by Jonathan Smith
The sad passing of Francis Lee and Sir Bobby Charlton this month has brought back so memories for so many fans of a golden period of Manchester football.
Two legends that represented their side of Manchester with style, passion and a determination to bring success to their Clubs when City and United were two great sides competing for trophies.
Big rivals on Derby day, but also World Cup team-mates for England and friends away from all the noise.
The pair were different personalities both on and off the pitch. Franny the fiery and full-blooded fighter who enjoyed champagne, business and racehorses; Bobby the quiet man and graceful entertainer.
But when Lee was honoured with the famous red book on This Is Your Life in 1994, among the scores of friends and former Maine Road team-mates to attend the TV recording was Charlton.
Both would keep their Clubs close to their hearts long after they had retired on the pitch with Francis returning to Maine Road as City chairman during a difficult time and negotiating our move to the Etihad Stadium, while Sir Bobby served as a director and ambassador at Old Trafford.
But it is for what they did on the pitch where they will forever be frozen in time for many fans who were thrilled by their footballing heroes of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
And with time taken before the Manchester Derby on Sunday to celebrate their lives and huge contributions, it’s an opportunity to look back on some unforgettable games of the era.
“Every derby in those days was exciting because both sides attacked.”
MIKE SUMMERBEE
Lee joined City in the 1967/68 season from Bolton Wanderers and was set to help kickstart a magical cycle of success.
With Colin Bell and Mike Summerbee, he was to form a ‘Holy Trinity’ that helped us to the First Division title the following year, the FA Cup in 1969 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup the year after.
They were, of course, surrounded by talented team-mates assembled by Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison to form one of the greatest sides in our history.
And they were up against a formidable challenge from United who had been crowned First Division champions in 1967 and European Cup winners the following year.
Charlton had joined United as a schoolboy in 1953 and turned professional the following year as part of the ‘Busby Babes’.
But tragedy struck in February 1958 when 23 people, including eight of his team-mates and former City keeper Frank Swift, perished in the Munich air disaster.
Charlton was among those injured but was able to play again and went on to make 758 appearances for United.
He too was part of a famous trio with George Best and former City player Denis Law who was to return to Maine Road after Charlton’s retirement and create one of the most famous derby incidents in the history of the rivalry, wearing a sky blue shirt.
His backheel goal in 1974 was his last touch as a professional footballer and ensured United were beaten in a game they had to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation.
That would be the final act of a period of memorable matches between the two Clubs with Lee and Charlton so often at the centre of the action.
The City striker scored more goals against United than any other team and is only one behind Wayne Rooney for most derby goals with 10, while Charlton has one fewer.
Franny’s first Manchester derby appearance was on 27 March 1968 at Old Trafford and it could hardly have been a bigger occasion for an introduction to the rivalry.
Postponed in February, United went into the game two points clear at the top of the table and a victory would give them a significant advantage going into the final weeks of the campaign.
More than 62,000 were inside the stadium for the Wednesday night clash to watch the two best teams in the country and the home side could hardly have made a better start with Best scoring inside 60 seconds.
But City’s young side were fearless and the energetic Bell levelled before the unlikely source of George Heslop headed City in front.
Lee was to grab his first derby goal to wrap up the victory, smashing home a penalty after Bell was brought down by Francis Burns.
"We always looked forward to going to Old Trafford,” Summerbee said. “It was a good, open game.
“George Best scored early on and then we took Manchester United apart – we played really well and they realised what a good side we were.
“Every derby in those days was exciting because both sides attacked.”
It was to prove a pivotal match as City went onto secure the title on the final day of the season with a 4-3 win at Newcastle to pip United by two points.
Speaking on the final day of the season, United boss Sir Matt Busby offered his sincere congratulations to Mercer on winning the title while the City manager offered his best wishes ahead of their European Cup final with Benfica later in the month, which they would win at Wembley.
Relationships were often less acrimonious. Summerbee and Best were good friends, opening a boutique in Manchester together while the United star was best man at Mike’s wedding. Best even brought six of his United team-mates to the stag do.
A charity cricket match was played in the summer of 1968 which City won comfortably with keen amateur player Lee top scoring.
However, it didn’t stop a few interesting comments regularly making their way into the newspapers in the build-up to each derby day.
City defender Mike Doyle would love to fan the flames during the countdown to games and once proclaimed that there were only two teams in Manchester – Manchester City and Manchester City Reserves.
“Derby games were always knife-edge affairs. You wanted the result so badly for your fans as well as yourselves,” skipper Tony Book said.
“It was always something special to play United back then. They still had Law, Best and Charlton. We had Bell, Lee and Summerbee but the beauty of our side was that we also had a lot of local lads.
