Frank Lampard is one of the greatest players to ever represent Chelsea. The former West Ham (the less said about that the better) midfielder has played a massive 648 games for the club, with only fellow legends John Terry, Peter Bonetti and Ron Harris above him in terms of appearances. To many fans, Bonetti instantly brings to mind his nickname of “The Cat”, whilst Harris is, of course, “Chopper”.
John Terry doesn’t really have a widely used nickname, beyond JT, or in some circles, apparently, EBJT, standing for “England’s Brave John Terry”. And on to Frank, or Super Frank, as most Chelsea fans may have, at least occasionally, called him. Or Super Frankie Lampard, or other variations on the theme. He is also sometimes referred to, in a typical shortening-the-surname fashion, as Lamps.
However, to some, particularly those not of a Blue persuasion, Lampard’s nickname is not quite so kind. Fans of many of Chelsea’s rivals refer instead to the brilliant former England player as Fat Frank. Or, once again, Fat Frank Lampard, Fat Frankie Lampard, or other subtle twists on the not-so-subtle nickname.
Why Fat Frank?
Some have asked where the Fat Frank nickname came from and whilst some monikers are incredibly hard to understand, or simply have no logical foundation, others are rather more straightforward. Luke Ayling, the former Leeds United full back, is nicknamed “Bill”, along with, apparently, everyone that he was in Arsenal’s academy with. They all used to call each other Bill which is both rather confusing and has no obvious explanation.
Nicknames develop organically and can stem from a single strange moment, one person’s brain working in an unusual way, a slip of the tongue or a very random event. Others relate to a person’s name, for example, the brilliant “One Size”, for former Palace and QPR striker, Fitz Hall. And yet others relate to a person’s physical appearance.
The latter may not be particularly politically correct or woke, but then there are many football fans who loathe such notions. The fact is that for the foreseeable future at least, many who play and watch football are going to use nicknames based on the height or waistline of others, their hair colour, or other distinctive physical features. Quite simply, that is how Lampard got his “Fat Frank” sobriquet.
But Frank Isn’t Fat!
Of course Frank isn’t actually fat. Well, he may have put on the odd pound since his playing days came to an end but certainly during his time at Chelsea it would be ludicrous to think of him as fat. He played 106 times for England, after all, and with a massive 211 goals for Chelsea is the club’s record goalscorer. Not exactly the work of someone with any sort of health issues, or someone carrying excess weight.
However, when thinking about his nickname, we must remember two things. First, football fans do not necessarily need to ground their chants, nicknames or beliefs in reality. At least not too much reality. The slightest “weakness” or difference is more than enough for the terrace (which is a collective entity with very little common sense, as opposed to a group of perfectly normal, decent, well-behaved individuals) to jump on.
Second, fans have a long memory. Whilst Chelsea fans were able to look past Super Frank’s association with West Ham, supporters of other clubs were less willing to put his West Ham days in the past. If the brilliant goalscoring midfielder was ever fat – which he wasn’t – then it was during the earlier days of his career.
The Puppy at West Ham
😂 #FatFrank pic.twitter.com/xaR0WiVYwH
— Paul Suett (@PaulCelebSuett) April 26, 2023
Whilst Lampard had an incredibly long association with Chelsea, he actually played six seasons in the Premier League with the Hammers. Okay, we said we’d try not to mention West Ham but this can’t really be avoided. In all he played 187 games for they-that-shall-not-be-mentioned (much). Before that he came through their academy too and even spent a brief period on loan at Swansea in late 1995 and January 1996.
Chubby Cheeks
At the tender age of 17 young Frank may well have been carrying just a tiny bit of puppy fat. There are two things to note here. First, we all carry what body fat we have in different places in different proportions. Lampard probably tends to carry his a little more in the face than some others and so even though he was no doubt fit and trim – certainly compared to the vast majority of people in the country – in his younger years, he may still have had slightly, shall we say, softer features. Put another way, somewhat chubby cheeks and put yet another way, a bit of a fat face.
Slight Weight Gain
Second, there is a feeling that he may have put on a few pounds during his time in South Wales. As a 17 year old lad, moving away from home for the first time, there was always the chance that his diet might not have been as on point as a modern sports nutritionist would want. This was also, of course, the 1990s, and the “Arsène Wenger effect” had not quite reached English (or Welsh) shores.
At a time when even mature footballers might tuck into a few pints, plus a pie and chips, we can certainly imagine that Lampard, in the fairly alien environment of Swansea, might have been living the sort of life that could have led to a little weight gain.
Broken Leg
In addition to his brief spell in Wales, in March 1997, Lampard suffered a broken leg. This kept him out of action for some time and again, any pro could possibly struggle to stay lean in such circumstances, so for a youngster making his way there was certainly that chance.
Bully Fans
Ultimately though, clearly, as a professional footballer who would make it to the very summit of the game, playing for his country and also winning everything possible with Chelsea, Lampard was not fat. There may have been times when he looked ever so slightly heavier than the leanest of players out there. In addition, his natural physique may have made accentuated that among those who only saw him in his playing kit.
Throw in the fact that opposing supporters need very little reason or excuse to create a nickname for a player they dislike (often a cover for the fact that they fear what they can do), and there you have it – Fat Frank.