Famed for his audacious skills on the pitch and his veracious partying off it, Worthington passed away peacefully in hospital in West Yorkshire yesterday, his family said. He also played in the United States (with NASL teams Philadelphia Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies ), South Africa and Sweden as well as in English non-League football. 12 . His brother Bob told The Athleticin 2019thatWorthington's deterioration was so severe he would forget who he was. He once had four court appearances for driving in one year including one for doing a u-turn on the motorway in his red Ford Mustang. People named Carol Dwyer. . I never have regrets. On the football pitch, my word what a presence he was. Every moment I've thought of Frank Worthington today has made me smile. RIP Frank (Elvis). Frank Worthington was a former English footballer and striker. Oh s---, he exclaimed. Meanwhile, Gary Lineker lead the tributes the footballing great online, taking to Twitter to dubWorthington his 'boyhood hero'. He was my boyhood hero when he was at LCFC. He was a born performer and that was his stage. And when he was asked to name his previous clubs he answered: "The Playboy, Tramps and Sandpiper.". And that was just in a night club. And he wouldnt go out with us that evening. Extravagant spending, including buying a Ford Mustang and drinking champagne at breakfast, left him bankrupt when he couldnt pay the taxman. He could charm anyone. Instead the player seduced a young woman on the aeroplane and went on a two week bender with her. 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.. Comment. Tributes have poured in for footballing icon Frank Worthington, who has died aged 72 after a long battle with dementia. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. There was an aura around Frank. 'I have regular health checks, including the brain. "It is with great sadness that the death is announced of football legend Frank Worthington who passed away last night," read the statement from Worthington's family. LEGENDS of the game, footie experts and celebrity fans paid tribute to Frank on social media. Fat lot of good it did him. A beautiful footballer, maverick and wonderful character who was so kind to this young apprentice. Gary Lineker, What a character, and one of the most talented footballers I played with. Ally McCoist, What a character & what a player! Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,' Bolton tweeted. He said: This is where I differ from George Best. He went on to play for Leicester and Bolton. RIP Frank Worthington, one of the greats.Paddy McGuinness, One of the great entertainers, scorer of one of the greatest ever goals. Sky Sports Gary Taphouse, What a player, got fans off their seats, a great entertainer. TalkSports Ian Abrahams, He later confessed: In my Leicester days, it wasnt a night out unless you were in at six in the morning after a visit to the Playboy Club.. Rock-star good looks, long hair, sharp sideburns, a fluorescent, flowery shirt, tight purple jeans and cowboy boots and we all thought "Jeez, what's this?". 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. 'The club is saddened to learn of the passing of Frank Worthington aged 72. They had a son and a daughter together: Frank Junior and Kim Malou. Sometimes Id wonder if they were with me because I was Frank Worthington, the footballer, or if they genuinely fancied me as a bloke. He was dating Miss Great Britain at the time, but he used the break to pick up a series of international admirers including a Swedish mother-and-daughter combination. Yet, in the players' lounge, after the game, he was the first over with a drink saying how pleased he was for me. 'I am actually edging away from goal at this point, but then all of a sudden I flick it over my head, spin past Butcher and Osman so now they are going totally the wrong way! , updated Gary Lineker hailed the ex-England striker his 'boyhood hero' and described him as 'a beautiful footballer, a maverick and a wonderful character.'. Author. 'The ball comes down and I hit it. 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. That wild behaviour went too far when Frank was playing for Birmingham City between 1979 and 1982. . By the time he returned to Liverpool for a retest, his blood pressure was even higher. Franks cause of death has not been announced. He only stopped wearing the medallions when his wife Carol told him 'it was beginning to look a bit naff', he earlier said. 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. The only silverware he picked up during that long career was the old Division Two title with Huddersfield Town. We are seeing more great names every day battling this disease and it is important we continue to take steps to change this, for their families' sakes, for Frank's sake. Worthington's former clubs Bolton and Birmingham added their tributes on social media. 