“When you look at the team, there were five or six lads who had come through the system like Glyn Pardoe, Allan Oakes, Mike Doyle, Neil Young, Joe Corrigan and Tommy Booth and we all knew just how much it meant.”
The two sides met next in August 1968 in the first Manchester derby shown on Match Of The Day but it was to prove a poor choice with the game ending in a 0-0 stalemate at Maine Road.
In March 1969, City won at Old Trafford 1-0 thanks to a goal from Summerbee but both sides finished in the bottom half of the table, although City went on to lift the FA Cup.
The following season would see both teams meet an incredible five times as we were drawn together in both cup competitions.
Busby had stepped down as United manager to be replaced by Wilf McGuinness but they still had Best, Law and Charlton as the fulcrum of the team with the exciting young talents of Brian Kidd and Willie Morgan.
“The chatter always cropped up about two weeks before we were due to play them, people would mention it wherever you were,” Bell said of derbies.
“It was so important. United had done so well in Europe, they were known throughout the world as a good team and a good club.
“I don't know what it was but just the challenge of playing United and knowing they were a good side with such quality players brought out the best in us all.
“They were a good side with three or four superstars that shone for them, I mean one of the best players of all time is Bobby Charlton. So, to beat them was huge.”
United were outclassed in the first meeting at a packed out Maine Road as Neil Young, two from Bell and a David Sadler own goal secured an emphatic 4-0 victory.
It also gave the Blues a significant edge with a two-legged League Cup semi-final just weeks away.
Both Lee and Charlton were on target in a tense 2-1 for the Blues at Maine Road. Bell had put City ahead but the visitors levelled before Franny was brought down by Ian Ure in the 88th minute and smashed home the penalty himself.
“Their big central defender Ian Ure brought me down two minutes from the end,” Lee said of that game. “They all got on to Jack Taylor the referee, but he said it was a penalty. And I was very happy to score it too!”
“I just put the ball down and said to the guys: ‘Just follow it in.’ I was always going to smash it at Alex and see what happened. Fortunately, Mike could smell what was happening!”
FRANCIS LEE
City took a slender lead to Old Trafford two weeks later for what was to be another dramatic and enthralling derby.
Teenager Ian Bowyer fired the visitors in front before Paul Edwards and Law struck for United. However, City sealed a place at Wembley with an 82nd minute winner from Summerbee after Alex Stepney spilled Lee’s free-kick.
“We got a free-kick for a bad foul by Willie Morgan on Neil Young and I knew there wasn’t that much time left,” Lee said of that game.
“The ref signalled an indirect free-kick but there was still a wall there.
“In those days, sometimes the plan was I would smack the ball past the wall and let the goalkeeper see what he could do.
“And should there be any rebound or ricochet, if anyone was following up, they could score.
“I just put the ball down and said to the guys: ‘Just follow it in.’ I was always going to smash it at Alex and see what happened. Fortunately, Mike could smell what was happening!”
United got their revenge a couple of weeks later in the FA Cup in January 1970 when a Morgan penalty and Kidd double secured a 3-0 victory at Maine Road.
The final meeting of the season saw Doyle and Lee score in a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford before the City striker, Bell, Charlton, Stepney and Nobby Stiles all headed to Mexico for the World Cup.
Back in wintry Manchester the following December, Franny was to have another memorable match at Old Trafford scoring a hat-trick in a 4-1 victory.
The game was marred by a terrible injury to Glyn Pardoe which would rule him out for nearly two years.
Lee’s hat-trick was the first derby treble by a City player in 49 years and it would be another 52 years before Erling Haaland got the next – although it would take only nine minutes for Phil Foden to claim another.
Both are City fans and have been raised on the blood and thunder of derby day with the period of the late 60s and early 70s synonymous with the thriving rivalry.
Franny would go onto play in 15 derbies in total, including Bobby’s last in April 1973 which would end in a goalless draw.
He retired two matches later but his legacy, like Franny’s will live on forever.
However, both were to be reunited on the pitch at Maine Road in September 1979 as part of a Manchester team that played a Merseryside team in Colin Bell’s testimonial match.
Charlton wore the sky blue shirt for a half-time penalty shootout along with Lee, plus Summerbee and United’s Pat Crerand, David Sadler and Alex Stepney.
The United midfielder was a hero to many, including Bell who had followed his path from the north east to Manchester.
It was an emotional night for our famous number eight, who walked out to a guard of honour from City and United players.
Sadly Colin passed away in January 2021 as have many of those two great sides.
Ahead of the 191st derby, we will remember Franny and Sir Bobby for all the magic memories they gave to Manchester.
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