Christie started his career at amateur side, St Johnstone Young Men's Club, Perth, Scotland.
He played in four of Liverpool's League matches towards the end of the 1949–50 season, making his debut in defence alongside the likes of Bob Paisley and Phil Taylor in a fixture away to Manchester United on 15 March 1950 at Old Trafford before a crowd of 45,283.
In the summer of 1963, when St Johnstone FC manager Bobby Brown was restructuring his backroom staff, he appointed Frank Christie as first team trainer.
Christie managed East Fife until 1976, and steered them to their first (and only) victory in a competitive match during peacetime over Glasgow Rangers defeating them 1–0 at Ibrox on 13 October 1973.
In 1985, when Saints were experiencing severe financial difficulties, he was a casualty of the cost-cutting exercise, thus ending a 21 years association with St Johnstone.