At a time when the concepts of 'personality' and 'charisma' first underwent their continuing devaluation in the hands of a 'build 'em up; shoot 'em down' media, and when sports commentators in particular seemed desperate to assign 'character' status to random workhorses, Frank remained an original: mainly because his outsize image was always harnessed to an outsize talent. Off-field flamboyance ever had its footballing concomitant as Frank's consistent practice of the attacking arts graced the League sphere for over two decades, and one has to reach for a paradoxical construct to try to sum up his striker's impact for City and his numerous other clubs; something like 'casually lethal' might do the trick.

The elegant thrust, alternately subtle and spectacular, was an integral part of his repertoire - along with the incisive flick, the arrogant ball control and the deceptively lazy stride - from the time he helped Huddersfield into the First Division in 1970, City made an early move for 'Wortho' as the Terriers began to slide, but an England Under-23 tour intervened, pushing up the likely fee and alerting Liverpool to Frank's quality. A failed medical test quashed Anfield interest, though, and Jimmy Bloomfield jumped at the second chance, watching with glee as his six-figure investment accrued compound interest over five seasons of entertaining 'total football' (or thereabouts) from City.

Frank was a popular choice for the national side, winning eight England caps (2 goals) while remaining prolific with City, yet his best single season as a scorer came at Burnden, after Frank McLintock had allowed him to slip away, when he headed the 1979 First Division list with 24. His St. Andrews debut came against City, and then in the 80s Frank's wanderings began in earnest, with his disdain for the predictable spicing the rather bland tactical recipes of a host of aspiring clubs, and the personal 200-goal landmark being easily surpassed.

The PFA backed his 1991/2 benefit season, which included games at St. Andrews, Leeds Road and Filbert Street; while the Elvis obsession has entered popular legend, and the contents of the idiosyncratic autobiography, 'One Hump or Two?' have further fed the folkloric memory.

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