RIP Frank Worthington

[Hatch]

passed away today I just heard,    involved in one of our greatest goals,   the Danny Wallace overhead kick

[beatlesaint]

Only one season with us but it was a joy to watch him, some of his little flicks and tricks were amazing.

That was a great season and Frank played a big part. 

Sad news -  R.I.P Frank

 

 

Edited 23 March, 2021 by beatlesaint

[rallyboy]

I can still see him now, ambling about with his socks around his ankles, flicking passes left and right for others to chase and then whacking in a shot from some crazy angle or distance.

By the time he came to us he looked like he was about 60 so no one asked him to track back, but boy did he create chances for others.

He was there for the 8-2 against Coventry - a proper entertainer from another era.

[Pilchards]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56495453

[badgerx16]

 

[kenneth_kenobi]

 

[badgerx16]

SNAP !!!!!

[Tamesaint]

Sad news.

[Fan The Flames]

It felt longer than 1 season with us, shows the impact he had on me as a teenager. Great player in an era where you could still be a maverick.

[gordonToo]

13 minutes ago, kenneth_kenobi said:

 

Those were the days when football was fun. Great memories.

[Wade Garrett]

Loved it when we played Villa and he gave their fans the finger as he was being subbed.

[Chris cooper]

1 hour ago, rallyboy said:

I can still see him now, ambling about with his socks around his ankles, flicking passes left and right for others to chase and then whacking in a shot from some crazy angle or distance.

By the time he came to us he looked like he was about 60 so no one asked him to track back, but boy did he create chances for others.

He was there for the 8-2 against Coventry - a proper entertainer from another era.

Yep was at that game and my 1st Danny Wallace and Steve Moran hatricks .. Air Florida tucked out saints shirt .. socks round his ankles but wota passer of the ball .. I was only 10 .and wen I got home played over the park with my friends I was frankie worthington ! Rip thanks 🙏🏻 for the memories Frank 👍🏻⚽️🥅

Edited 23 March, 2021 by Chris cooper

[John Boy Saint]

Funnily enough my first memory of him was coming to collect the ball for a corner whilst he was playing for Bolton (A young Sam Allardyce also playing). First home game after promotion in 1978, Ivan Golacs debut.

I’m right at the front of the Milton Road end up he trots to pick up the ball, my first thought wasn’t Wow Frank Worthington! But jeez what a stink, it was like he bathed in liniment for hours every night rather that a quick rub over before the game (latterly -how he pulled the birds he did with that industrial scent - as it certainly wasn’t Brut).

One of Footballs great characters from the days of proper footballers.

RIP Frank

[Golac's Cunning Stunts]

RIP Frank, loved watching you down the dell. Special, special player 

[John Boy Saint]

Blimey looking at all the memories of Frank posted on here - that’s 2 boyhood footie stars gone in a week. Frank and Thunder-boots Peter Lorimer.

We are getting old chaps!😢

[DT]

so many stories . v sad news. amazing player and character

[jasonb]

Probably should post the Danny Wallace overhead.... Great, round the corner ball from FW. Mark Wright's run up from the back too having started the move... another player we sold to flippin' Liverpool

 

 

Edited 23 March, 2021 by jasonb

[charlie saint]

Wasn't he sacked after being caught with two women in his hotel room by Lawrie McMenemy? He claimed they were having afternoon tea... which was why he titled his autobiography 'One Hump or Two?'

[DT]

13 minutes ago, charlie saint said:

Wasn't he sacked after being caught with two women in his hotel room by Lawrie McMenemy? He claimed they were having afternoon tea... which was why he titled his autobiography 'One Hump or Two?'

think he turned up late for a game for the same reason. dim and distant past, and might not be recollecting correctly but I remember being at a game and seeing his name on the programme but he hadn't showed. Until the second half...

[davefizzy14]

RIP Frank

Edited 23 March, 2021 by davefizzy14

[charlie saint]

1 hour ago, charlie saint said:

Wasn't he sacked after being caught with two women in his hotel room by Lawrie McMenemy? He claimed they were having afternoon tea... which was why he titled his autobiography 'One Hump or Two?'

I mean RIP, brilliant player etc, obviously.

[Toadhall Saint]

RIP Frank thanks for the memories 

Edited 23 March, 2021 by Toadhall Saint

[Winnersaint]

RIP what a talented player. 

 

[RedWillie]

Also played in THAT cup game at Fratton...RIP Frankie.

[redkeith]

It was worth getting out f the pub early. just to watch his warm ups . 

[le_tiss]

 

The answers

Edited 23 March, 2021 by le_tiss

[charlie saint]

'Birdwatching'... different times. 

Who are the 'certain dishonorable board of directors?' 

Edited 23 March, 2021 by charlie saint

[lettuce]

3 hours ago, rallyboy said:

I can still see him now, ambling about with his socks around his ankles, flicking passes left and right for others to chase and then whacking in a shot from some crazy angle or distance.

