Trevor Francis RIP

[i kne albert davy]

Reeves

?

 

[The Colonel]

Remember the one time this excited 7 year old got taken to see him play for us.

This happened. And at the far end of the pitch, so I had very little idea what was going on. RIP Trev.

Same, I was a 10 yo in the Platt Lane with my mate. Very disappointed when he went off. Was this the game where a load of Everton fans were in the Platt Lane? I seem to remember them charging upwards and city fans charging down and meeting where we were. We just crawled under the wooden benches until it passed. Anyway, shame you’re gone tricky Trev. It was short (especially so in my experience) but sweet. RIP

 

[lancs blue]

Could have sworn that was Kevin Reeves scored that against Leeds who’d bored the hell out of us for 90 mins and got their just deserts in last minute, but it was a long time ago :-(

The Reeves winner was at Elland Road that season - we stuffed them 4-0 at home early in the season, that was the match where Francis picked up an injury that kept him out for weeks.

 

[bernard o'silver]

I've got a vague memory of him scoring a late winner against L***s sometime around the end of the year ('81?). The banjo players had parked the bus for the entire game, but Trevor scored at the Platt Lane end (IIRC).

Sorry Jim think that was Kevin Reeves , December 1980

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Could have sworn that was Kevin Reeves scored that against Leeds who’d bored the hell out of us for 90 mins and got their just deserts in last minute, but it was a long time ago :-(

It was.

 

[ArdwickAlbert]

I remember him being sent off after headbutting someone at Maine Road?

That and his lobbed goal at home to Wolves are my only real clear memories of him.

Think the sending off was against Birmingham and there’d been adverts on Piccadilly Radio in the week leading up to it about coming to see Francis at the game

 

[mattcity5]

Same, I was a 10 yo in the Platt Lane with my mate. Very disappointed when he went off. Was this the game where a load of Everton fans were in the Platt Lane? I seem to remember them charging upwards and city fans charging down and meeting where we were. We just crawled under the wooden benches until it passed. Anyway, shame you’re gone tricky Trev. It was short (especially so in my experience) but sweet. RIP

No idea about the Everton fans. I was in the Platt Lane myself but I really don't remember that much. If it did happen, at that age I don't know if I'd have just been amused by it all or terrified!

 

[i kne albert davy]

The Reeves winner was at Elland Road that season - we stuffed them 4-0 at home early in the season, that was the match where Francis picked up an injury that kept him out for weeks.

Yep the game he was referring to was previous season I think,not sure Francis had signed Bond had just took over.

 

[pride in battle]

When Francis rifled that winner against Wolves, I jumped over the small wall at the front of the Main stand and jumped on his back
Every newspaper carried the photo of me taking a backie up the wing towards the Platt Lane
If my memory serves me right, that put us temporarily on top

No photo of it mate ?

 

[Ignominious]

In his first season for Birmingham, didn't he score 15 in 22 as a 16 year old or something like that? Astounding.

According to his obituary on the Birmingham City website before his 17th birthday he scored 15 goals in 16 matches including a four in one game against Bolton Wanderers! Some record

 

[jonah62]

No photo of it mate ?

I bought a glossy reprint of it, as back in those days, you could order any picture out of newspapers
I worked at the MEN, and our presses run the Guardian and the Daily Mail
The picture I bought from the Mail, never made it with me to Oz
Perhaps there’s some archives if I do enough digging to find a copy
I’m gonna start investigating now!!!

 

[pride in battle]

I bought a glossy reprint of it, as back in those days, you could order any picture out of newspapers
I worked at the MEN, and our presses run the Guardian and the Daily Mail
The picture I bought from the Mail, never made it with me to Oz
Perhaps there’s some archives if I do enough digging to find a copy
I’m gonna start investigating now!!!

Definitely:)

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

Rest In Peace Trevor!!!!

 

[LongsightM13]

I bought a glossy reprint of it, as back in those days, you could order any picture out of newspapers
I worked at the MEN, and our presses run the Guardian and the Daily Mail
The picture I bought from the Mail, never made it with me to Oz
Perhaps there’s some archives if I do enough digging to find a copy
I’m gonna start investigating now!!!

Getty Images may well have it, search on there. Expensive though

 

[beehive_bob]

Sorry Jim think that was Kevin Reeves , December 1980

That game sticks in my memory too, simply due to the ridiculously negative tactics Leeds employed. For some years after that, whenever a team tried to do the same, the Kippax chant was ' You're worse than Leeds United' :)

 

[peter.evans]

Think the sending off was against Birmingham and there’d been adverts on Piccadilly Radio in the week leading up to it about coming to see Francis at the game

No it was v Everton.

 

[jonah62]

No it was v Everton.

And Kevin Bond scored a screamer to equalise

 

[ArdwickAlbert]

No it was v Everton.

Ah, it was a long time ago, but the Piccadilly Radio ad is at least correct!

 

[HarrytheBlue]

According to his obituary on the Birmingham City website before his 17th birthday he scored 15 goals in 16 matches including a four in one game against Bolton Wanderers! Some record

Fabulous player, wonderful person.

 

[bluegaz13]

I remember him being sent off after headbutting someone at Maine Road?

That and his lobbed goal at home to Wolves are my only real clear memories of him.

It was Neville Southall….and I’m not sure he even connected….but Southall went down like he had been shot.