Trevor Francis
Encyclopedia
Trevor John Francis is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England
52 times. He was England's first £
1 million player. England manager Fabio Capello
considered Francis the best English player ever to have played in Serie A
.
Between 1988 and 2003 he was a football manager, most notably with Sheffield Wednesday and then Birmingham City. Francis is currently working as a pundit with Al Jazeera Sports
and Sky Sports
.
and joined Birmingham City
as a schoolboy. He quickly rose in status, making his debut for its first team in 1970, aged just 16. His talent was noted when, before his 17th birthday, he scored four goals in one game. He ended his first season with 15 goals from just 22 games.
, so the ability and achievements of Francis were made more noticeable as a result.
On 30 October 1976 he scored one of Birmingham's most famous goals, when he turned away from the touchline and cut inside four QPR
defenders
, constantly being forced backwards, before suddenly unleashing a 25-yard shot which caught the goalkeeper off guard. In 1977, he was given his first England
cap by Don Revie
. England were beaten 2-0 by Holland.
Francis negotiated a secondment from Birmingham in 1978 to play for the Detroit Express
in the fledgling North American Soccer League
(NASL), 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
. However, in February 1979 came the moment which would define his career and leave his name permanently in football folklore.
, the reigning League 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 million pound player, the actual transfer fee for the player £1,150,000, including 15% commission to the Football League. There is a myth that the fee was £999,999 - £1 short of the million mark as Brian Clough wanted to ensure this milestone mark did not go to the player's head, although Trevor Francis says it was a tongue in cheek remark by Brian Clough. With taxes the total fee exceeded £1.1m.
Nottingham Forest retained the League Cup shortly afterwards (though Francis was ineligible), and made progress in the European Cup
to the extent that they reached the semi-finals, at which point Francis was permitted by registration rules to take part. They won their semi-final, and in May 1979 Forest took on Swedish
side Malmö
in the final in Munich
, and a major instalment of the huge investment money was repaid just before half time.
The ball was spread to Forest's lugubrious but skilful winger John Robertson wide on the left and he took on two defenders at once to reach the byline and curl an awkward, outswinging cross
towards the far post. Francis had already begun to sprint into position, but even he had to increase his pace to reach the cross as it dropped, and ended up throwing himself low at the ball. He connected with his head and the ball diverted powerfully into the roof of the net. Forest won the match 1-0 and footage of the goal was used in the opening titles to Match of the Day
for some years afterwards. A giant picture of Francis stooping to head the ball remains on display in the main entrance and reception area of Forest's stadium
. Even though the season ended there, Francis duly headed back to Detroit for another summer playing in the NASL where once again he was named to the first XI alongside Johan Cruyff (LA) and Giorgio Chinaglia (NY) despite playing only half the season. In his brief NASL career Francis scored 36 goals in 33 regular season matches and had 18 assists, placing him one spot ahead of Pele on the all time scoring list, despite playing 23 fewer games.
Francis arguably did not achieve his full potential as a Forest player. This may partly be due to Clough frequently playing Francis on the right wing, rather than in his preferred position as a central attacker. He was in the side which lost the League Cup final to Wolves
in 1980 but missed the European Cup final against Hamburg SV
due to an injury to his Achilles tendon
. Somehow the success of his Forest career never quite reflected his huge fee, he scored only 14 league goals in the 1979-80 season and six in the eighteen games that he played for Forest in the next. Although still a regular for England (his Achilles injury prevented him being in the squad for the 1980 European Championships), his scoring record in club football was not spectacular.
in 1981, this time for £1.2 million. The deal caused behind-the-scenes friction at Manchester City. During negotiations City chairman Peter Swales informed manager John Bond
that the club could not afford the transfer fee. Bond then issued an ultimatum: if Francis did not sign, Bond would resign. 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. In total he scored 12 goals in 26 games and made the squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He duly scored goals in the group games against Czechoslovakia
and Kuwait
, but when England needed goals in the second group phase, he and the other strikers hit a barren spell. England were eliminated after two goalless draws against both the host nation and West Germany.
Back at his club, financial problems were again an issue. Francis' contract gave him a salary of £100,000 plus bonuses, which the club could no longer afford to pay to a player who regularly sustained injuries. As a result, Francis was sold to Italian club Sampdoria
.
giants Sampdoria
, who paid Manchester City £700,000 for his services. He helped win the Coppa Italia
in 1985, in the same team as Scotland's
former Liverpool
midfielder Graeme Souness
. It was the first time that Sampdoria had won the competition.
for £800,000, where he played twenty-one times but only managed one goal. In spring 1986, he made his 52nd and final appearance for England in a victory over Scotland
, and was therefore not selected for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico that summer. He had scored twelve goals for the national side.
under Graeme Souness
, as part of his self-styled "English invasion" at Ibrox
. Francis cost just £75,000 and won the Scottish League Cup
in 1987.
in 1987 and took over as player-manager in November 1988 when Jim Smith
moved to Newcastle
. He left after a year in charge, with a previously effective QPR side now in danger of relegation.
