FRANKLY FRANKLIN

For many football fans, ‘The Bogotá Affair’ is a reference to the arrest and later release and complete exoneration – of England captain, Bobby Moore, on suspicion of stealing a bracelet before the 1970 World Cup. However, 20 years before, the phrase had a different meaning, which was associated with another England captain, Stoke City’s defender, Neil Cornelius Franklin (born 1922) who played 26 times for his country from 1946-50. 

In May 1950, Franklin was one of seven British footballers offered lucrative contracts to play in  Colombia. The others were: George Mountfield (also of Stoke), Charlie Mitten (Manchester United and father of Leicester City’s John Mitten), Billy Higgins (Everton), Roy Paul (Swansea Town) and Jack Hedley (Everton). Hearts’ Bobby Flavell also went, while Jock Dodds of Lincoln City acted as an agent on behalf of Colombian clubs.

Although it was easy to see why footballers were attracted, moving to a foreign country of which most Britons knew very little about brought its own problems, such as the language and getting the family settled. 

Firstly, English footballers were becoming increasingly resentful of their working conditions in the form of the maximum wage and the retain-and-transfer system. At a time when attendances had reached record levels, footballers were restricted to a £12 weekly wage and any desire to move to another club was at the whim of directors.

Secondly, in 1950 Colombia had entered its second year of civil war (conservatives v liberals!), which lasted another 8 years. This disruption, of course, created instability within Colombian football. While the Colombian FA was affiliated to FIFA its professional league was not, opening up a financial opportunity to induce foreign players to break their contracts. Importantly, Colombian clubs were able to sign players without having to pay a transfer fee. Most were recruited from Argentina, including Alfredo di Stefano, who joined Millionarios. Football, the government hoped, would take the country's mind off the Civil War. The war meant that Colombia was extracted from FIFA,

Franklin claimed that his club, Santa Fé of Bogotá, offered him a £1,500 signing on fee, which compared to the then £10 in the Football League, plus a monthly wage of £150 plus bonuses. Charlie Mitten’s total annual income was £5,000 and he claimed he made more in one year than in all his 14 years as a professional. George Mountfield was earning £60 pweek and had a £2000 signing on fee.

The standard of living was relatively high, compared to "Austerity Britain". There was an early curfew and a culture hard to adopt. In the end, Franklin and family only stayed two months and he managed only six games. He followed his pregnant wife back to Britain, reneging on his promise to return to Colombia following the birth of their child. 

Reaction amongst the public and the press was mildly sympathetic. The football authorities (The FA) predictably took a different view, and Mitten, Franklin and Higgins received lengthy bans. Franklin later resumed his career with Hull, but never played for England again. In an ironic twist of fate, Mitten was later the manager of Newcastle when it denied George Eastham a transfer. In 1963 Eastham successfully sued the club and it eventually led to the end of the retain-and-transfer system; the same one that Mitten and Franklin had secretly travelled to Bogotá to avoid!  

Career: 1939 Stoke 142 apps: 1950 Independiente Santa Fe 6 apps when he was left out of the England World Cup Squad-sour grapes!: 1951-6 Hull 96 apps: 1956-7 Crewe A  66 apps: 1957-8 Stockport C 20 apps: 1960-1 Macclesfield 23 apps.

He went to manage in Wellington, New Zealand in 1958, then to Apoel in Cyprus in 1963 and Colchester Utd in 1964-68. Franklin died on February 9th 1996.