March 08, (THEWILL) –Â Gordon Lee, the 87-year-old former manager of Leicester City, has died.
In January 1991, following the sacking of David Pleat, Lee moved into the hot seat at Filbert Way on a temporary basis.
Pleat had initially hired him as a coach and assistant manager, and when the Foxes were facing relegation, he stepped in as interim manager. With a 1-0 victory over Oxford United on the penultimate day of the season, Lee helped Leicester avoid relegation during his five months in command.
That was his final achievement as a manager before retiring from the game. He lived in Lytham, St Anne’s, with his wife, Irene and spent his time engaged in regular golfing.
As a right-back born in Cannock, Staffordshire, Lee started his career at Hednesford Town before moving to Aston Villa in 1955.
He started his managerial career at Port Vale, when he succeeded Stanley Matthews and led the club to the Third Division. With Blackburn Rovers, he achieved promotion to the Second Division, prompting Newcastle United to sign him in 1975.
He moved to Everton two years later, signing players like Graeme Sharp and Alan Irvine. After being fired following a dismal finish to the 1980-81 season, he went on to manage Preston North End and KR Reykjavik in Iceland.
The management of the Foxes issued a statement on Tuesday that read: “Leicester City Football Club are saddened to learn that former manager, Gordon Lee, has passed away at the age of 87.
“The thoughts of everyone at Leicester City are with Gordon’s family and friends at this sad time.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