You could also be describing another mercurial Saints talisman with that description, although MLT used to keep his socks pulled up!

[Miltonaggro]

Bit of a sojourn on the south coast for Frank but only good memories of his time at the Dell - a very typical McMenemy signing, a pure entertainer. One of my best memories was being on the terrace at Highbury in the prelude to the cup semi final 1984. Saints players clean cut ambling around in their Burton suits when FW appears looking like Las Vegas Elvis after an all night shagging session. Other posters have mentioned his passing, and that’s where he was sublime when at Saints - old school class and character. RIP Elvis! 

[Saint Billy]

Great player, great character and sublime skills to boot.

Only with us for a short while but provided great entertainment at the Dell and raised the roof an many occasions.

RIP the working mans George Best.

[Turkish]

2 hours ago, jasonb said:

Probably should post the Danny Wallace overhead.... Great, round the corner ball from FW. Mark Wright's run up from the back too having started the move... another player we sold to flippin' Liverpool

 

 

We sold Mark Wright to Derby

[Turkish]

Part of the first saints team I remember, my dad loved him. Great character by all accounts and a great player from an era when football was about entertainment 

[Chewy]

1 hour ago, charlie saint said:

'Birdwatching'... different times. 

Who are the 'certain dishonorable board of directors?' 

Liverpool I believe.

around at the era I first started watching, great player and character. 
RIP 

[Dimond Geezer]

Really saddened by this news, he was with us for such a short time, but he leaves some but great memories.  IIRC when he scored in the 8-2 drubbing of Coventry, he got a bigger cheer than either of the two hattricks. 

Frank was late for training one day, and the club sent a taxi to collect him. My mate's dad was the cabbie, he knocked the door at Frank's digs, several times,  as it took FW a while to answer, when he eventually got to the door he was wearing a silk dressing gown with a dragon print on it and very little else. When told he was late, his response was something like "bollocks, not again", he picked up his kit bag and left for training,  still wearing just the classic 70s dressing gown. 

 

RiP Frank,  and thanks for the memories.

[notnowcato]

RIP Frank.  Made the game look very easy.

[Lord Duckhunter]

Sad news, such a great entertainer and player. My mates a Huddersfield supporter and Frank is his absolute hero, he’ll be in bits tonight. 

Guys like Frank, Rodney Marsh, Tony Currie, Stan Bowles and of course Bestie, made the 70’s such a great period to watch the game. To watch them take the piss whilst suffering tackles that bordered on GBH,was a sight to behold. Then off down the discotheque to pull a few birds. Great days...

[jasonb]

39 minutes ago, Turkish said:

We sold Mark Wright to Derby

You are correct of course. My memory isn't what it was 

[Hayling Saint]

Special man, special talent RIP Frank

[ecuk268]

Much more an artist than an artisan.

Should have had many more England caps.

I was stood on the Milton Road end for that Coventry game, featuring a very young Stuart Pearce.

[VectisSaint]

A significant part of our best ever team, only saw him play a few times (for us), but he was majestic, his play reminded me of Ossie when he was with us, much standing around and spraying glorious passes to others. A true character. I don't get this "working man's George Best", don't know where that has come from, George Best was surely the working man's George Best.

RIP Elvis.

Edited 23 March, 2021 by VectisSaint

[washsaint]

What sad news - well remember the flashiness of Worthington and what an entertainer.  That season with Saints was marvelous - it's a crying shame that so many players from that era (and more recently) have suffered from dementia.

Worthington
Dave Watson
Kevin Moore
Chris Nicholl

The list goes on.....

[spyinthesky]

10 hours ago, charlie saint said:

Wasn't he sacked after being caught with two women in his hotel room by Lawrie McMenemy? He claimed they were having afternoon tea... which was why he titled his autobiography 'One Hump or Two?'

He invited my girlfriend to his hotel room when out at the Concorde Club one night. She declined!!
Give him credit for trying.

[CheshireSaint]

I went to an after dinner gig about 20 years ago in Birkenhead and Frank was the main speaker. I sat there waiting specifically for Frank to wax lyrical about his short time at Saints. Anyway, waffle waffle waffle until he got to the Southampton bit. I'm paraphrasing here but basically he said 'then I went to Southampton and Lawrie Mac. It was like signing for Saddam Hussein'. That was it and then he swiftly moved on. I was gutted. That said, his pass in the build up to the Danny Wallace overhead kick was sublime and he is still a reminder of when football had a certain freedom of spirit. RIP Frank.

Edited 23 March, 2021 by CheshireSaint

[saint1977]

First season where I became aware of Saints and started following. Great team and he was a core part of it. The club was so entertaining to follow and 83/84 was probably the best season. An era when it was a game and not a pure business. Unfortunately, whereas every club in D1 and a fair few in D2 had a Worthington/Osgood/Currie/MLT/Bowles/Hudson type player that’s not been the case for a long time. 

