RIP Frank Worthington :(

[l444ry]

Greatest ever to wear the blue shirt in my eyes. Was part of a very lucky generation to have witnessed that talent. R.I.P Frank.

[willie-bell-in-rothley]

Absolute hero, RIP Frankie

[Bilsthorpe Blue]

Grew up watching Leicester, sat on the wall of the old east stand, always amazed by his warm up routine juggling the ball both feet, knees, shoulders let it rest in the back of his neck the roll down his back, flick it over his head with his heel and volley it into the back of the net.

I used to wait for autographs after the match he always took time to sign, remember once when the 3 degrees were in town (think they must have been on at Baileys) and came onto the pitch at half time, they came out of the Filbert Street hospitality after the match into a limo managed to pass my autograph book through a window and get them all to sign, who was in there with them, yes Frank!!. Always stuck in my memory once I was old enough to know, if I ever met him I wanted to ask him which one he had, knowing Frank it would be all three!!!

RIP Frank

[kushiro]

Just spent an hour looking at Frank photos. What a life. Here's some of the highlights:

 

1) No regrets? Frank and Shanks a year after the failed medical. 

 

2) The worst ever football badge.

 

3) Sexy beast

 

4)  **** you I won't do what you tell me.

[Burleyfox]

 

One of my all time City heroes. As I first learned of his passing a memory came into my head of standing in the popular side watching Frank pick the ball up from the back , turning the defender and hitting a 50 yard crossfield ball out to the right for Keith Weller to run on to. Magic memories of a truly magical player

 

RIP 

[dayday]

R.IP Frank, true legend 

[dynamark]

Does anyone else remember that trick he did when running out he would let the ball drop behind and flick it onto his heel with the trailing leg up and over his head and carry on running with the ball.I spent hours and occasionally managed it 

Lets win the cup in memory of Frank

[RowlattsFox]

Obviously before my time to appreciate his abilities as a footballer buy any pure Leicester fan will have heard about him and his status amongst fans of that era. 

 

I remember being in the Kop has a kid and Frank made either a half time appearance or it was a legends parade around the pitch and the "Frankie Wortho" chant was deafening, soon realised the legend that he was.

 

RIP Frank.

[Angus Scott]

My first Leicester idol was Derek Dougan, it broke my heart when he was fransferred to Wolves.

 

Luckily I did not have to wait too long for another idol in Frank. The greatest centre forward I have ever seen in a truly brilliant entertaining team, which I was priviliged to watch. Again my heart was broken when he was sold but the memories are there forever. 

 

RIP Frank, my all time hero

[SixtiesFox]

Just waking up to this sad news on the other side of the Atlantic. I totally idolized Frank during his time at Leicester. It was a golden age for the club and we really did play the most attractive football in the division at that time. When Frank was on the field he made you feel 10 feet tall as a fan in the knowledge that a player on your team was the best out there. He had outrageous skill, was a deadly finisher and played with a flamboyance, and, dare I say, arrogance, that intimidated the opposition and raised him to cult status in the eyes of us adoring fans. I simply worshipped the man and still dream of recreating 'that goal' on the field of play. It encapsulates, in one magical moment, his footballing genius. He was a character both on and off the field. I always used to take great delight in observing him coming out for the second half of games with his hair soaking wet! They don't make 'em like that anymore; simply unique. RIP Frank, my footballing hero!    

[Red Squirrel]

I'm a lifelong supporter and I can honestly say that I've never seen a player like him since

if I had to describe him to anyone, I'd say picture a centre forward with the ball control of Mahrez, that silky smooth touch, superb balance and the ball glued to his foot. He could do anything he wanted on a football pitch.

 

He should have played far more for England, he was a once in a generation talent, a genius footballer and entertainer on and off the pitch. I'll always remember him.

RIP Frank Worthington

[HybridFox]

What a player and it previllige it must have been to see him in that era. RIP and condolences to his family 

[Lad1966]

Frank Worthington was my 1st LCFC idol- RIP 

[Hammo]

Can't recall who it was, but someone once said/wrote that Frank's left foot was so skilful that he could use it to get pickled onions out of the jar.

 

That image has always stayed with me!

[reynard]

3 hours ago, Stoopid said:

Without doubt the most naturally talented, charismatic and entertaining player to ever grace the royal blue. 

