Francis Lee (footballer)
Francis Henry Lee CBE (29 April 1944 – 2 October 2023), also known as Franny Lee, was an English professional footballer and businessman. He was also later the chairman and main shareholder of Manchester City, as well as briefly a racehorse trainer and amateur cricket player.
|
Lee with Manchester City, c. 1970 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Francis Henry Lee | ||
| Date of birth | 29 April 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Westhoughton, Lancashire, England | ||
| Date of death | 2 October 2023 (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1967 | Bolton Wanderers | 189 | (92) |
| 1967–1974 | Manchester City | 249 | (112) |
| 1974–1976 | Derby County | 62 | (24) |
| Total | 500 | (228) | |
| International career | |||
| 1968–1972 | England | 27 | (10) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
A striker, he played for Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City, Derby County and the England national team. Noted for his speed and determination, he scored more than 200 goals in his career, in which he won League Championship medals with Manchester City and Derby. In 2010, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
Lee holds the English record for the greatest number of penalties scored in a season, a feat that earned him the nickname "Lee 1 (Pen)", because that was the way his name often seemed to appear on the list of goal scorers for City in the match results listings of the Sunday papers. This led to accusations of diving. One such accusation, by Leeds United's Norman Hunter, led to an on-pitch fight.
In 1966, Lee founded F. H. Lee Ltd, a firm that recycled paper to manufacture products such as kitchen roll and toilet paper. It operated until 2003 and made him a millionaire. In 1994, Lee became the major shareholder and chairman of Manchester City, but stepped down four years later.