The following obituary of Frank Gardner was published in the Leicester Mail on 9 December 1843:
MR. FRANK GARDNER. one of the founders and first secretary-treasurer of Leicester Fosse, the club which became Leicester City and former president of Leicestershire FA. died today, in a Leicester nursing home aged 77.
The name Leicester Fosse was adopted on his suggestion when a few youths mostly Old Wyggestonians met in a shed in 1884 decided to form a team and subscribed 9d, towards a ball.
Secretary of Leicester Fosse from 1884 to 1892, he occasionally assisted the club as a player.
A referee in local football for 18 years Mr. Gardner called the first meeting of clubs to form the Leicestershire FA in October 1886 was appointed auditor of this body in 1904 and president in 1919.
He was president for some 12 years, relinquishing the office at his own request when owing to business taking him to Ireland, he could not attend meetings regularly. He held appointments as a company secretary and lived in Knighton-drive.
Appointed chairman and treasurer of the old Leicester and District League in 1895 and chairman of the Rolleston Charity Cup Competition five years later, he held these offices for more than quarter of a century.
Mr. Gardner secured his first professional to assist the Fosse when he signed H. Webb, a famous centre-forward of his day from Stafford Rangers, he paid Webb 2s 6d. a week.
The first balance sheet he produced for the club showed receipts £I 14s 3d., and a credit balance of Is. 10d.
In his day as secretary, Leicester Fosse played their games on a private field, Victoria Park, a Belgrave-road ground, and a ground in Mill-lane.
In recent years Mr. Gardner had been employed in the cashier’s office of a large local company. He was taken seriously ill some six weeks ago and was moved to hospital.
He leaves a widow, two sons and one daughter.