Slipping out the hotel through a side door with a few other England players they visited a casino. Oh s---, he exclaimed. The kind the fans might have selected., Worthington loved football for its own sake a passion which kept him going through an extraordinary 22 seasons in the Football League. 'If I had known what I know now, I would have certainly limited the amount of heading I did. 'I have always known what I was about and where I was going.'. He went on to play for Leicester and Bolton. And we do not even know what has happened in the amateur game.'. The question always lingered, though, how much of a star Frank would have been if hed reserved those skills for the football pitch. The illegitimate son of a Danish farmer and his Swedish housekeeper, Carl Theodor Dreyer was born in Copenhagen on the 3th of February, 1889. Tom Grant was involved in a gaffe during Wigan's win over Castleford Tigers. Carol Worthington, speaking at their Huddersfield home, said: "Frank had been declared bankrupt after returning from playing in America when he was landed with a big, unpaid tax bill. Newcastle United striker Malcolm Macdonald ended up losing 1,200 to Frank. The Super League fixture had been a doubt due to safety concerns relating to the pitch. [28], He was known for his charisma, flamboyance and his hair, clothes and fast cars. He said at the time: 'I have never been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or any other neurological disorder or illness. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Frank was running between the lines before anyone drew them. It was madness Frank didnt play more for his country. Despite failing that Liverpool medical Frank played until he was aged 43, running out for over 20 clubs here and in the US, before finally hanging up his boots in 1992. Rest in peace, Elvis. Stan Collymore, A true showman and great footballer but even better bloke.John Fashanu, Absolute luxury. Former England striker Frank Worthington has died aged 72 following a long illness. Elvis fan Frank said: I dont see any harm in trying things out, but drug taking is certainly not something I would recommend to anyone.. Paul Mariner, who was playing for Arsenal at the time, idolised Frank as a Bolton fan and had come to watch him. Sign Up. When Frank, Willie Morgan, Mike Walsh and I went to an Elvis convention in Blackpool, Frank was even more popular than the Elvis impersonator on stage, jumping up to sing Suspicious Minds. But Frank described as the working mans George Best by the late Bolton manager, Ian Greaves - reckoned he was even more of a womaniser than the Belfast ladies man. View our online Press Pack. The West Yorkshireman, from the village of Shelf near Bradford, was the son of two football players, with his dad Eric turning out for Halifax Town and mum Alice for the Womens Auxiliary Air Force. After his death his wife Carol said in a statement: Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life. . He toldSportsmail's Ian Ladyman: 'It was against Ipswich and it came to me from a throw-in and I controlled it on my head. The England star,who refused to wear shinpads during matches, was compared to George Best in terms of his footballing talent and love of women and nightclubs. He was a beloved player, flamboyant both on and off the pitch and left an indelible mark on those who witnessed his. 10:12 EST 23 Mar 2021. . A record breaking deal to sign for Liverpool in 1972 fell through because two weeks of sex and partying left him with high blood pressure. They included Miss World Mary Stavin, Miss Barbados Lindy Field, Profumo Affair model Mandy Rice-Davies, his first wife Birgitta who won Miss Sweden and his second spouse Carol Dwyer, who had been a Page 3 Girl. After the divorce came through in 1977, his expensive lifestyle which Steens excellent book The Mavericks described as shopping sprees on the Kings Road and a rapid turnover of sports cars had to be toned down a little. I never have regrets. He really was that good. See Photos. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Best wants everyone to love him. Huddersfield, Leicester and Bolton clubs also honoured their former star, who led an extraordinary 828-game career racking up 260 goals. He only stopped wearing the medallions when his wife Carol told him 'it was beginning to look a bit naff', he earlier said. And that was just in a night club. Author of feel-good comedies and crime fiction including #1 bestseller An Eye For An Eye Rep'd Jane Rotrosen Agency NY https://amzn.to/2LjRb1r. Carol was her husband's full-time carer as he battled dementia and prostate cancer "It is with great sadness that Bolton Wanderers has today learned of the passing of club legendFrankWorthington. They included Miss World Mary Stavin, Miss Barbados Lindy Field, Profumo Affair model Mandy Rice-Davies, his first wife Birgitta who won Miss Sweden and his second spouse Carol Dwyer, who had been a Page 3 Girl. 