Francis Lee
Encyclopedia
Francis Henry Lee is a former professional footballer
, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team
. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers
, Manchester City
, and Derby County
. A stocky forward, he won League Championship
medals with both Manchester City and Derby, and scored more than 200 goals in his career. In 2010, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
He holds the English record for the greatest number of penalties
scored in a season, a feat which earned him the nickname Lee One Pen, and sometimes led to accusations of diving
. One such accusation, from Leeds United
's Norman Hunter, led to an on-pitch fight, which The Observer
later named as sport's most spectacular dismissal.
After retiring from football, Lee entered business, the success of his paper recycling
business F.H. Lee Ltd making him a millionaire. In 1994 he became the major shareholder and chairman of his former club Manchester City, but stepped down four years later.
signed him for £60,000 in October 1967, setting a club record transfer fee. He made his Manchester City debut in a 2–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
at Maine Road
, and scored his first Manchester City goal the following week at Fulham
. In his first season at the club he scored 16 League goals in 31 appearances, playing a crucial role in City's push for the 1967–68 League Championship
; Mercer described him as "the final piece of the jigsaw". The title was decided on the final day of the season, City requiring a win at Newcastle United
. City won the match 4–3, Lee scoring one of the goals, and were crowned champions. The following season Lee was part of the Manchester City team which won the 1969 FA Cup
.
In the 1969–70 season, Lee was Manchester City's top scorer, an achievement he would subsequently match in each of the next four seasons. His tally that season included one of the most important goals of his career, a penalty in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
In the 1971–72 season Lee set a British record for the number of penalties
scored in a season, with 15 of his 35 goals scored from the penalty spot. Many of the penalties resulted from fouls on Lee, earning him the nickname Lee One Pen. Some journalists, holding the opinion that Lee gained a number of penalties by diving
, used the name Lee Won Pen instead. Lee's name is often cited in debates about diving in football; referees' chief Keith Hackett
described him as a player who "had a reputation of falling down easily".
Lee left Manchester City in August 1974, joining Derby County. For the second time in his career, Lee joined a team viewed as contenders for that season's league title. Lee was upset at Manchester City's decision to sell him, and in December marked his return to his former club by scoring the winning goal for Derby. Lee scored 33 league goals that season, making him the top scorer in the division, and his goals led Derby to their second League title and the second championship medal of Lee's career. On 1 November 1975, Lee had a confrontation with Leeds United defender Norman Hunter, which gained a level of infamy after it was screened on Match of the Day
. Lee won and scored a penalty in the match, and Hunter accused Lee of winning the penalty unfairly. The pair then exchanged punches, and were both sent off. In 2003, the incident was named by The Observer
as sport's most spectacular dismissal.
He also holds the record for the most goals in Manchester derbies
, scoring 10 goals in all against Manchester United, a tally that equalled Joe Hayes' record.
Lee represented England at the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico and was the first English player ever to be receive a card in a World Cup.
, who mentions his time there in his autobiography "The Sound Of Laughter".
In 1994, Lee became chairman of Manchester City, ousting Peter Swales from the position by purchasing £3 million of shares at a price of £13.35 per share. Lee was welcomed as a hero by City's supporters, who had formed a movement named Forward With Franny backing his attempt to gain control of the club. Upon becoming chairman, Lee made a series of extravagant claims about his plans for the club, announcing that "This will be the happiest club in the land. The players will be the best paid and we'll drink plenty of champagne, celebrate and sing until we're hoarse". In 1996 he appointed his friend Alan Ball as manager, but the appointment proved unsuccessful and the club were relegated. Lee stepped down in 1998, with the club on the brink of relegation to the third tier of English football, a fate which Lee had dismissed at the previous annual general meeting by saying that he would "jump off the Kippax" if the club were relegated. He was succeeded by David Bernstein
. Lee retained a shareholding after leaving the board of directors but later sold all his shares to Thaksin Shinawatra..
In addition to his business ventures, Lee also had a career as a racehorse trainer. Notable horses trained by Lee include Sir Harry Hardman, Allwight Then and Young Jason. Lee gave the trade up in 2001 to pursue his business commitments.
Before becoming a professional footballer Lee showed promise at cricket
, representing the Horwich and Westhoughton Schools FA Team in 1958. When his football career came to an end he briefly returned to cricket, playing for Westhoughton's first XI in 1977 as a medium-fast bowler and middle to lower order batsman.