Only real entertainers today are at City/Utd and maybe 2 or 3 other clubs, with likes of Rodriguez going to Everton for a season. Tadic and Lallana are the nearest we have had recently, Rickie was very technical and skilled for a target man. Spurs have one in Alli and Maureen won’t even play him. 

[Roo1976]

RIP Frank great entertainer,not too many around these days,too much money and image rights rather than unhindered talent that was let free.

[steve green]

A fond memory of Frank was him scoring against Coventry, with one of the tamest headers I've ever seen. We were behind the goal, he didn't really bother to jump, the ball just bounced off his head in slow motion and looped in.

It was the first game I'd taken a couple of new chums to after starting my nurse training in Chichester, we won 8-2, followed by a 5-0 win over spurs.
They thought it was like watching Brazil.

RIP Frank.

[Lord Duckhunter]

12 hours ago, saint1977 said:

First season where I became aware of Saints and started following. Great team and he was a core part of it. The club was so entertaining to follow and 83/84 was probably the best season. An era when it was a game and not a pure business. Unfortunately, whereas every club in D1 and a fair few in D2 had a Worthington/Osgood/Currie/MLT/Bowles/Hudson type player that’s not been the case for a long time. 

Only real entertainers today are at City/Utd and maybe 2 or 3 other clubs, with likes of Rodriguez going to Everton for a season. Tadic and Lallana are the nearest we have had recently, Rickie was very technical and skilled for a target man. Spurs have one in Alli and Maureen won’t even play him. 

Personally, I think the modern players are far far more skilful than in the past. Centre halves now bring the ball down and play, whereas it was only a handful previously. Look at OR and contrast him with tough tackling midfielders in the past. He receives the ball in tight spaces, plays little passes and keeps possession. Up front they’re pretty much all skilful, full of tricks, flicks etc. That famous Worthington goal could of been scored by a dozen forward players nowadays. The great players you mentioned had fantastic skills, but most modern players possess them nowadays, and in a game played a lot quicker. 

However, there were massive differences back then, which is why these types were so loved. One was they did it despite the culture. A culture that discouraged fancy Dan’s and managers that were anti fancy tricks (except for a few notable exceptions). They also did it with heavy footballs, defenders committing GBH on them, and on mud heap pitches. They also lived a lads life off the pitch, they were glamorous Jack the lads, rock stars when rock stars acted like rock stars, not woke warriors. 

[Piran]

Blimey! A Duckie post I agree with!

[saint1977]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Personally, I think the modern players are far far more skilful than in the past. Centre halves now bring the ball down and play, whereas it was only a handful previously. Look at OR and contrast him with tough tackling midfielders in the past. He receives the ball in tight spaces, plays little passes and keeps possession. Up front they’re pretty much all skilful, full of tricks, flicks etc. That famous Worthington goal could of been scored by a dozen forward players nowadays. The great players you mentioned had fantastic skills, but most modern players possess them nowadays, and in a game played a lot quicker. 

However, there were massive differences back then, which is why these types were so loved. One was they did it despite the culture. A culture that discouraged fancy Dan’s and managers that were anti fancy tricks (except for a few notable exceptions). They also did it with heavy footballs, defenders committing GBH on them, and on mud heap pitches. They also lived a lads life off the pitch, they were glamorous Jack the lads, rock stars when rock stars acted like rock stars, not woke warriors. 

I agree with much of this, and I put it down in some ways to the introduction of more overseas players in the 1990s onwards enhancing techniques and style of play. Taking your example of OR, his football education was at Barca where the emphasis on control in tight spaces would have been encouraged alongside the defensive work. Most DMCs from that era would have got an early yellow like Rom but then a red with the lack of control.

The very best centre halves of that era eg Hansen could play and Mark Wright was more cultured than most, but the majority were the ‘get it clear including the striker’ brigade. Pitches have improved greatly which helps playing out from the back. Pace of the game has increased several fold, watching the Big Match and MOTD back from the 70s and 80s some of the games remind me of our last League One stint in terms of tempo. Probably less scope as a result to take risks as the very best sides domestically eg City take you to the cleaners on the break so ruthlessly if you lose it in the wrong areas.

James Maddison is another good example of a current day player with exceptional ability, as is Grealish but Jack is one of the very few outside of clubs regularly playing in Europe. I guess I’m just disappointed with SFC as we have traditionally either produced them or bought them, but the PL sides in the bottom half are generally horribly workmanlike to watch with the odd exception. 

[spyinthesky]

I have always wondered how the best teams of today would fare against the best teams of yesteryear.

The yesteryear team would struggle with the fitness and strength of modern players plus the different style of play now in use.
A bit like the first ever home defeat for the England national team against foreign opposition in 1953 when the Hungarians, with a 'modern' style of play walloped England 6-3 and then repeated the experience later with a 7-1 win in Budapest.

However you put our modern players up against players, say in the 1930's, on a mudheap, a heavy ball and boots and a very lenient Referee who wouldnt penalise a player for over robust play or an 'attack' on the GK (George Kirby style) and that may be a different story.