Neil Franklin
Encyclopedia
Cornelius 'Neil' Franklin (24 January 1922 – 9 February 1996) was an English
footballer.
.
Franklin turned professional in January 1939, and his career was just about to take off only to be put on hold by the suspension of League football because of the Second World War.
During the war he made 186 appearances for Stoke City
in friendly and regional fixtures as well as representing England in wartime internationals.
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.
for £22,500, at the time a world record fee for a defender.
After leaving Hull, he had brief spells with Crewe Alexandra
, Stockport County
and Macclesfield Town
and also tried management at Colchester United
.
He also was the landlord of the Thwaites Arms on Thwaites Road in Oswaldtwistle; during this period he served on the FA pool's panel with Stan Mortensen late of Blackpool FC. He later ran a pub called the Dog and Doublet in Sandon
, Staffordshire
and died in 1996 aged 74.
award, had no hesitation in selecting Neil Franklin:
Stanley Matthews
also rated Franklin:
Tom Finney
also selected Neil Franklin for his Dream Team:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer.
Early career
Franklin had made a impression at schoolboy level, playing at both inside and centre forward. In his quest to gain selection for the England Schoolboys side he was overlooked in favour of Len ShackletonLen Shackleton
Leonard Francis Shackleton, was an English footballer of the post-World War II period. Known as the Clown Prince of Football, he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers....
.
Franklin turned professional in January 1939, and his career was just about to take off only to be put on hold by the suspension of League football because of the Second World War.
During the war he made 186 appearances for Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
in friendly and regional fixtures as well as representing England in wartime internationals.
Move abroad
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
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, to play for Independiente Santa Fe
Independiente Santa Fe
Independiente Santafe is a professional Colombian First Division football club based in Bogotá. It has won six First Division titles and two Copa Colombia titles....
of Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
. He was on a £5,000 per year contract, with £35 win bonuses - a small fortune in the 1950s. However, Colombia was outside FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
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
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. 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.
Return home
A suspension from league football followed and he never played for Stoke or England again. In February 1951, he moved to Second Division club Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
for £22,500, at the time a world record fee for a defender.
After leaving Hull, he had brief spells with Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
and Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
and also tried management at Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
.
He also was the landlord of the Thwaites Arms on Thwaites Road in Oswaldtwistle; during this period he served on the FA pool's panel with Stan Mortensen late of Blackpool FC. He later ran a pub called the Dog and Doublet in Sandon
Sandon, Staffordshire
Sandon is a village and parish in Staffordshire, approximately six miles NNE of Stafford. It is situated on the A51 road. According to MySpace it has a population of 261 people....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and died in 1996 aged 74.
Legacy
Billy Wright, when selecting his Dream Team for the 50th Anniversary of the Footballer Of The YearFootball Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
award, had no hesitation in selecting Neil Franklin:
- Neil was a superb stylist with an instinctive positional sense. His international career ended when he was suspended for becoming a mercenary in the outlawed Bogotá league. If Neil had been satisfied with the maximum £20 he was earning at Stoke City, he would have played for England for at least another four years, and I often wonder what difference that would have made to my career.
Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...
also rated Franklin:
- Neil won everything in the air, tackled with superb timing and when the ball was at his feet possessed the nous to pass it with all the guile and intelligence of the most cerebral of inside-forwards. An erect physique belied tremendous mobility and breathtaking speed over four or five yards.
Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....
also selected Neil Franklin for his Dream Team:
- (Neil Franklin was) the best centre-half I ever played with or against. Just before the 1950 World Cup, he went off to play in ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, thinking he was going to make a bit of money, but it didn't work out. When he came back, the FA were furious and clubs wouldn't touch him. He was still good enough to play for England, though. It was very sad.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
1945–46 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 1946–47 | 37 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 42 | 0 | |
| 1947–48 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |
| 1948–49 | 36 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 1949–50 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| Total | 142 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 162 | 0 | |
| Independiente Santa Fe | 1950–51 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Total | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||
| Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
1951–52 | | | |||||
| 1952–53 | | | ||||||
| 1953–54 | | | ||||||
| 1954–55 | | | ||||||
| 1955–56 | | | ||||||
| Total | 95 | 0 | 95 | 0 | |||
| Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club... |
1955–56 | | | |||||
| 1956–57 | | | ||||||
| Total | 66 | 4 | 66 | 4 | |||
| Stockport County Stockport County F.C. Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport... |
1957–58 | | | |||||
| Total | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |||
| Career Total | 329 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 349 | 5 | |
External links
- Neil Franklin, Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Database
- Neil Franklin profile on Stoke City hall of fame
- profile at spartacus school