Flight to Bogata: England's Football Rebel, Neil Franklin

by John Harding

Overview

Flight to Bogotá tells the incredible story of one of the most infamous episodes in English sporting history, when a group of British footballers turned their backs on club and country before the 1950 World Cup for a sporting El Dorado in Colombia. It was a rebellion led by first-choice England centre-half Neil Franklin. The book charts how the players were secretly lured away from Britain, amid Franklin's strident complaints of 'serfdom' in English football, their brief struggles to adapt to Colombian life and the fallout once they humiliatingly returned home to face the wrath of club and country. This escapade was a personal failure for Franklin and left his career in tatters. But the players' vociferous defence of their behaviour enlightened a shocked nation about how clubs mistreated footballers. Ultimately, it led to reforms that would financially benefit future footballing generations, but these financial rewards were never enjoyed by Franklin and his fellow 'football bandits' who embarked on that fateful 'Flight to Bogotá'.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785317491
Publisher:	Pitch Publishing Ltd
Publication date:	09/07/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	268
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Dominic Booth is an experienced football journalist and former Cardiff City correspondent for WalesOnline, the South Wales Echo and Western Mail. He followed the Bluebirds the length and breadth of the country during Neil Warnock's time in charge. In April 2019, he moved to the Manchester Evening News, where he is now the Manchester United writer. Dominic is an avid football fan with a passion for storytelling.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

1 Birth of a Rebel Leader 15

2 Stoking Up Trouble 27

3 Potters Crack 42

4 A One-Man Strike 71

5 El Dorado 83

6 A Mystery Correspondent 94

7 The Bombshell 112

8 Santa Fe Debuts 126

9 Bogotá Bad Boys 135

10 The Great Escape 157

11 Franklin's Punishment 170

12 Quashing a Football Mutiny 183

13 Fallen Idol 193

14 El Dorado's Aftermath: The Campaign for Reform 214

15 Footballing Pioneer or Mercenary Rebel? 237

Bibliography 254