Worthington: Frank Stewart (Frank)

1982-1982 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Halifax: 23-11-1948

Debut: Manchester City (h): 10-03-1982

5’11” 11st 8lb (1982)

#98 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

He was born into a footballing family. Both of his parents had played the game and his two older brothers, Dave and Bob, became professional footballers, and both began their careers with Halifax Town. He began his career as an apprentice and centre-forward for Huddersfield Town in April 1964, turning professional in November 1966 after first playing with Ripponden. He established himself as the club’s main striker and was ever-present when they won promotion to the First Division in 1969-70, a feat he duplicated during Town’s first season in the top flight in the following season. His goals were an essential ingredient to Huddersfield’s success and in his time at Leeds Road Worthington scored forty-one League goals in one hundred and seventy-one games, of which five were from the bench. He joined Leicester City in August 1972 for £80,000. At Filbert Street he scored seventy-two League goals in two hundred and nine starts and one more from the bench. He won eight England caps while at Leicester to add to two at Under-Twenty-three level. Bolton Wanderers paid £87,000 to sign him in September 1977 and while he had played for Dallas Tornado while with Leicester, so too he played with Philadelphia Fury and Tampa Bay Rowdies while with Bolton as he continued to play in the NASL in the off-seasons. It did not dampen his goalscoring ability in the Football League as he scored thirty-five League goals in eighty-one starts and three games from the bench while at Burnden Park and Bolton made a tidy profit when they sold him to Birmingham City in November 1979 for £150,000. After a spell with Swedish club, Mjallby, and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the off seasons he scored twenty-nine League goals from seventy-one starts and four more from off the bench while at St Andrew’s and with Leeds United needing scoring power for their understrength attack and Birmingham needing some steel in their defence, he was traded for Byron Stevenson in March 1972. So Worthington, one of the game’s most colourful characters, counted Leeds amongst his eleven League clubs. He provided the goals, but it was not enough to prevent Leeds from being relegated to Division Two. He was sold to Sunderland in December 1982 for £50,000. He scored only twice in eighteen starts and one game from the bench in the League while at Roker Park. In June 1983 he signed for Southampton for £30,000 and played in the First Division when he was thirty-five, but scored just four times in thirty-four League games before leaving for Second Division Brighton and Hove Albion on a free transfer in May 1984. He spent a season there, scoring seven goals in twenty-seven League starts and four more from the bench. He was appointed Player/Manager of Tranmere Rovers in the 1985 close season. He stayed until February 1987 when he was relieved of his position after scoring twenty-one goals in fifty one League starts and eight from the bench. He re-emerged as a player with Preston North End soon after and scored three goals in ten League starts and thirteen substitute appearances at Deepdale before joining his eleventh League club, Stockport County, in November 1987. He scored six goals in eighteen league starts and another one from the bench. In 1988 he went to South Africa and played with Capetown Spurs before returning to England with a succession of Non-League clubs. Chorley in October 1988, Stalybridge Celtic in December 1988 a nomadic trip to Ireland to play with Galway United in February 1989, Weymouth in September 1989, Radcliffe Borough in November 1989 and then Guiseley, where he he combined playing with a job on Preston North End’s coaching staff. Worthington played for Guiseley in the 1990 FA Vase Semi-Final. His travels later took him to Hinckley Town as Player/Coach in 1991, Cemaes Bay, and in August 1991 he became Halifax Town Player/Coach appearing in their Reserve team at the age of forty-three. In December 1993 he was appointed to Swindon Town’s coaching staff. Worthington had played into his 40s making seven hundred and fifty-seven English League appearances and scoring two hundred and thirty-four goals. Worthington won eight caps for England in 1974, scoring two goals. He also played twice for the England Under-Twenty-three team and once for the Football League. His nephew Gary played for Wigan and Darlington.