[Amelia Chaffinch]

If you consider objectifying women character. It didn't get him anywhere. If the rumours are true, he was penniless and he only had a home thanks to the charity of his brother.

---

Look I'm sorry he's dead but he's only worthy of admiration as a footballer, not as a man in my opinion.

[hibeejim21]

"It didn't get him anywhere"


I think it probably got him everywhere

[ritchiebaby]

He was a relic of a byegone age and, as Amelia says, not a lifestyle to be celebrated anymore. Still, that doesn't detract from his unquestionable footballing talent, a showman on and off the pitch.

Different era Ritchie, but for those of us who grew up then its hard not to feel a little nostalgia for when the players had a bit of character and weren't so bland and commercialised.

I belong to that era, jim, and I agree with your comments about nostalgia and character. But we've moved on a bit since then in many aspects of our social life and what might have been acceptable then, will not be acceptable now. I remember Willie Hamilton and George Best when they played for Hibs and I'm sure alcohol played a positive part in their styles of play. But they played for enjoyment and not just for their bank balance like many do now.

[Devongone]

The trouble with applying the standards of today to another era entirely is that we can find reasons to hate everybody. Caravaggio was a murderer, should we destroy his paintings? JFK was into anybody's pants he could get into, and was a rich dick who started the persecution of the Cuban people that continues today - let's forget any good impulses he had, or maybe not.

Frank obviously followed where his cock led, his lifestyle differed little from rock stars in the late sixties through the seventies. His attitudes came from those times too, by the sound of it. I doubt I'd have loved George Best. Alex Higgins threatened to have people killed and meant it. But like them, Frank Worthington was meant to play the game he loved. Come Saturday afternoon he became himself and thousands loved to watch him.

Had he been born 50 years on, he might even have been a young man now with very different attitudes, but I can certainly guarantee that a lot of us would be hoping that an England manager might find the courage to play him and Jack Grealish in the same team.

With or without syphilis he was better than anything old Shanks had got then, his was an outrageous talent, at which he worked hard, that would have flourished in any era.

[Lord Snooty]

This is getting like an episode of Evil Genius.

[hibeejim21]

He was a relic of a byegone age and, as Amelia says, not a lifestyle to be celebrated anymore. Still, that doesn't detract from his unquestionable footballing talent, a showman on and off the pitch.

Different era Ritchie, but for those of us who grew up then its hard not to feel a little nostalgia for when the players had a bit of character and weren't so bland and commercialised.

I belong to that era, jim, and I agree with your comments about nostalgia and character. But we've moved on a bit since then in many aspects of our social life and what might have been acceptable then, will not be acceptable now. I remember Willie Hamilton and George Best when they played for Hibs and I'm sure alcohol played a positive part in their styles of play. But they played for enjoyment and not just for their bank balance like many do now.

Best was very much playing for his bank balance at Hibs Ritchie, he was completely done by the time he got to us and was ripping the pish big time.
When I saw Worthington he must have been in his mid 30s but he was still easily the best player on the park. Even on a miserable night in the west of Scotland, in a friendly, he put on a show. He strikes me as someone who loved playing more than Best.

[Devongone]

Having seen him, I think Best was too good at the game to fully appreciate it himself.

Had he had the attitude of a Tom Finney who would call in and help someone out with a bit of plumbing on the way to the game, no one would even ask the question who was the best player who ever lived. Best really was that good.

In the end the game he'd loved seemed to become a source of bitterness for him. He knew he was no longer the real George Best and when he hit a low, he blamed everything .......... whereas if you'd kicked a ball to Frank when he was in his sixties he'd have loved kicking it back.

Best was a deep and troubled man. Frank was much shallower, the act of playing the game seemed always to be a joy for him.

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Just to make it clear, I don't mind the anecdotes but I do object to the nudge, nudge, wink, wink stuff. Carry it on, and I'll have you down as knuckle dragging neanderthals and, from that, there is no way back.   

[theo_luddite]

George Best was one of many players at Big Frank's testimonial, one helluva wet Monday night in Huddersfield that would have had a league match called off about a month before it was due to be played, but the players involved just got on with it.

The Leeds Road pitch was still a mud-heap back then and Best was getting close to being boo'd off for trying too much fancy stuff on a surface that was less than conducive to it. The blood content in his alcohol system might have been playing a part in that too. Anyway, he eventually cut out much of the fancy arsed stuff and everyone and anyone couldn't fail to enjoy the night's football.

One lad scored most of goals that night (was it one of ours at the time or a Donny/Barnsalee player) and I wonder if he scored as many for the rest of the season? Snoots has a better memory than me, he's no doubt got that one in his locker somewhere.

Big Frank went on to have another testimonial at Brum.

---

https://huddersfieldtowncollection.wordp...-booklets/

Town vs Denis Law’s International XI

Monday, 30th September 1991

​​This 32-page A4 ‘magazine’ was produced for Frank Worthington’s benefit year, 1991/92. The striker, who began his career at Town, had finished up at Stockport in 1987-88 having played for eleven different clubs. He then went on to manage and play for a number of non-league clubs too.
​This publication features lots of photographs of Frank as a player and his lifestyle as well as some cracking quotes from people who had worked with him in one way or another.
​As Town’s contribution to his benefit year, there was a game played at Leeds Road between Town and Denis Law’s International XI. The visitors played in the famous red and black electric hoops and lined-up with Peter Shilton, Joey Jones, Colin Hendry, Keith Curle, David White, Peter Reid, John Hendrie, Kenny Dalglish, Niall Quinn, Simon Stainrod, Peter Barnes, and subs Joe Corrigan, Phil Thompson, Tony Currie and Graeme Souness. The game finished 4-4 with Big Frank scoring Town’s fourth from the penalty spot. 6,308 fans paid £30,000 into Frank’s fund.

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Frank's testimonial was the first time I went to Leeds Road.