Trevor Francis Record Transfer (1979)

Lore & Background

Trevor John Francis was born on 19 April 1954 in Plymouth, Devon. His 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. Francis was educated at Pennycross primary school and Plymouth's Public Secondary School for Boys. As a schoolboy, he was a prolific goalscorer; at 14, he attended a Football Association course at the National Sports Centre at Bisham Abbey, and he joined Birmingham City as a 15-year-old school-leaver. He made his debut for Birmingham City's first team in 1970, aged just 16. Before his 17th birthday, he scored four goals in a match against Bolton Wanderers. He ended his first season with 15 goals from just 22 games. Birmingham City manager at the time, Freddie Goodwin, compared Francis to both Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law. On 30 October 1976, he scored one of Birmingham's most famous goals, when he turned away from the touchline and cut inside two Queens Park Rangers defenders, constantly being forced backwards, before suddenly unleashing a 25 yard shot. Francis negotiated a loan from Birmingham in 1978 to play for the Detroit Express in the North American Soccer League (NASL), where he scored 22 goals in 19 league matches and was named in the NASL first XI alongside Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia before returning home to the Midlands. Nottingham Forest, the reigning First Division champions and League Cup holders managed by Brian Clough, put in a bid for Francis which totalled just over £1 million. No player had ever been sold between English clubs for a seven-figure fee before (the erstwhile record was less than half), and the deal was sealed, with Francis famously being introduced to the media by a manager impatient to play squash; Clough was in his red gym kit and carrying a racquet as he addressed the press conference. While recognised as the first British million-pound player, the actual transfer fee for the player was £1,150,000, including 15% commission to the Football League. Clough wrote in his autobiography that the fee was £999,999, as he wanted to ensure the million-pound milestone did not go to the player's head; although Francis says that was a tongue-in-cheek remark by Clough.

Reader's Guide

Trevor Francis was a forward who played for Birmingham City, Detroit Express (loan), Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Rangers, Queens Park Rangers, Wollongong City (loan), and Sheffield Wednesday. He was Britain's first £1 million player when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in 1979. He scored the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup final and won the European Cup again in 1980. He also won the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria in 1984–85 and the Scottish League Cup with Rangers in 1987–88. He managed Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City, and Crystal Palace between 1988 and 2003.

Did You Know?

• He was Britain's first £1 million player, though the actual fee was £1,150,000 including commission.
• He won the Coppa Italia with Sampdoria in 1984–85, scoring 9 goals in 11 games as the competition's top scorer.