; despite gaining a good reputation amongst supporters, he could not help the club avoid relegation to the second tier for the 1990-1991 season. However, that season he helped Wednesday win the League Cup (although he was a non-playing substitute in the final) and also promotion back to the top flight.
At this stage of his career his pace had dropped off (although the occasional burst would often surprise defenders) but he made up for this with a deft touch and skilfulness that such wide and prolonged top flight experience brings. The Wednesday supporters would chant, "we've got tricky Trevor, he will play forever!"
, Francis took over with popular support from club and supporters. He guided Wednesday to an excellent third place finish in 1992. The following year, Wednesday reached the FA Cup
and League Cup finals, losing both to Arsenal
, the former after a replay. In 1994, Francis finally retired as a player, shortly before his 40th birthday. He was sacked as manager a year later after Wednesday finished 13th in the Premiership, and many people still feel that his dismissal - the result of one relatively bad season - was the cause of a subsequent decline from which the club has still not fully recovered.
In February 1992, Francis brought former French International Eric Cantona
back from the wilderness by inviting him for a trial at Sheffield Wednesday. However as the snowy conditions meant that he could only evaluate Cantona on astroturf, Francis requested an extension to the trial to see whether Cantona could play on grass. http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/cantona2.htm
An outraged Cantona walked out on The Owls and was signed (without a trial) by Leeds United, famously inspiring first them and then Manchester United to success.
to Liverpool
. Francis left later that year.
. Under his managership, Palace defeated Liverpool in an FA Cup fourth round replay at Anfield
in February 2003 and thrashed Palace's main rivals Brighton 5-0.
|1970-71
||rowspan="8"|Birmingham City
||rowspan="2"|Second Division
||22||15||||||||
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|1974-75
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||35||17||||||||
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|1976-77
||42||21||||||||
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|1977-78
||42||25||||||||
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|1978
||Detroit Express
||NASL
||19||22||||||||
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|1978-79
||Birmingham City
||First Division
||8||3||||||||
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|1978-79
||Nottingham Forest
||First Division
||20||6||||||||
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|1979
||Detroit Express
||NASL
||14||14||||||||
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|1979-80
||rowspan="3"|Nottingham Forest
||rowspan="3"|First Division
||30||14||||||||
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|1981-82
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|1981-82
||Manchester City
||First Division
||26||12||||||||
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|1982-83
||rowspan="4"|Sampdoria
||rowspan="4"|Serie A
||14||7||||||||
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|1983-84
||16||3||||||||
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|1984-85
||24||6||||||||
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|1985-86
||14||1||||||||
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|1986-87
||Atalanta
||Serie A
||21||1||||||||
|-
|1987-88
||Rangers
||Premier Division
||18||0||||||||
|-
|1987-88
||rowspan="3"|Queens Park Rangers
||rowspan="3"|First Division
||9||0||||||||
|-
|1988-89
||19||7||||||||
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|1989-90
||4||5||||||||
|-
|1989-90
||rowspan="5"|Sheffield Wednesday
||First Division
||12||0||||||||
|-
|1990-91
||Second Division
||38||4||||||||
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|1991-92
||First Division
||20||1||||||||
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|1992-93
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||5||0||||||||
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|1993-94
||1||0||||||||
483||175||||||||
33||36||||||||
89||18||||||||
18||0||||||||
623||229||||||||
Detroit Express
Nottingham Forest
Sampdoria
Rangers
Sheffield Wednesday
Birmingham City
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
52 times. He was England's first £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million player. England manager Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
considered Francis the best English player ever to have played in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
.
Between 1988 and 2003 he was a football manager, most notably with Sheffield Wednesday and then Birmingham City. Francis is currently working as a pundit with Al Jazeera Sports
Al Jazeera Sports
Al Jazeera Sports is a popular Arabic-language sports channel launched in November 2003 by the well-known Al Jazeera network.Al Jazeera Sports also owns the exclusive broadcasting rights in the Middle East for major football leagues, such as the Spanish La Liga, the French Ligue 1 and the Italian...
and Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
.
Education and Playing career
Francis was educated at Plymouth's Public Secondary School for Boys. He was an agile and skilful forwardStriker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and joined Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
as a schoolboy. He quickly rose in status, making his debut for its first team in 1970, aged just 16. His talent was noted when, before his 17th birthday, he scored four goals in one game. He ended his first season with 15 goals from just 22 games.