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. The cause of his death is revealed to be Alzheimer from which he was struggling for years. He said: Next morning, after the girl had got up early for work, her muzzer woke me up with a cup of tea. Greaves said to me: "You'll enjoy playing with this fella," and he wasn't wrong. Frank thought it was because his unconventional approach upset the national sides bosses. On another occasion he was fined by Huddersfield Town for hiding exotic dancers in his hotel wardrobe before a big match. It was so sad to see. he said 'no comment', A jury at Bradford Crown Court have heard details of police interviews given by Mohammed Taroos Khan, Yorkshire waterfall walks you have to try at least once in your life, We've compiled a list of the top 10 walking trails in Yorkshire. He scored two goals, against Argentina and Bulgaria in friendlies. 2,469 Followers, 3,131 Following, 1,504 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Carol Wyer (@carolwyer) carolwyer. W---y-w---y-w---y-w---y-Worthington! they would shout. [22], Late in 1988, Worthington had a brief spell with Chorley in the Football Conference, making his debut in a 00 draw with Weymouth at Victory Park on 5 November 1988. Gambling was a major part of football back in those days and one marathon card game in 1974 went on until 9am in the morning after England beat Bulgaria. I'm heartbroken at the loss of a friend, and to such a devastating disease, but I cherish the times I had with him. Today his former clubs paid their respects to one of football's . "The club is saddened to learn of the passing ofFrankWorthingtonaged 72. It comes after several former footballers died of dementia, including England's 1966 World Cup heroes Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, Martin Peters and Ray Wilson. A naturally gifted attacker, Frank was born to play the beautiful game. He was a scorer of great goals. 2 shares. A naturally gifted attacker, Frank was born to play the beautiful game. Worthington was born into a footballing family in Shelf, near Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire. FORMER England striker Frank Worthington was a legend for strutting his stuff at clubs across the land and satisfying adoring fans with his keepy-uppy. . Frank Worthington with model Carol Dwyer. 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. 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. His wife CarolWorthington said:'Frank brought joy to so many people throughout his career and in his private life. 'Frankie Wortho' was a cult figure whose career began in 1966 . He also upset Englands caretaker manager Joe Mercer by sneaking a girl up to his hotel room after a game. The Jeff Astle Foundation believe the number may represent a fraction of the actual total. He was my boyhood hero when he was at Leicester City. See Photos. In his autobiography One Hump or Two?, which certainly wasnt a reference to camels, he wrote extensively about his sexual exploits. Everyone raves about his classy goal of the season against Ipswich in 1979 but he'd scored an even better one in December at QPR against Phil Parkes from 30 yards. Facebook gives people the. All reactions: 43. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. View Lori Dwyer results in Chandler, AZ including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. 'The era of the 1966 players has made us really aware of this.'. [26], Worthington further represented England in the 1991 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the opening round against Uruguay. The question always lingered, though, how much of a star Frank would have been if he'd reserved those skills for the football pitch. 'Our thoughts are with his family and friends.'. [32], He died on 22 March 2021 following a lengthy illness at the age of 72 in Huddersfield.[33][34]. Unashamedly anti-establishment, Worthington hit the headlines as much for his off-field exploits as his rarefied talents on it. He also played in the United States (with NASL teams Philadelphia Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies), South Africa and Sweden as well as in English non-League football. He wants everyone to love him. Well, anyone turning up got quite a sight. View the profiles of people named Carol Dwyer. There was Stan Bowles, Charlie George, Alan Hudson, Tony Currie, Frank, me and at the centre of it, George Best. 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. Worthington's wife Carol paid tribute to the much-loved football showman, who died in hospital in Huddersfield. Mind, he did have a reputation, Frank. Everyone recognizes Carol as Frank Worthington's wife, which is pretty obvious when you are married to someone very popular. After Id retired and was living in Florida, he signed for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Super League fixture had been a doubt due to safety concerns relating to the pitch. In order to avoid their attacks, he learned how to beat them with skill. And we do not even know what has happened in the amateur game.'. This article is about the England international footballer. He once admitted that should he have 'taken things a little easier early on' he would have progressed in his career further. 'I do have some issues with short-term memory impairment but I have been assured this is not particularly unusual for a man of my age.'. Frank also had a daughter, Kim-Malou, with Birgitta but parenthood did not slow him down. Posted on February 9, 2023. In 14 of those campaigns he played in the top division, notching 150 goals in 466 matches and claiming the Golden Boot award at the end of the 1978-79 campaign.

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