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Post by Eggybread on Dec 30, 2012 2:54:20 GMT
His he the best centre half we have ever had? When peacetime football resumed he was generally regarded as the country's best centre-half, and went on to make 142 League and 20 FA Cup appearances for Stoke, as well as winning 27 full England caps. By 1950, however, he was ready to leave Stoke - he was unhappy with the £20 a week maximum wage limit imposed by the FA, and felt the local air was not conducive to healthy living, as the local pottery kilns continually belched out their smoke and fumes. He wanted to move his family away to a cleaner climate, but what no-one envisaged was that would mean not just another club, but another continent. In the summer of 1950 Franklin broke his contract with Stoke City and left the country for Colombia, to play for Independiente Santa Fe of Bogotá. He was on a £5,000 per year contract, with £35 win bonuses - a small fortune in the 1950s. However, Colombia was outside FIFA jurisdiction and their FA was considered a rebel authority. The situation was further aggravated when Franklin, who had just won his 27th consecutive England cap, declined to join the squad for the 1950 World Cup finals in neighbouring Brazil. Political and social unrest in Colombia made it hard for Franklin and his family to settle, and they returned to England after just two months.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Dec 30, 2012 7:22:45 GMT
I don't think there has ever been any dispute that Franklin was the best centre half Stoke ever had, has there? I've never heard of another centre half/centre back at Stoke who has been considered better than Franklin. Not only was he the best Stoke centre half ever - he is still regarded as one of England's best centre halves ever.
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biddulphrumours
Academy Starlet
"Feel at home the mini bar is on the house". If Carlsberg did hotel rooms!!
Posts: 177
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Post by biddulphrumours on Dec 30, 2012 7:41:35 GMT
When a best ever England team was picked a few years ago Stoke had 3 players in it . Banks, Matthews & Franklin. We were the only team with 3 representatives
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Post by tijuanabrass on Dec 30, 2012 8:34:45 GMT
He was certainly one of the grumpiest land lords that the Dog and Doublet at Sandon have ever had but then again I was a 16yr old shite-hawk with a bunch of spotty mAtes trying to score an illicit pint of Bass.
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Post by harrysburrow on Dec 30, 2012 9:23:46 GMT
Unfortunately, he was even before my time. Would have loved to have watched him play.
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Post by torquaypotter on Dec 30, 2012 9:46:14 GMT
I use to knock around with his son garry when neil had the bluebell pub on the main road[Is it still there ?] even went up to play kick about at trentham one day with garry and his dad .I even saved a pen he took that day !!!!!!!!!!!! .Not sure what garry is doing now last time we met it was in a sunday cup game he played for PARKWAY FC and we made head lines in the local paper being the only team to beat then in over two years our team were called SWAN RANGERS we met at the swan inn at leek ,That brings back lots of happy thoughts
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Post by venomous on Dec 30, 2012 10:45:30 GMT
When Franklin and George Mountford returned from Bogota they were banned for 2 years I think. Neil trained at the Michelin at this time with the apprentices (of which i was one ) He was friendly and coached us freely. on the pitch he was calm and always had time to distribute the ball accurately. A great class act .
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Post by lordb on Dec 30, 2012 11:01:03 GMT
Going by people who saw both play Franklin was better than Bobby Moore (Moore was a great captain of course)
Franklin was before his time & the Colombia episode wrecked his career
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