L is for...
Lescott, Joleon
Still top of the league for most City fans, Joleon Lescott proved to be a terrific servant during his five years with the Club.
He began life at Wolverhampton Wanderers before moving to Everton where he established himself as one of the country’s most dependable central defenders.
His move to City in 2009 was criticized by Everton fans who expressed their feelings whenever they played the Blues. City fans responded by reminding the opposition that Joleon was either higher in the league than they were or had won more medals.
Lescott’s finest season was arguably the 2011/12 campaign when he proved to be a rock alongside Vincent Kompany as the Blues went on to win the title.
His time at the Etihad yielded two Premier League winners’ medals plus one each in the Capital One and FA Cups.and he made 160 appearances, scoring nine goals.
A hugely popular figure his banter with Micah Richards was the stuff of legend and he received a warm welcome ‘home’ when he returned with new club West Brom towards the end of the 2014/15 campaign
...A-Z: Lescott...
Lake, Paul
The description ‘Rolls-Royce’ was often applied to midfielder Paul Lake, such was his abundance in quality and ability – none of which was diminished by a change of position. Full-back, centre-half or central midfield – Lake could play anywhere and make it look like his natural role.
Coveted by many other clubs and almost certainly a future England skipper, Lake was plagued by injury and suffered more than any footballer should have to in his career. His attempts to overcome devastating knee ligament damage were both brave and dignified, but procedures at the time meant there was to be no way back for the Denton-born crowd favourite who had made 134 appearances for City, scoring 11 goals.
Despite several ‘revolutionary’ attempts to repair his knee, Lake retired from the game and moved into physiotherapy. Such was the respect for the player, more than 25,000 turned up for his testimonial against United on the same day his wife gave birth to their first child.
Lake returned to City as CITC ambassador for a period and now works for the Premier League – his autobiography ‘I’m Not Really Here’ became a best-seller and won several awards.
Lee, Francis
Francis Lee signed for City as a 23-year-old in 1967 and became one of the Club’s finest servants during a golden era for the Blues.
City paid Bolton Wanderers £60,000 for the pint-sized forward and was perhaps the missing link from Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison’s side. A lethal finisher with a cannonball shot, Franny was the all-time penalty king of Maine Road, notching a record 15 in one season and winning many of them himself with – some believe – outrageous dives (never!)
He even earned the nickname ‘Lee One Pen’. With 321 appearances and 143 goals, he averaged just under one strike every other game for City but was sold to Derby County in 1974 after a contract disagreement.
Still angry at City’s decision to sell him after all he felt he’d done for the club, he inspired Derby to the First Division Championship and scored a blistering goal on his return to Maine Road with BBC commentator Barry Davies urging viewers to ‘Look at his face! Just look at his face!’
He returned to Maine Road in the mid-1990s and spent four years as chairman before mobbing on in 1998 – though not before he’d helped broker the move to a new stadium in Eastlands…
Tune in tomorrow for the letter ‘M’...
A is for Aguero, Argentina and Ardwick
B is for Balotelli, Ballet on Ice and Berkovic
C is for Corrigan, Cricket and Curle
D is for Doyle, Dowd and Dzeko
E for Elano, Elvis the Eagle and Eriksson
F is for Flitcroft, Floodlights and Foe
G is for Goater, Gibson, Golden Goal
H is for Hart, Horlock and Huddersfield
I for Immel, Iheanacho and Ireland