On 4 June 2005, Lee was arrested following an argument with a policeman. It is understood a row broke out after Lee's wife, Gill, was stopped and breathalysed as she drove home in the early hours of the morning. Lee was given an adult caution.(http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/161/161307_francis_lee_arrested.html)
On 5 January 2009, Permaplay Limited (owned by Lee) went into Members' Voluntary Liquidation (http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/58946/pages/377).
|1960–61
||rowspan="8"|Bolton Wanderers
||rowspan="4"|First Division
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|1961–62
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|1962–63
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|1963–64
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|1964–65
||rowspan="4"|Second Division
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|1965–66
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|1966–67
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|-
|1967–68
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|1967–68
||rowspan="7"|Manchester City
||rowspan="7"|First Division
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|-
|1968–69
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|1969–70
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|1970–71
||38||14||||||||||||||||
|-
|1971–72
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|1972–73
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|-
|1973–74
||30||10||||||||||||||||
|-
|1974–75
||rowspan="2"|Derby County
||rowspan="2"|First Division
||34||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1975–76
||28||12||||||||||||||||
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500||227||||||||||||||||
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, who played in the 1960s and 1970s, including 27 appearances for the England national team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. Lee played for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, and Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
. A stocky forward, he won League Championship
English football champions
The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and FA Cup, or the European Double of League Championship and European Cup in that season.Following the...
medals with both Manchester City and Derby, and scored more than 200 goals in his career. In 2010, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
He holds the English record for the greatest number of penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
scored in a season, a feat which earned him the nickname Lee One Pen, and sometimes led to accusations of diving
Diving (football)
In association football, diving is an attempt by a player to gain an unfair advantage by diving to the ground and possibly feigning an injury, to appear as if a foul has been committed. Dives are often used to exaggerate the amount of contact present in a challenge...
. One such accusation, from Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
's Norman Hunter, led to an on-pitch fight, which The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
later named as sport's most spectacular dismissal.
After retiring from football, Lee entered business, the success of his paper recycling
Paper recycling
Paper recycling is the process of recovering waste paper and remaking it into new paper products. There are three categories of paper that can be used as feedstocks for making recycled paper: mill broke, pre-consumer waste, and post-consumer waste. Mill broke is paper trimmings and other paper...
business F.H. Lee Ltd making him a millionaire. In 1994 he became the major shareholder and chairman of his former club Manchester City, but stepped down four years later.
Playing career
Lee started his professional career with Bolton Wanderers, before Manchester City manager Joe MercerJoe Mercer
Joseph 'Joe' Mercer, OBE was an English football player and manager.-Playing career:Mercer was born in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, the son of a former Nottingham Forest and Tranmere Rovers footballer, also named Joe. Joe Mercer senior died, following health problems resulting from a gas attack...
signed him for £60,000 in October 1967, setting a club record transfer fee. He made his Manchester City debut in a 2–0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
, and scored his first Manchester City goal the following week at Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. In his first season at the club he scored 16 League goals in 31 appearances, playing a crucial role in City's push for the 1967–68 League Championship
English football champions
The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. Teams in bold are those who won the double of League Championship and FA Cup, or the European Double of League Championship and European Cup in that season.Following the...
; Mercer described him as "the final piece of the jigsaw". The title was decided on the final day of the season, City requiring a win at Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. City won the match 4–3, Lee scoring one of the goals, and were crowned champions. The following season Lee was part of the Manchester City team which won the 1969 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
.
In the 1969–70 season, Lee was Manchester City's top scorer, an achievement he would subsequently match in each of the next four seasons. His tally that season included one of the most important goals of his career, a penalty in the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup.
In the 1971–72 season Lee set a British record for the number of penalties
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
scored in a season, with 15 of his 35 goals scored from the penalty spot. Many of the penalties resulted from fouls on Lee, earning him the nickname Lee One Pen. Some journalists, holding the opinion that Lee gained a number of penalties by diving
Diving (football)
In association football, diving is an attempt by a player to gain an unfair advantage by diving to the ground and possibly feigning an injury, to appear as if a foul has been committed. Dives are often used to exaggerate the amount of contact present in a challenge...
, used the name Lee Won Pen instead. Lee's name is often cited in debates about diving in football; referees' chief Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett
Keith Stuart Hackett is an English former football referee, who began refereeing in local leagues in the Sheffield, Yorkshire, area in 1960...
described him as a player who "had a reputation of falling down easily".
Lee left Manchester City in August 1974, joining Derby County. For the second time in his career, Lee joined a team viewed as contenders for that season's league title. Lee was upset at Manchester City's decision to sell him, and in December marked his return to his former club by scoring the winning goal for Derby. Lee scored 33 league goals that season, making him the top scorer in the division, and his goals led Derby to their second League title and the second championship medal of Lee's career. On 1 November 1975, Lee had a confrontation with Leeds United defender Norman Hunter, which gained a level of infamy after it was screened on Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
. Lee won and scored a penalty in the match, and Hunter accused Lee of winning the penalty unfairly. The pair then exchanged punches, and were both sent off. In 2003, the incident was named by The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
as sport's most spectacular dismissal.
He also holds the record for the most goals in Manchester derbies
Manchester derby
The Manchester derby is the name given to football matches between Manchester City and Manchester United. The local derby centres on the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester with approximately four miles separating the clubs with City based in east Manchester at the City of Manchester Stadium...
, scoring 10 goals in all against Manchester United, a tally that equalled Joe Hayes' record.
Lee represented England at the 1970 World Cup Finals in Mexico and was the first English player ever to be receive a card in a World Cup.
Business career
After his playing career, Lee moved into business. His toilet roll manufacturing business once employed famous comedian Peter KayPeter Kay
Peter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, actor, director and producer. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions which have included two sell out tours.-Early career:Peter Kay...
