9th January 1906

Shildon, Durham

Forward

Arriving in a joint-deal from Fulham in March 1933 with Harry Webb, Frank 'Paddy' Wrightson had earlier appeared for Darlington and Manchester City. Slotting into the team that went on to finish league runners-up that season, he scored 25 goals in 71 league games for Exeter City before leaving for Chester where he scored around seventy goals from ninety starts. He was a member of the Exeter City team that defeated Torquay United to win the Division Three (South) Cup in May 1934.

Playing local football for Ferryhill, 'Paddy's' first Football League club was Darlington whom he joined in 1928 ahead of scoring an impressive 16 goals in 36 Third Division North appearances. This prompted Manchester City to sign him in 1929 and, in two seasons at Maine Road, 'Paddy' made 22 league outings scoring four times. He then signed for Fulham in 1931, and having played against Exeter City in the final match of the 1931/32 season which resulted in Fulham winning promotion, went on to score five goals in his 18 starts for the Cottagers.

He was then transferred to Exeter City on transfer deadline day in March 1933 along with Fulham centre-half Harry Webb for a club record fee. 'Paddy' went straight into the starting eleven and helped the side finish as runners-up before contributing to the Grecians' 1933/34 Third Division (South) Cup success when Torquay United were beaten in the final at Home Park. Although initially reluctant to re-sign for another season, 'Paddy' relented and scored sixteen league goals in 1934/35 including a hat-trick against Northampton Town. 

Having now scored 25 times in 71 league appearances, he subsequently refused the club's terms in the summer of 1935 and moved to Chester where he scored 73 goals in just 89 league starts.

Frank 'Paddy' Wrightson died in North Yorkshire in 1979.

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