely peak form.  After eleven minutes Neil Young snapped up a chance presented to him by a lapse on the part of Poland’s international ‘keeper Kostka, and two minutes from half-time I hit a penalty in via the ‘keeper’s legs.”

“Our rhythm was disturbed for a while when Doyle was carried off in the first half with a leg injury, but we seemed to be cantering to victory when the Poles surprisingly pulled back the score to 2-1 in the 69^th minute.  The rain had started to bucket down, and even when they scored I felt our only chance of losing the game was if it was called off.  There was a real fear of this at one time, but Gornik obviously sensed they were back in with a chance because they tried to put the pressure on us.  Even their goal was diverted off George Heslop and I think Joe Corrigan would have saved but for this.”

“In the last few minutes I think Gornik got the message that we had been on top throughout the game and intended staying on top.  We certainly felt we were good winners.”

Derby Move

After Gornik, City were seen as one of football’s most glamorous sides and Francis, with his never say die, bustling style, was a firm favourite.  His goals in 1971-72 brought City within a point of the title, and then in 1974 the Blues reached Wembley again in the League Cup final.  Sadly, the game ended in defeat, and at the end of that season Francis was sold to Derby County:  “I didn’t want to leave, I felt I had a couple more good seasons in me but Tony Book (the manager) said he thought it would be better if I went.”

Francis moved to Derby County and, as if to prove City wrong, the entertaining forward helped his new club to the League title:  “I think City would have won the League that season if I’d stayed.  The season before I signed for Derby, they won four away games.  We won seven after I arrived and won the League.”

Of course, Francis’ success wasn’t only confined to club football. He was also a wonderful England forward, scoring ten goals in 27 international appearances between December 1968 and April 1972.  There are many who felt his international career should have continued for at least another year, however it is worth stressing that he appeared for England at a time when there were many, many quality attackers desperate to make an impression.  The England side of 1970, for example, is believed to be one of the strongest national sides of all time.  Francis himself believes the 1970 side was one of quality:  “I played three games in the 1970 World Cup finals and I felt we had a better side than in ’66.  The players who had won the Cup were more experienced and I think the fringe players were better.  If we hadn’t gone out to West Germany in extra-time in the quarters, I think we would have gone on to win it.  Brazil certainly didn’t fancy playing us.”

Retirement

In 1976 Francis retired.  His final game came on 24^th April 1976 when he scored twice for Derby against Ipswich in the final two minutes – a perfect way to end a great career.

After football, Francis spent most of his time developing his business interests, most notably his toilet paper manufacturers, and horse racing training.  His business interests had started while he was still a Bolton player and helped make Francis a multi-millionaire. Inevitably there was often talk during the 1980s and early 90s that Francis would one day turn his attention back to City.  During 1993-94 the fans backed a campaign to help him take over the Club, and he went on to replace Peter Swales as Chairman.  Off the pitch, the structure of the Blues improved considerably, however on the pitch activities struggled.  

In 1998 Francis stepped down as Chairman.  After that time Francis continued to be a major shareholder and regular attendee at City.  It’s fair to say his time as Chairman did not bring the level of success everybody anticipated, but his time as a player certainly brought more rewards than any neutral could have predicted on the day he signed in October 1967.

Francis will always be remembered as one of Manchester City’s greatest international players, and a firm favourite with supporters.