Statue of Birmingham City legend Francis unveiled

A statue is unveiled ahead of the a pre-season friendly against Nottingham Forest.

Winning goalscorer Trevor Francis (right) and goalkeeper Peter Shilton parade the trophy after the 1979 European Cup Final between Nottingham Forest and Malmo at the Olympic Stadium on 30 May, 1979 in Munich, Germany. Francis is wearing a red kit and is holding one handle of a giant silver cup. There are crowds in the stadium stands behind the players.
Trevor Francis was British football's first £1m player in 1979 [Getty Images]

A bronze statue of former Birmingham City and England forward Trevor Francis has been unveiled at the club's St Andrews stadium to honour his legacy.

The former striker died of a heart attack at the age of 69 in 2023 and the statue was unveiled on Saturday ahead of the Trevor Francis Memorial pre-season friendly against Nottingham Forest, another of his former clubs.

A friend of the footballer and lifelong Blues supporter, Brummie comedian Jasper Carrott, was at the unveiling.

He said it was "a very emotional day".

Carrott said Francis had been "more than just a footballer", adding he was a fantastic human being and it had been a "privilege" to know him.

Several former teammates who played alongside Francis were also there as club chief executive Jeremy Dale unveiled the statue, created by sculptor Douglas Jennings.

A bronze statue of Trevor Francis. The statue shows the footballer standing on one leg as if he is running, with his arms in the air, as if he is celebrating a win. The stadium's football club sign is in the background. There are people standing around the sculpture as it is unveiled.
The bronze statue shows the footballer celebrating with his hands in the air [BBC]

"He wasn't just a footballer, he was our footballer," Dale said.

"Trevor, speaking personally , was my boyhood hero. He was the kind of player who made you fall in love with the beautiful game."

Speaking of Francis in his time as manager of the Blues, he said he gave people "pride, passion and a belief that this club could rise".

Jasper Carrot is standing in the crowd with the statue behind him. He is wearing a suit and tie for the occasion. A crowd of people are around him in the area outside the stadium.
Comedian Jasper Carrot, friend of the footballer and lifelong Blues supporter, was at the unveiling [BBC]

Francis made his debut for Birmingham as a 16-year-old and became British football's first £1m player when he left the Blues to join Forest in 1979.

A few weeks later, he scored the winning goal as Forest won the first of their two successive European Cups.

Garry Birtles, who played alongside Francis at Nottingham Forest, described him as "one of the most unassuming people you could ever meet" and "a joy to be with".

Footballer Trevor Francis is photographed in an empty football ground in 1971. He is wearing blue and white football gear and is kneeling down on the grass.
Former teammate Garry Birtles described Francis as a "joy" to spend time with [Getty Images]

Jasper Carrott hosted a sell-out memorial concert in to honour Francis as "a proper send-off" for his friend at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham earlier this year.

Money raised went to the Trevor Francis Foundation, part of the Birmingham City Foundation, to fund two football tournaments for local children.

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Category: General Sports