35 Facts About Trevor Francis

Trevor John Francis was an English footballer who played as a forward for a number of clubs in England, the United States, Italy, Scotland and Australia.

Trevor Francis scored the winning goal for Forest in the 1979 European Cup final against Malmo.

Trevor Francis won the European Cup again with the club the following year.

Between 1988 and 2003, Francis was manager of Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City and Crystal Palace.

Trevor John Francis was born on 19 April 1954 in Plymouth, Devon.

Trevor Francis's father, Roy, was a shift foreman with the local gas board and played football semi-professionally, his mother, Phyllis, did part-time sewing and tailoring, and he had two younger siblings.

Trevor Francis was educated at Pennycross primary school and Plymouth's Public Secondary School for Boys.

Trevor Francis quickly rose in status, making his debut for Birmingham City's first team in 1970, aged just 16.

Trevor Francis's talent was noted when, before his 17th birthday, he scored four goals in a match against Bolton Wanderers.

Trevor Francis ended his first season with 15 goals from just 22 games.

Trevor Francis negotiated a loan from Birmingham in 1978 to play for the Detroit Express in the North American Soccer League, where he scored 22 goals in 19 league matches and was named to the NASL first XI alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia before returning home to the Midlands.

Nottingham Forest retained the League Cup shortly afterwards without the cup-tied Trevor Francis, and made progress in the European Cup to the extent that they reached the semi-finals, although Trevor Francis was not eligible to play in the competition until the final.

Trevor Francis had already begun to sprint into position, but even so he had to increase his pace in order to reach the cross as it dropped, and ended up throwing himself low at the ball.

Trevor Francis connected with his head and the ball diverted powerfully into the roof of the net.

Trevor Francis was in the side which lost the 1980 League Cup Final to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but missed the European Cup Final against Hamburg due to an injury to his Achilles tendon.

Bond then issued an ultimatum: if Trevor Francis did not sign, Bond would resign.

Trevor Francis made a promising start at the club, scoring two goals against Stoke City on his debut, but over the course of the season he was frequently injured.

Trevor Francis played 21 league games and scored once in his only season, but added two goals in nine games in the Coppa Italia; Atalanta lost the final to Napoli.

Trevor Francis was the second Englishman at the Bergamo-based club after Gerry Hitchens, and by the time of his death their only other English-born player was Ademola Lookman.

Trevor Francis returned to Britain in September 1987 to join Rangers under Graeme Souness.

Trevor Francis signed for Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer in March 1988 and helped the team finish fifth in the First Division.

Trevor Francis marked his return to the field in September 1989 with a hat-trick against Aston Villa, but was replaced as manager by Don Howe in November 1989 and his playing contract was paid up a few days later.

Michaels had previously funded the loans of Alan Brazil and Paul Mariner, whom Trevor Francis was to replace, and had discussions with Norman Whiteside, Nigel Clough and Michel Platini about playing for the New South Wales-based team.

Trevor Francis played for England 52 times between 1977 and 1986 and scored 12 goals.

In 1994, Trevor Francis finally retired as a player, shortly before his 40th birthday.

Trevor Francis was dismissed as manager a year later after Wednesday finished 13th in the Premiership.

In February 1992, Trevor Francis brought former French international Eric Cantona back from a poor discipline enforced hiatus in his career by inviting him for a trial at Sheffield Wednesday.

However, as the snowy conditions meant that he could only evaluate Cantona on AstroTurf, Trevor Francis requested an extension to the trial to see whether Cantona could play on grass.

Trevor Francis was hired as Birmingham City as manager in 1996, with the club in the First Division.

Trevor Francis guided Birmingham to 10th- and 7th-place finishes in his first two seasons, missing out on the playoffs on goal difference in the latter.

Trevor Francis led Blues to the 2001 League Cup Final, in which they lost on penalties to Liverpool.

Trevor Francis was manager of Crystal Palace from November 2001 to April 2003.

Trevor Francis was appointed by Crystal Palace chairman, Simon Jordan to replace Steve Bruce who had resigned as Crystal Palace manager with the intention of taking the manager's role at Birmingham City.

On 13 April 2012, Trevor Francis was reported to be recovering in hospital from a suspected heart attack.

Trevor Francis died of a heart attack at his home near Marbella, Spain, on 24 July 2023.