RIP Frank Worthington

[SJN-Fox]

I can’t help thinking that a modern day commentator would have been a lot more enthusiastic about that goal.
RIP Frank.

 

[Rock Fox]

My favourite memory of him was at Filbert Street, he was on ball, on the right wing. To get round the defender , he flicked it up with his heels and caught the ball in the crook of his neck. He ran a few yards, dropped the ball and crossed it into the box. It didn't result in a goal, but it deserved one!
Thanks for the memories Frank, RIP

 

[Jeff]

Hard to think of a better goal than this.

This is what he said about that goal:

"I am not sure it was my best goal. Most of my goals weren't even caught on camera. I scored loads for Leicester."

 

[Red Leicester]

Truely a legend, good bye Frankie Wortho RIP

 

[bocadillo]

Hard to think of a better goal than this.

Just a pity he waited until he went to Bolton to score it.

 

[bocadillo]

Were we going to get Steve Highway and Liverpool Frank Worthington but overnight everything changed? Or something like that.

Failed his medical at Anfield - was rumoured to have a hole-in-the-heart.

 

[Graz]

Failed his medical at Anfield - was rumoured to have a hole-in-the-heart.

The BBC article further up said it was due to "high blood pressure" - but they included the quotation marks, suggesting it was questionable whether that was a real reason?

 

[Orifice]

 

[Bullett]

I started going to Filbert St in 1963 as a kid. We had some good forwards in the Gillies and O'Farrell eras such as Keyworth, Dougan, Sinclair, Clarke etc but when Frankie Wortho arrived it was as if he was from a different planet, rather than Huddersfield. So skilful and such an entertaining player to watch.

 

[bocadillo]

The BBC article further up said it was due to "high blood pressure"

Probably correct. Perhaps I'm confusing his condition with Asa Hartford's.

 

[bocadillo]

My abiding memory of him came before he was even our player. It was the first game of the 71/72 season. We were newly promoted and it would have been just a week after Steve Whitworth had won us the Charity Shield against Liverpool. Standing on the terrace at Leeds Road, it was hard not to admire his flair. And it was hard too to miss the constant cry of "Give it t' Worthington" from the crowd every time the ball came into the possession of the home side.
I think he scored that day and I knew that we had been enquiring about his availability but other clubs were becoming aware of his talent and it was hardly surprising in the circumstances. His failed transfer to Liverpool is now a matter of history and a few games into the following season he was turning out for us. With the very popular Rodney Fern having just cleared off to Luton, he had a job on his hands but he was soon impressing us with his performances.

 

[Jeff]

 

[Jeff]

Entertainment was all for Frank Worthington – on the pitch and off it | Simon Burnton

England striker’s charisma and flamboyance won admirers and made enemies in a career of no major trophies and eight caps

www.theguardian.com

 

[fitz]

Never got to see him play as I'm a young'un. Fortunately seen clips of his skills and goals. The pitches and tackles he had to manoeuvre to look that good makes modern day comparisons impossible. Gave him a hug after we beat spurs at last game at filbo and us drunken bellends went on the pitch.

 

[Jeff]

Anyone have any idea what this match was?

Early 90s, presumably a charity/testimonial game, but I can't remember what it was for.

You had to pick your moment when taking a photo in those days, couldn't afford to waste film. The moment I picked was just as Frank looked away...
A few other recognisable faces in the picture.

 

[give_us_a_wave]

My very first footballing hero. September 4th 1976, my very first game, 1-1 v Everton. Frank scored ours. Kicked me off on a 45 year (& counting) journey. Cheers for everything Frank. Jesus, if he'd played in an era with cameras at every game his youtube reel would be about 8 hours long.

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

When I think of Frank in a Leicester shirt, my mind goes back to an early season midweek game at Filbo against Liverpool, in 1972. Slightly bizarrely, he partnered Mike Stringfellow, whose arthriticky old knees were just sufficiently lubed to propel him round the pitch in a manner which brought moist-eyed memories of his pre-injury heyday in the mid 60s, but little hope they’d achieve much especially when the Reds took an early two goal lead. What followed was complete mayhem, with Frankie and String running their defence ragged, String sustaining a cut to the head and being bandaged to look like the thing from the Mummy’s tomb (well even more than usual anyway) whilst Keith Weller helped himself to a hat trick to take the lead 3-2.

Second half we were expecting more of the same, but Frank had other ideas. Presumably, he wanted to show them what they’d missed by not signing him and turned on the tricks, making poor Larry Lloyd look like, well a punch-drink Harry McGuire I suppose, with no real intention of anything so sordid as adding a fourth or a fifth. Sheer, utter class, with a twinkle in the eye.... never forgotten.

 

[lazzer]

Can we do this great man justice and get the spelling corrected in the title?

Sorry did I spell it wrong ? I was at work when I posted it so I did it on the sly. Thanks for pointing it out though.

 

[ThaiSweetChilli]

RIP Frank Worthington

 

[Brown Nose]

Anyone have any idea what this match was?

Early 90s, presumably a charity/testimonial game, but I can't remember what it was for.

You had to pick your moment when taking a photo in those days, couldn't afford to waste film. The moment I picked was just as Frank looked away...
A few other recognisable faces in the picture.

View attachment 15925

1991/92 was Frank's testimonial year - he must have been in need of a few quid - and he had games at a few of his old clubs.

So this must be from his testimonial game at Filbert St judging by the shirts. He played in several testimonial games over the years. For example, Paul Ramsey's testimonial too a couple of years earlier when I remember him putting Gazza on his backside with one piece of genius.

I remember being there but cannot for the life of me work out who we're playing or anything else about it.