'This meeting should have happened 20 years ago,' said Sutton. Tough guy boss Revie wasnt so forgiving when Frank ignored his clear instructions not to go out. Why should I? Eight: it is an absolute insult. He once recalled: On one trip to Spain, I was driving a car with three other players and ended up crashing it and almost going over the end of a cliff. I scored loads for Leicester. . He said: Next morning, after the girl had got up early for work, her muzzer woke me up with a cup of tea. George Best had a reputation with the ladies, he wrote in his autobiography, but I had more than my fair share.. She was young and attractive, so what was a man supposed to do?. Fat lot of good it did him. In another,he recalls joining theMile High Club with a French woman he had known for 20 minutes on a flight to Los Angeles while playing forLeicester City. During a lengthy playing career, the striker represented more than 20 clubs but the latter years of his life saw wife Carol became his full-time carer with benefits their only source of income. LEGENDS of the game, footie experts and celebrity fans paid tribute to Frank on social media. Carol married #FrankWorthington." He did his best to hide it, but you could see there was a confusion in his eyes, the effect of dementia. "A beautiful footballer, a maverick and a wonderful character who was so kind to this young apprentice when he joined the club. Huddersfield Town Association Football Club's Twitter account wrote: 'Everyone at Huddersfield Town Football Club is devastated to hear of the passing of Town legend Frank Worthington. 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The question always lingered, though, how much of a star Frank would have been if he'd reserved those skills for the football pitch. 'They have not been interested,'he added. According to research on dementia, ex-footballers are 3.5 times more likely to die from the illness than the general population. 00:30 GMT 24 Mar 2021. Comments. A naturally gifted attacker, Frank was born to play the beautiful game. One of English football's great mavericks, Worthington died peacefully in hospital on March 22 at the age of 72 following a long illness and the funeral of the former Huddersfield Town and Leicester forward will take place in Halifax on Friday. We belonged to an exclusive little club, Frank and I - and I dont mean Stringfellows. He made only eight international appearances, even though the Manchester City legend Mike Summerbee once called him the only player you could have taken from the league to Italy without him looking out of place. When he got on the training pitch though you just knew. , updated Having put pen to paper, Frank failed two medicals. 'Frankie Wortho' was a cult figure whose career began in 1966 . The football legend spoke extensively about his sexual exploits in his autobiography One Hump or Two? When Frank Worthington arrived at Heathrow Airport in June 1972, ready for an England Under-23 tour of Eastern Europe, he wore high-heeled cowboy boots, a red silk shirt, black slacks and a lime velvet jacket. All of our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time," Birmingham posted on Twitter. Here, Peter Reid offers his memories of a dear friend. Frank thought it was because his unconventional approach upset the national sides bosses. Today his former clubs paid their respects to one of football's . to Carol Dwyer [registered in Halifax, December 1986]. The football legend spoke extensively about his sexual exploits in his autobiography One Hump or Two? Tributes have poured in for footballing icon Frank Worthington, who has died aged 72 after a long battle with dementia. Premier League winner Chris Sutton has told MPs that the authorities have stood by while players have died as a result of dementia they developed through playing professional football. Extravagant spending, including buying a Ford Mustang and drinking champagne at breakfast, left him bankrupt when he couldnt pay the taxman. The only silverware he picked up during that long career was the old Division Two title with Huddersfield Town. In his autobiography One Hump or Two?, which certainly wasnt a reference to camels, he wrote extensively about his sexual exploits. 'Then I tried to explain that Dad died 40-odd years ago and Mum 25 years ago. Daughter of Noel Dwyer, international goalkeeper. ', Football commentatorGary Taphouse added: 'RIP Frank Worthington. 12 Worthington was diagnosed with dementia in 2016, and is one of hundreds of former top players to suffer with the illness as evidence grows that there is a link between heading the ball and brain injuries. I'd followed Frank, especially after his move from Huddersfield to Liverpool fell through in 1972, and I'd seen him play with such style and flair for Leicester. Carol Dwyer is the wife of former popular footballer Frank Worthington, who recently died at the age of 72. He was my boyhood hero when he was at LCFC. [5] His nephew Gary was also a professional footballer. Find your friends on Facebook. After his death his wife Carol said in a statement: Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life. I loved football and the ladies and I was not prepared to give up either. You could talk to him about the game for hours. I remember I was with him in one get together Revie organised. 