Bona fide Town legend passes away after a long illness
- Frank Worthington has passed away at the age of 72
- Town legend has left an indelible mark on the Club
- Halifax-born Frank was a regular spectator at Town too
Everyone at Huddersfield Town is devastated to learn of the passing of Frank Worthington after a long illness at the age of 72.
Frank enjoyed a playing career that spanned across nearly three decades both in club and international football.
It was not only his supreme talent and being a local boy that made him popular amongst the Town faithful; Frank had a well-earned reputation as one of footballer’s all-time entertainers, scoring spectacular goals on the pitch and living his life to the fullest off it.
He was among the most elegant of all Town players on the ball, with his trademark look of sideburns, no shinpads and wearing his socks low around his ankles, leading Town manager Ian Greaves to describe him as ‘the working man’s George Best’.
Born in Halifax to a footballing family – his father and two elder brothers played for the Shaymen – he signed for the Terriers in 1966 and scored his first goal in the famous blue-and-white stripes of Huddersfield against West Ham United in a League Cup tie in November 1967.
Later that month, he netted his first league goal for the Terriers in a win against Queens Park Rangers on the way to an eight-goal breakout season in West Yorkshire.
A supreme talent.
— Huddersfield Town (@htafc) March 23, 2021
A local boy.
A name engraved in #htafc's history. pic.twitter.com/REjeFQrMhE
Having been converted to a striker, Frank continued his goal-scoring form in the following years and topped Town’s scoring charts as the Club were promoted to the First Division in 1970.
His First Division debut came against Blackpool, a game in which he scored in as Town kicked-off their 1970/71 campaign with a 3-0 win.
After two years of First Division football with Town, he made the switch to Leicester City in 1972 and picked up all six of his England caps during his time at Filbert Street.
Frank then enjoyed spells with Bolton Wanderers and Philadelphia Fury before signing for Birmingham City in 1979.
Across three seasons at St Andrew’s, he scored 29 goals before moving to Leeds United in 1982. He played for nearly another two decades with clubs including Preston North End and Stockport County, as well as having a player-coach spell with Tranmere Rovers, before officially hanging up his boots in 1991.
After retirement, Frank initially turned to the after-dinner circuit, where he could recant stories from his amazing career to captivated audiences. He was also a regular spectator at the John Smith’s Stadium, right up to just before the pandemic hit.
Town used the Sky Bet Championship game at home to Birmingham City – another of his former clubs – in November 2019 to celebrate his career.
Our thoughts are with his wife Carol, his family, and friends at this terrible time.
