City DNA #35: Frank Horrocks | OneFootball

A legendary and fondly remembered mainstay of the Club’s Official Supporters Club for more than half a century, Frank became a crucial bridge in helping connect the Club with generations of fans.

As such, his name became familiar to countless Blues down the years thanks to his sterling work with City’s OSC.

And his enduring legacy lives on in the thriving shape of the modern day Supporters Club set-up which has expanded into a worldwide institution.

Born in Ancoats in the early 1940s, Frank subsequently moved with his parents, brothers and sisters to Chorlton.

He began his working life in Manchester’s cotton mills before later moving to take up a role with construction firm Barratt Homes.

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During his mid-teens Frank started what was to become a lifelong love affair with the Blues.

One of the early members of the Brooks Bar supporters branch – formed in 1949 – Frank subsequently became part of the executive committee of City’s Official Supporters Club and eventually general secretary.

Over the course of subsequent decades Frank went on to help countless City fans thanks to his diligence, commitment and punctilious attention to detail.

During the course of his long and illustrious tenure, Frank was also instrumental in helping establish numerous Supporters Club branches up and down the land.

Due in no small part to his unstinting commitment to the cause, Frank become a trusted point of reference throughout Supporters Club branches both near and wide.

And it was a mark of his standing and reputation that on his retirement from the post as general secretary, he was made life vice president in recognition of his outstanding service.

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Sadly, Frank passed away at the age of 71 in March 2012, but his memory and enormous legacy endures.

One of those who knew Frank best – and saw at first hand his years of service to his fellow Blues – was Official Supporters Club chairman Alan Galley.

Recalling Frank’s years of dedication to the Club, Alan remembers a man of strong principle and conviction who bled Blue – and someone who was always well ahead of his time

“Frank’s dedication to the Club was incredible. He was involved with the club for more than 50 years and the Supporters Club was his life,” Alan recalled.

“After joining the Supporters Club, he then went on to join the executive committee before then becoming General Secretary.

“He was also very involved in the National Federation of Supporters and was the chairman of the Northern division for many years and did a lot of important work there too.

“He worked very closely with our late secretary Bernard Halford and a lot of things we enjoy today in the Supporters Club today have a lot to do with what Frank did back in the day.

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“He was very ahead of his time and the excellent close relationship we have the Club now a lot of that can be traced back to the work that Frank did.

“Frank was also very involved in helping set up many of the other Supporters Club.

“Along with Bernard, Tony Book, Ian Niven, Peter Swales, and Roy Clarke to name but a few, he helped establish branches up and down the country and would do anything for his fellow Blues, wherever they were

“All of his time and energy was devoted to City.

“We’d visit branches all over the country and I remember when I first joined, we only had nine or 10 branches – now we have 250 so it’s remarkable.

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“He also helped to form our Travel Club and was involved in so many areas with the Club and was always looking ahead so he was a bit of a visionary.

“The Supporters Club was Frank's life – he was very strong-minded and had his views but always had the Club's interests at heart - he didn’t like anything that brought disrepute into the Club.

“Though he eventually had to step down as General Secretary due to ill health, Frank was able to see us lift the FA Cup in 2011 as well as our 6-1 win at Old Trafford later that year which I know were huge thrills for him,

“And one of my fondest latter memories was when Bernard arranged a lovely thing for him after our FA Cup final win over Stoke.

“He had a meal in one of the smaller lounges at the Etihad and invited Frank down with some of his friends and family – and they had the FA Cup there in the room with them and Frank just couldn’t believe it.

“He was a wonderful man and a wonderful servant to the Club.”