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His best chances came in 1974, when Joe Mercer spent a month as caretaker manager in the wake of Ramseys departure. Gary Lineker hailed the ex-England striker his 'boyhood hero' and described him as 'a beautiful footballer, a maverick and a wonderful character.'. [31] Worthington denied her claims shortly afterwards. View the profiles of professionals named "Carol Dwyer" on LinkedIn. Facebook gives people the power to. And the player-turned-pundit has spearheaded Sportsmail's campaign for research funding, temporary concussion substitutes and limited heading in training to protect players. Unashamedly anti-establishment, Worthington hit the headlines as much for his off-field exploits as his rarefied talents on it. 'I pointed to the Main Stand and said: 'You could have got a better view of that from over there.' In the Seventies, football became part of the pop industry, Worthington once said. "Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private. The front cover featured a smiling Worthington, contemplating putting lumps of sugar in his cup of tea; the book title is a deliberate sexual pun. The two bodies have announced they will jointly fund research to follow the 2019 FIELD project, which found ex-footballers to be three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative diseases than the general population. When we walked back the next day, there was the car balancing on the edge of a big drop.. 1,504 posts. Carol Worthington, Frank Worthington's wife In a long career that began in 1966 he played in 22 consecutive Football League seasons. This relationship endured, as will Worthingtons memory as one of the most gifted and charismatic players of his day. Why should I? Frank Worthington's widow has revealed she is being forced to sell the family home due to an uncertain financial future which she describes as 'terribly bleak'. Gradually, though, he started to calm down and after he married second wife Carol in 1986 he was content to be in bed by 10pm. His daughter claimed in 2016 that he was suffering from Alzheimers due to heading the ball during his playing days. 'Gordon Taylor has blood on his hands. Slipping out the hotel through a side door with a few other England players they visited a casino. In that same interview,Worthington told how US actressRaquel Welch tried to kiss him after a game atChelsea. Well, anyone turning up got quite a sight. [14], Worthington's spell at Tranmere Rovers was as player-manager and although he had some success he did not return to management. Frank Worthington died on Monday at the age of 72 after battling dementia. He was my boyhood hero when he was at LCFC. and His daughter Dawn, 53, has since led the campaign to battle the dementia in football. Boss at Self-Employed. Frank Worthington with model Carol Dwyer. It's an insult that my fellow seventies maverick won just eight England caps. In fact, Carol was also popular since she was a child because of her father, who was also a soccer player. His brother Bob told The Athleticin 2019thatWorthington's deterioration was so severe he would forget who he was. His first wife, Brigitta, was a former Miss Sweden who came over after to Britain after she became pregnant during what he called a holiday romance. Worthington was born into a footballing family in Shelf, near Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. 'It is with great sadness that we heard the news of the death of Leicester City legend Frank Worthington, who passed away on 22 March, 2021,' the Foxes tweeted. It was, he admitted, a mistake. There are things we can do and we can put in place.'. 'The era of the 1966 players has made us really aware of this.'. For other inquiries Contact Us. He was trying to create a good impression. Even the referee clapped. A flamboyant maverick, who sported flowing long hair, a manicured moustache, medallion and John Travolta flares, Franks passion for the high life cost him his chance to reach the very top. I'll have my triannual test this summer and ask if there's anything they can establish around the brain, because I don't see how, given the circumstances any footballer wouldn't be worried about it.'. [30], In May 2016, his daughter said that Worthington had Alzheimer's disease for several years. They have ignored, shunned, turned their backs on a massive issue. When Frank's illness got particularly bad over the last five years, I became his full-time carer but now he has gone that income has stopped.