Irreplaceable in the hearts of those of us lucky enough to see him in his pomp. 

Quite simply, I loved this bloke. 

Very, very sad day. 

Couldn't say it any better.

[David Hankey]

Another star gone. Thanks for the memories, Frank, and the fantastic goals.

[Guest bss9401]

I was young but managed to see the great man live twice, for which I am grateful. 

RIP. Heartbreaking that he had the cruellest of diseases.

[Ron Combo]

I was lucky enough to have seen Frank in action on the pitch and off the pitch - mainly in Granny’s on the London Road. Such swagger, such effortless grace, such elan. 
RIP Frank and than you for all those wonderful footballing memories. 

[Livid]

There will only ever be one Frankie Wortho.

 

He had so much grace, ability, class and charisma that is sadly lacking in the current game.

 

RIP Frank, a sad day indeed.

[dynamark]

Lets just remember when we do get back in the ground and see the club make a tribute and then we can all sing the song .He deserves that at a minimum.Current team should be sat down in front of the old videos and see what they are continuing with .

[enmac]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

RIP

 

https://www.lcfc.com/news/2075947/frank-worthington-1948-2021

 

Frank Worthington: 1948-2021
OBITUARY
Published 41 mins ago
1 MinuteReading time
It is with great sadness that we learnt of the death of Frank Worthington, who passed away on 22 March, 2021.
Leicester City Club Historian John Hutchinson remembers Frank, who was one of the most entertaining players ever to represent the Foxes.

He signed for Leicester City from Huddersfield Town in August 1972. At the time he was described as an aggressive, powerful striker very much in the traditional centre-forward mould who had just completed a very successful close-season tour with the England Under-23s side. He was much more than this. He was a flair player who entertained the crowd with sublime skill in his role as a rampaging striker.

Frank had nearly signed for Liverpool, but he failed a medical and Leicester City manager Jimmy Bloomfield was able to snap him up for £800,000.

A few days later, Frank had a dream debut for his new club. He scored at Old Trafford in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United. 

In the years which followed, Frank took centre-stage in a Leicester City side which became one of the most attractive footballing sides in the country. It included such stars as Peter Shilton, Steve Whitworth, Keith Weller, Lenny Glover, Jon Sammels and Alan Birchenall.

He played in every match in his first three years at the Club, only missing a handful of games in his five years at Filbert Street during which he played in nearly 250 games, scoring 78 goals. He was top scorer in 1973/74 with 24 goals in the cup and the league. This form earned him eight England caps between May and November 1974. He scored two goals for England, against Argentina and Bulgaria. For three of these games, his Leicester City team-mates, Weller and Shilton, were in the same England side.

When he left Filbert Street in 1977, Frank went on to play for over a dozen other clubs. These included Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Leeds United, Sunderland, Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tranmere Rovers (where he was later the manager) Preston North End and Stockport County. He also  played in the USA and South Africa.

Without doubt, though, the most successful five years of Frank’s career were spent at Leicester City. His entertaining centre-forward play will live forever in the minds of those fans lucky enough to have seen him.

The thoughts of all at the Club are with Frank’s wife Carol, his family and his friends at this sad time.

 

Not convinced by the £800k

Was never 800k. Maybe 80k, although I thought from memory 100k.

Think Liverpool were going to get him for 150k. We probably got him cheaper because of his "medical problem". 

[enmac]

Frank Worthington, the only English player good enough to play for Brazil. RIP. 

[urban fox]

Rip Frank. What that man could do with a ball at his feet was unbelievable. As a kid I lived in Humberstone and would often see him walking his red setter on the Monks rest gardens and vicarage lane playing fields as he lived on the Scraptoft Lane at the time. He would often stop for a chat and sometimes join in a game of cricket with us in the summer, but would never play footy with us. When we saw him we would often "accidentally" kick the ball in his direction to shouts of "pass the ball back please mister" and he would occassionally treat us to a quick keepy up juggle before kicking it back to us.

My all time lcfc hero

[Col city fan]

Listened to one of his interviews over lunch where he basically said that the ‘first touch’ was the most important thing in football

Frank was an wizard on the ball, no doubt

 

RIP Leicester Legend 

[dynamark]

That is a difference in that the players lived amongst us .We used to annoy several by knocking on their doors for autographs.But never a bad word.And they they all stayed around and ran a pub or a post office .Times have changed