|
|
Post by stokienorthants on May 25, 2016 8:17:08 GMT
Have we all got the same Dad ^ My dad is 83 and he still says he's the best he's ever seen. Could well be Bruv! My dad said exactly he same and also mentioned a player named Frankie Soo? |
|
|
|
Post by elystokie on May 25, 2016 11:26:28 GMT
Have we all got the same Dad ^ My dad is 83 and he still says he's the best he's ever seen. Could well be Bruv! My dad said exactly he same and also mentioned a player named Frankie Soo? My Dad was also a big fan of NF and Frankie Soo, one of my biggest regrets is not talking more to him about the Stoke team of his yoof :( Talk to yer old man kids, when he's gone so is the knowledge. |
|
|
|
Post by GlennA on May 25, 2016 11:32:12 GMT
My Dad who died in 2003 also spoke of him as the best centre half he had seen. I think in retirement he kept the Dog and Doublet pub at Sandon just south of Stone but I may be wrong - anyone confirm? In my generation (1963 to date watching Stoke) the best player I have seen is Alan Hudson. Yes I think that was the pub. Certainly the right area. My dad took me in there once to meet Neil and get his autograph (and to get himself a sneaky pint, presumably.) Neil was very friendly as I remember. |
|
|
|
Post by Lakeland Potter on May 25, 2016 11:59:10 GMT
I doubt the club would name a stand after him. He left Stoke under a massive cloud after returning from disastrous time in Columbia. Stoke still retained his registration so FIFA became involved and banned players being poached by Columbian clubs. On his return he was suspended indefinitely by the club and then sold to Hull City. You may be right - but Peter Coates seems to harbour no ill will towards him. In many ways Franklin was not picking an argument with Stoke but with the English FA. Even though they were not the richest of clubs, Stoke probably paid Franklin what the rules allowed them to pay. It was the rules (specifically the maximum wage) which were wrong. I seem to remember that George Mountford, who went with Franklin to Bogota, was also suspended by the club on his return but his suspension was lifted and he played on for another 3 years in Stoke colours. I have a feeling that it was the FA who insisted that Franklin be sold as he (unlike George Mountford) was a huge player for England as well as for Stoke. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on May 25, 2016 16:58:18 GMT
He lived near to me for yrs in werrington, by the red cow. but i never met him  |
|
|
|
Post by Staying up for Grandadstokey on May 25, 2016 18:17:25 GMT
My Dad who died in 2003 also spoke of him as the best centre half he had seen. I think in retirement he kept the Dog and Doublet pub at Sandon just south of Stone but I may be wrong - anyone confirm? In my generation (1963 to date watching Stoke) the best player I have seen is Alan Hudson. Right on both counts, Neil did indeed keep the Dog & Doublet at Sandon,went in once and got chatting to him, he was a really nice chap.Alan Hudson best player I have seen in the red and white. |
|
|
|
Post by stokecitystar2011 on Aug 14, 2019 17:38:30 GMT
My Dad also talked of Franklin as the best player Stoke ever had!
He said he was ahead of his time.
My poor Dad died last month at 87, but reading this thread has reminded me of how when I was saying Overson and Cranson were good, how he laughed...
|
|
|
|
Post by baystokie on Aug 21, 2019 10:18:35 GMT
I doubt the club would name a stand after him. He left Stoke under a massive cloud after returning from disastrous time in Columbia. Stoke still retained his registration so FIFA became involved and banned players being poached by Columbian clubs. On his return he was suspended indefinitely by the club and then sold to Hull City. You may be right - but Peter Coates seems to harbour no ill will towards him. In many ways Franklin was not picking an argument with Stoke but with the English FA. Even though they were not the richest of clubs, Stoke probably paid Franklin what the rules allowed them to pay. It was the rules (specifically the maximum wage) which were wrong. I seem to remember that George Mountford, who went with Franklin to Bogota, was also suspended by the club on his return but his suspension was lifted and he played on for another 3 years in Stoke colours. I have a feeling that it was the FA who insisted that Franklin be sold as he (unlike George Mountford) was a huge player for England as well as for Stoke. My feeling is that McGrory was the one doing the insistence. He had been at loggerheads with NF for some time concerning NF's playing philosophy. There were also hints (eg from Dennis Herod) that McGrory was jealous of SM and NF and thought them 'big heads'. He likely thought that the FA suspension was an opportunity to get rid of NF as he had previously with SM. With all the protagonists no longer with us, it will always be conjecture. |
|
|
|
Post by alfieph on Aug 21, 2019 11:34:58 GMT
You may be right - but Peter Coates seems to harbour no ill will towards him. In many ways Franklin was not picking an argument with Stoke but with the English FA. Even though they were not the richest of clubs, Stoke probably paid Franklin what the rules allowed them to pay. It was the rules (specifically the maximum wage) which were wrong. I seem to remember that George Mountford, who went with Franklin to Bogota, was also suspended by the club on his return but his suspension was lifted and he played on for another 3 years in Stoke colours. I have a feeling that it was the FA who insisted that Franklin be sold as he (unlike George Mountford) was a huge player for England as well as for Stoke. My feeling is that McGrory was the one doing the insistence. He had been at loggerheads with NF for some time concerning NF's playing philosophy. There were also hints (eg from Dennis Herod) that McGrory was jealous of SM and NF and thought them 'big heads'. He likely thought that the FA suspension was an opportunity to get rid of NF as he had previously with SM. With all the protagonists no longer with us, it will always be conjecture. This was largely the case. Neil handed in multiple transfer requests between 1948 and 1950 due to his disagreements with McGrory and a general feeling of being unappreciated by Stoke (not the fans or his team mates, but his manager & the local press). Whilst Matthews' transfer requests had finally been granted with the club thinking he was close to the end of his playing days (how wrong they were), Neil was still in his 20's, and even the proposal of a world record £30,000 fee didn't tempt them into negotiations. Whilst the money Neil was offered to go to Colombia obviously seemed attractive, it was quite literally the only place he could have gone. The retain and transfer system meant you couldn't join any club without the permission of the club who held your registration, and Stoke would never let Franklin leave. It's quite complicated to try and explain but Colombia's FA (Adefutbol) and DIMAYOR (who headed up Colombia's new football league) cut ties in the late 1940's, which meant the Colombian league wasn't under any Adefutbol or FIFA regulations, so they just went about poaching all the best players from across South America and beyond. The likes of Alfredo Di Stefano and Hector Rial also played in Colombia during Franklin's time there. When Neil returned, McGrory and Stoke gave glowing references about him and did their upmost to reduce his suspension, in the knowledge that they still had a valuable asset on their hands and the longer he was out for the less he was worth. It worked in the sense that after his four month suspension ended, Neil joined Hull City for £22,500, becoming the most expensive defender in world football. It didn't work in the sense that Stoke were relegated just a few years later. |
|
|
|
Post by RAF on Nov 9, 2019 9:52:46 GMT
Has it been reported that he is turning in his grave?
H
|
|
