A Son of the Rock

Frank Worthington was one of those maverick footballers whose antics can drive some managers mad. Sadly he died earlier this week.

He was one of the flamboyant extroverts whose presence on a football pitch always implies the possibility of something memorable occurring but does not endear them to bosses who prefer a measure of control, to minimise risk. As a result, despite being one of the most gifted ball players of his generation he gained only eight caps for England.

By all accounts he was as extravagant off the pitch as he was on it.

This is an example of his sublime football talent – an incredibly inventive goal scored for Bolton Wanderers against Ipswich Town. With his back to goal and seemingly going nowhere fruitful fast, with one touch of the ball he created a scoring opportunity – and took it. It’s so good the clip plays it twice.

Frank Stewart Worthington: 23/11/1948 – 22/3/2021. So it goes.