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He made his debut on the opening day of the 1967/68 against Coventry City. It wasn’t his first Turf Moor goal though, as a 19 year-old in January 1964 he had equalised for Rotherham in an FA Cup tie. It wasn’t to be his last goal either; Frank scored five in his first five league games and ended his first season at the top level with 14 league goals.
He had probably joined the Clarets at not the best of times as the side firstly became an average First Division side before things got even worse and we suffered relegation in 1971. Under the new manager Jimmy Adamson though Frank flourished alongside the club’s record signing Paul Fletcher (£60,000 from Bolton) and we were soon on our way back.
He was an ever present in our 1972/73 promotion season, scoring 12 goals and everything was set for him to star back on the First Division stage. The first season back got off to a cracking start and my mind goes back to the second and third away matches of that season. We won 3-2 at Spurs and 2-0 at Wolves and I wouldn’t like to say which of the two were the better performances. I think Frank probably gave us his finest two performances in a Claret & Blue shirt in those games, the Wolves game was 28 years ago tomorrow.
Maybe he shouldn’t have played so well against Spurs because the following week at the Turf they gunned him down in no uncertain manner in a series of horrendous challenges that have no place in the game. Frank was stretchered off and was out of the game five months before getting back in and helping us to an FA Cup semi-final.
A week before that semi disaster struck at Elland Road. With the Clarets leading 4-1 against the best team in England Frank suffered at the hands, or should I say studs, of Norman Hunter. Again we saw the stretcher and although he played in the semi-final the following week it was to be his last appearance for a long time. It had virtually ended his career at the age of 29.
Two seasons later he made an attempt at a comeback and his first game back was memorable to say the least. We beat QPR 1-0 at the Turf, Frank scored the goal. It was his 100th Football League goal. Sadly it was his last. He played in a 3-1 defeat at Norwich in January, Joe Brown’s first game in charge and the week after his retirement was announced and he became youth team coach.
During his time in the role we reached the FA Youth Cup semi-final with the likes of Vince Overson, Phil Cavener and Brian Laws in the side. In autumn 1979 though he stepped up to the number two job as Brian Miller replaced Harry Potts at the top.
After relegation that season to the Third Division we were promoted two years later with an exciting young team including Vince, Laws, Micky Phelan and Trevor Steven but we struggled all season. Great cup runs couldn’t hide the league problems and on the day we played Spurs at White Hart Lane in the League Cup 5th round Frank became manager as Brian Miller left the club.
He started with a great win that night and in remaining league games he came close to digging us out of the hole. In fact had we won our last game of the season at Palace we would have stayed up. To this day though I will question Frank’s tactics on the night.
The club decided on a change of policy, in came John Bond and out went Frank. He was out of the game for only a short time before becoming Martin Dobson’s number two at Bury but then in January 1989 he answered the call from Frank Teasdale to return as Brian Miller stepped down to become Chief Scout.
I think it is fair to say that in his second spell in charge things weren’t too successful although we did make the Fourth Division play-offs in 1990/91. Early the following season he was gone, to be replaced by his number two Jimmy Mullen. And we all know the rest.
In remembering Frank's last spell at Turf Moor I prefer to think of some of the players he brought in that went on to do a great job for the club. Players such as central defenders John Pender and Steve Davis (Mark II), midfielder John Deary and forwards such as Mike Conroy, Roger Eli and John Francis. Yes I include Francis, for all his weaknesses he had the habit of scoring the odd important goal (remember York and Plymouth?).
Frank is now involved, and has been for a lot of years, with the Club’s kit manufacturers Super League, along with the club’s former Marketing Manager Joyce Pickles.
Tomorrow he returns as Foundation guest and to make the half time draw. He is a Claret many of us will have very fond memories of.
Welcome back Frank.
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