, who mentions his time there in his autobiography "The Sound Of Laughter".
In 1994, Lee became chairman of Manchester City, ousting Peter Swales from the position by purchasing £3 million of shares at a price of £13.35 per share. Lee was welcomed as a hero by City's supporters, who had formed a movement named Forward With Franny backing his attempt to gain control of the club. Upon becoming chairman, Lee made a series of extravagant claims about his plans for the club, announcing that "This will be the happiest club in the land. The players will be the best paid and we'll drink plenty of champagne, celebrate and sing until we're hoarse". In 1996 he appointed his friend Alan Ball as manager, but the appointment proved unsuccessful and the club were relegated. Lee stepped down in 1998, with the club on the brink of relegation to the third tier of English football, a fate which Lee had dismissed at the previous annual general meeting by saying that he would "jump off the Kippax" if the club were relegated. He was succeeded by David Bernstein
David Bernstein (executive)
David Bernstein is a British business executive who was the former chairman of French Connection.A chartered accountant by trade, Bernstein has also been involved in the footballing world and was the chairman of Manchester City Football Club from 1998 to 2003, a period of revival and stability in...
. Lee retained a shareholding after leaving the board of directors but later sold all his shares to Thaksin Shinawatra..
In addition to his business ventures, Lee also had a career as a racehorse trainer. Notable horses trained by Lee include Sir Harry Hardman, Allwight Then and Young Jason. Lee gave the trade up in 2001 to pursue his business commitments.
Before becoming a professional footballer Lee showed promise at cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, representing the Horwich and Westhoughton Schools FA Team in 1958. When his football career came to an end he briefly returned to cricket, playing for Westhoughton's first XI in 1977 as a medium-fast bowler and middle to lower order batsman.
On 4 June 2005, Lee was arrested following an argument with a policeman. It is understood a row broke out after Lee's wife, Gill, was stopped and breathalysed as she drove home in the early hours of the morning. Lee was given an adult caution.(http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/161/161307_francis_lee_arrested.html)
On 5 January 2009, Permaplay Limited (owned by Lee) went into Members' Voluntary Liquidation (http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/58946/pages/377).
Career statistics
|-|1960–61
The Football League 1960-61
-Overview:The 1960–1961 season was the 62nd completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||rowspan="8"|Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
||rowspan="4"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||6||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1961–62
The Football League 1961-62
-Overview:The 1961–1962 season was the 63rd completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||5||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1962–63
The Football League 1962-63
-Overview:The 1962–1963 season was the 64th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||23||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1963–64
The Football League 1963-64
-Overview:The 1963–1964 season was the 64th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||34||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1964–65
The Football League 1964-65
-Overview:The 1964–1965 season was the 65th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||rowspan="4"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||38||23||||||||||||||||
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|1965–66
The Football League 1965-66
-Overview:The 1965–1966 season was the 66th completed season of The Football League.This season is notable for Liverpool winning the title with only 14 squad players.-Final league tables :...
||34||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1966–67
The Football League 1966-67
-Overview:The 1966–1967 season was the 67th completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website and in Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, with home and away statistics...
||40||22||||||||||||||||
|-
|1967–68
The Football League 1967-68
-Overview:The 1967–1968 season was the 68th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :For the first time since 1937 Manchester City won the league title, finishing two points clear of their local rivals Manchester United. Fulham finished bottom of the league and were relegated along...
||9||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|1967–68
The Football League 1967-68
-Overview:The 1967–1968 season was the 68th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :For the first time since 1937 Manchester City won the league title, finishing two points clear of their local rivals Manchester United. Fulham finished bottom of the league and were relegated along...
||rowspan="7"|Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||rowspan="7"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||31||16||||||||||||||||
|-
|1968–69
The Football League 1968-69
-Overview:The 1968–1969 season was the 69th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Leeds United won the League for the first time in their history, finishing six points ahead of Liverpool...
||37||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1969–70
The Football League 1969-70
The 1969–1970 season was the 70th completed season of The Football League.Everton won their seventh title, finishing nine points clear of Leeds United with Chelsea in third and newly promoted Derby County in fourth. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland were both relegated.Huddersfield Town claimed...
||36||13||||||||||||||||
|-
|1970–71
The Football League 1970-71
-Overview:The 1970–1971 season was the 71st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool...
||38||14||||||||||||||||
|-
|1971–72
The Football League 1971-72
-Overview:The 1971–1972 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough, 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also...
||42||33||||||||||||||||
|-
|1972–73
The Football League 1972-73
-Overview:The 1972–1973 season was the 73rd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool cruised to another championship triumph in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.Manchester...
||35||14||||||||||||||||
|-
|1973–74
The Football League 1973-74
-Overview:The 1973–1974 season was the 74th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with...
||30||10||||||||||||||||
|-
|1974–75
The Football League 1974-75
-Overview:The 1974–1975 season was the 75th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:David Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in...
||rowspan="2"|Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
||rowspan="2"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||34||12||||||||||||||||
|-
|1975–76
The Football League 1975-76
-Overview:The 1975–1976 season was the 76th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in...
||28||12||||||||||||||||
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