Trevor Francis Transfer Record

Lore & Background

In February 1979 David Mills became the first player to be purchased for £500,000 by a British club, but just one month later Nottingham Forest paid twice that amount to acquire Birmingham City's Trevor Francis.

In Their Own Story

The January air at Villa Park was biting, but the atmosphere inside the dressing room was electric with anticipation. Trevor Francis walked through the tunnel, the weight of history resting on his shoulders alongside his kit bag. He wasn't just another signing; he was the man who had broken the million-pound barrier. As he stepped onto the training pitch, the grass felt different under his boots—this was no longer just a game, but a revolution. The crowd's roar when he finally appeared in a Villa shirt confirmed that the old rules were gone forever.

Reader's Guide

The first £1 million transfer was from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest, not to Aston Villa.

Did You Know?

• Trevor Francis is regarded as Britain's first £1m player but was officially transferred for £975,000.
• The reported £1,180,000 included VAT, fees to the Football League, and Francis' signing fee.
• Nottingham Forest paid twice the previous record to acquire Francis from Birmingham City in February 1979.