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Frank Large


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If you watched Latics in the mid 60s then Frank Large was probably a favourite player. He was one of mine I know. He was here for just a year but scored 18 goals in 34 appearances, a classic old school centre forward.

Bought by Ken Bates for £7500 from Carlisle, the businessman chairman cashed in by doubling that to £15000 when selling him to Northampton, possibly affecting our chances of promotion.

A new biography, written by Frank's son, has just been published and I've written a short review for Programme Monthly that I've posted in the Book Reviews thread in the General Forum http://www.owtb.co.uk/index.php/topic/45752-book-reviews/#entry731159

There's a chapter on his time at Latics, based very heavily on the memories of journalist Phil Rostron, who hails from Shaw. Whilst Phil gets one or two details muddled (such as when we changed to tangerine shirts) it's an excellent piece on teenage hero worship of a Latics player!

Here's a photo of the front cover of Soccer Star from April 1966. Not half a bad team...

Back row Quixall, Lawson, Large, Ledger, Swan, McGinn, Blore

Front Row: Towers, Stevens, Bowie, Frizzell, Pennington

 

 

imagejpg1_zps7c100072.jpg

Edited by LaticsPete
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I remember big Frank hitting the crossbar with a wonderful strike from 30 yards out, the only thing wrong was he was facing his own goal at the time, had it gone in it would have been one of the footballs most bizarre own goals.

 

PS Nice to see the distinctive kit, even if they looked a job lot XXL size.

Edited by BP1960
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I seem to remember Frank being injured early in the first half of a game, playing on, scoring a goal (that might be fanciful imagination - the goal bit that is ), not coming out for the second half, because they'd found out he'd broken his leg !

 

Wasn't he signed as a result of a poll - didn't the club recognise that it needed someone of his style, and as a consequence ran a poll in either the club program or the Chron listing about three or four names and asking the public who they wanted the club to sign ?

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I seem to remember Frank being injured early in the first half of a game, playing on, scoring a goal (that might be fanciful imagination - the goal bit that is ), not coming out for the second half, because they'd found out he'd broken his leg !

 

Wasn't he signed as a result of a poll - didn't the club recognise that it needed someone of his style, and as a consequence ran a poll in either the club program or the Chron listing about three or four names and asking the public who they wanted the club to sign ?

 

Good idea, let's do a poll and sign another like Frank, over to you Matt Chambers for a list of three or four candidates.

Edited by BP1960
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I seem to remember Frank being injured early in the first half of a game, playing on, scoring a goal (that might be fanciful imagination - the goal bit that is ), not coming out for the second half, because they'd found out he'd broken his leg !

 

Wasn't he signed as a result of a poll - didn't the club recognise that it needed someone of his style, and as a consequence ran a poll in either the club program or the Chron listing about three or four names and asking the public who they wanted the club to sign ?

Don't think he had a broken leg (at least not with us) - though he was out for six games with a broken jaw

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Quixall, Lawson, Large, Ledger, Swan, McGinn, Blore

Towers, Stevens, Bowie, Frizzell, Pennington

 

 

 

 

Those are the players names that I most associate with a Latics team. Ask me to name more than 2 players from 6yrs ago and I would struggle but those names are indelibly written in my memory,

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Those are the players names that I most associate with a Latics team. Ask me to name more than 2 players from 6yrs ago and I would struggle but those names are indelibly written in my memory,

Ditto, Some decent players there......Ian T, Dennis Stevens and old favourites Bob Ledger and the Jim's Bowie and Frizzell. Albert Quixall, one of the greatest let downs ever for Latics, Ronnie Swan arguably the worst Latics keeper in living memory, I liked Reggie Blore but most at danger with one one his shots were the pigeons sat on top of the Chaddy Road stand. Great pic never seen it before. Thanks Pete, nice one.

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i stand to be corrected but seem to recollect travelling to Oxford many years ago when the Latics signed a few players around the Christmas period. These included Frank Large and Ian Towers

 

On the trip down a chant/song was composed to the tune of Good King Wenceslas (?) and the words being something like

 

"Good king Ken Bates last looked out

On the Latics payroll

When no money lay about

He put some on the table

Brightly played the team that day

Tho the debt was crippling

Then Frank Large came home to stay

With his fancy dribbling

 

ON THAT NOTE IT IS TIME FOR ME TO

APOLOGIZE

 

I have had more than a few scoops tonight :sign0007:

Edited by another fan
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