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Francis Lee- an obituary

joe morris

Wednesday, October 4th, 2023

1 Leave a comment on verse 1 0 We’ll never forget Franny
How could we ever overlook the
Snarl, the growl and bite,
The sound and fury
That physical reaction
When once Franny Lee
Exploded with anger
Seething, simmering
The Baseball Ground
Had never seen
Anything like it
Since the gypsy’s curse
Which disturbed the furniture
Rocked Derby County
When the 20th century was still
In its cot, bawling its eyes out
But Francis Lee and Norman Hunter
Squared up to each other
Like schoolchildren in the playground
Behind the bike shed
Lee, bursting a blood vessel
While Stormin’ Norman
Of the parish of Leeds
Who once bit legs for a living
Hunter and Lee
The Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua
Of football’s lion’s den
It was Derby against Leeds
The heavyweight contest
That just fizzled out within minutes
Amid the mud and mayhem of the Midlands
Franny Lee, a bruiser and battler
No pugilistic background
But just fired up and galvanised
Heart on sleeve
Put them up Franny
Muttered Norman under
Seething breath,
Incandescent as the winter
Floodlights at the Baseball Ground
But serial winner of League Championships
At City and Derby
Now put that in your pipe and
Smoke it
Two achievements on the home front
While European trophies were not
That far away
After the game
Business was business
Deeply lucrative
Money in his pocket
In retirement
He never grumbled
Discontentedly at Derby
Before the horses beckoned
And the racing fraternity
Made him flush and blush
With yet more success
England caps but of course
The contours of Franny Lee’s
Career had been mapped out
Clearly
Look at that face
So one BBC legend
Once reacted
Interesting he quoted
Very interesting
But Franny Lee
Was consistency itself
Utterly engrossing
Scheming, conniving, hustling
Tireless and red blooded
Never flinching or faltering
Crunch went the tackles
Goals galore
Particularly the thunderbolt
Which almost woke up Manchester
City where he’d once shone
Like a beacon
Oh Francis Lee
What a player for all seasons
We’ll miss the gold, silver
Bronze,
The most legendary trooper

Notes

My obituary and tribute to Franny Lee, Francis Lee, a legend.

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Source: http://footballpoets.org/poems/francis-lee-an-obituary/