Francis Lee
Franny Lee: title-winning Manchester City striker, penalty king and later club chairman.
Francis "Franny" Lee was an English striker and businessman who starred for Manchester City and later became the club's chairman and main shareholder. Quick and relentless, he scored more than 200 goals across spells with Bolton Wanderers, Manchester City and Derby County, winning league titles with both City and Derby and playing for England at the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He still holds the English record for penalties scored in a season, which earned him the nickname "Lee 1 (Pen)". He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and died on 2 October 2023.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Francis Henry Lee
- Born
- 29 April 1944
- Birthplace
- Westhoughton, Lancashire, England
- Died
- 2 October 2023
- Place of death
- Cheshire East, England
- Position
- Striker
- Total caps
- 500
- Total goals
- 228
Facts from the source article.
Background
Born on 29 April 1944, Lee debuted for Bolton Wanderers as a 16-year-old amateur in November 1960, scoring alongside Nat Lofthouse in a 3–1 win over Manchester City. He hit 106 goals in 210 games for Bolton before Joe Mercer paid a club record £60,000 to bring him to Maine Road in 1967, calling him the final piece of the puzzle. Lee scored in the 4–3 win at Newcastle United that clinched the league title that season, won the 1969 FA Cup, and converted a penalty in the European Cup Winners' Cup final. In 1971–72 he scored 15 of his 35 goals from the spot.
Did You Know?
- He was the first English player ever booked at a World Cup, for a foul on Brazil's goalkeeper Félix in 1970.
- His 1975 fight with Norman Hunter was named by The Observer in 2003 as sport's most spectacular dismissal.
- As a racehorse trainer from 1984 to 1996, he saddled 181 winners in Britain and Ireland.
- Comedian Peter Kay once worked at his toilet roll firm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was he called Lee 1 (Pen)?
He scored so many penalties, a record 15 in 1971–72, that his name often appeared that way in Sunday paper scorer lists.
When was he City chairman?
From 1994 until he stepped down in 1998; he sold his remaining shares to Thaksin Shinawatra in 2007.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in Manchester City
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced