Francis Lee, the former Manchester City and England striker, has passed away at the age of 79. Lee played for City for eight years, scoring 148 goals in 330 appearances and helping the club to win multiple honours including the old First Division title in 1968. Lee started his career at Bolton Wanderers before joining Derby County from City and helping the Rams win their second league title in 1975. Lee also earned 27 caps for England, scoring 10 goals.
A club statement from Manchester City called Lee “a club legend in every sense” and “one of City’s all-time greats.” Lee passed away on Monday morning after a long fight against cancer. During his time at City, Lee won an FA Cup, a League Cup, the European Cup Winners’ Cup, and the Charity Shield twice. He returned to the club in 1994 as chairman, spending four years in that role.
The City statement continued: “Francis’ wife Gill and children Charlotte, Jonny and Nik say he will be sorely missed and would like to thank everyone for their kind words.” Flags around the Etihad Stadium and City Football Academy are flying at half-mast as a mark of respect. The statement also said that more tributes from the club will follow in the coming days.
Following his time at City, Lee joined Derby in 1974 where he scored 30 goals over two seasons before announcing his retirement. During his spell at the Rams, Lee clashed on the pitch with Leeds defender Norman Hunter, with the pair being sent off and escorted from the field for trading punches. Lee started a number of business ventures before returning to City as chairman in 1994. However, his spell was largely unsuccessful, with Lee resigning in 1998 with the club facing relegation to the third tier. In 2016, Lee received a CBE from the Duke of Cambridge for his services to sport and charity
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