Birmingham City
In the 1970s, Birmingham City reached the occasional domestic semi-final but failed to make a great impact in the First Division championshipFootball League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, so the ability and achievements of Francis were made more noticeable as a result.
On 30 October 1976 he scored one of Birmingham's most famous goals, when he turned away from the touchline and cut inside four QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
defenders
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, constantly being forced backwards, before suddenly unleashing a 25-yard shot which caught the goalkeeper off guard. In 1977, he was given his first England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
cap by Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
. England were beaten 2-0 by Holland.
Francis negotiated a secondment from Birmingham in 1978 to play for the Detroit Express
Detroit Express
The Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned and directed by famous English soccer pundit Jimmy Hill who was also the managing...
in the fledgling North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL), 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
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. However, in February 1979 came the moment which would define his career and leave his name permanently in football folklore.
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, the reigning League champions and League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
holders managed by Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, 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
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
- Clough was in his red gym kit and carrying a racquet
Racquet
A racquet or racket is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched tightly. It is used for striking a ball in such games as squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton...
as he addressed the press conference.
While recognised as the first million pound player, the actual transfer fee for the player £1,150,000, including 15% commission to the Football League. There is a myth that the fee was £999,999 - £1 short of the million mark as Brian Clough wanted to ensure this milestone mark did not go to the player's head, although Trevor Francis says it was a tongue in cheek remark by Brian Clough. With taxes the total fee exceeded £1.1m.
Nottingham Forest retained the League Cup shortly afterwards (though Francis was ineligible), and made progress in the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
to the extent that they reached the semi-finals, at which point Francis was permitted by registration rules to take part. They won their semi-final, and in May 1979 Forest took on Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
side Malmö
Malmö FF
Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...
in the final in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and a major instalment of the huge investment money was repaid just before half time.
The ball was spread to Forest's lugubrious but skilful winger John Robertson wide on the left and he took on two defenders at once to reach the byline and curl an awkward, outswinging cross
Cross (football)
In football, a cross is a delivery of a ball from either side of the field across to the front of the goal by applying various kicking techniques. A cross is there to provide a goal-scoring opportunity...
towards the far post. Francis had already begun to sprint into position, but even he had to increase his pace to reach the cross as it dropped, and ended up throwing himself low at the ball. He connected with his head and the ball diverted powerfully into the roof of the net. Forest won the match 1-0 and footage of the goal was used in the opening titles to Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
for some years afterwards. A giant picture of Francis stooping to head the ball remains on display in the main entrance and reception area of Forest's stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
. Even though the season ended there, Francis duly headed back to Detroit for another summer playing in the NASL where once again he was named to the first XI alongside Johan Cruyff (LA) and Giorgio Chinaglia (NY) despite playing only half the season. In his brief NASL career Francis scored 36 goals in 33 regular season matches and had 18 assists, placing him one spot ahead of Pele on the all time scoring list, despite playing 23 fewer games.
Francis arguably did not achieve his full potential as a Forest player. This may partly be due to Clough frequently playing Francis on the right wing, rather than in his preferred position as a central attacker. He was in the side which lost the League Cup final to Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in 1980 but missed the European Cup final against Hamburg SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
due to an injury to his Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
. Somehow the success of his Forest career never quite reflected his huge fee, he scored only 14 league goals in the 1979-80 season and six in the eighteen games that he played for Forest in the next. Although still a regular for England (his Achilles injury prevented him being in the squad for the 1980 European Championships), his scoring record in club football was not spectacular.
Manchester City
Francis' injury kept him out of the game for over six months, and after playing fewer than twenty more games for Forest, he was sold to Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in 1981, this time for £1.2 million. The deal caused behind-the-scenes friction at Manchester City. During negotiations City chairman Peter Swales informed manager John Bond
John Bond (footballer)
John Frederick Bond is an English former professional football player and manager. His son Kevin Bond is also a former footballer.-Playing career:...
that the club could not afford the transfer fee. Bond then issued an ultimatum: if Francis did not sign, Bond would resign. Francis made a promising start at the club, scoring two goals against Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
on his debut, but over the course of the season he was frequently injured. In total he scored 12 goals in 26 games and made the squad for the 1982 World Cup in Spain. He duly scored goals in the group games against Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
and Kuwait
Kuwait national football team
The Kuwait National Football Team is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. They made one World Cup Finals appearance, in 1982, managing a draw with Czechoslovakia but losing to England and France. During the match against France, France scored a goal...
, but when England needed goals in the second group phase, he and the other strikers hit a barren spell. England were eliminated after two goalless draws against both the host nation and West Germany.
Back at his club, financial problems were again an issue. Francis' contract gave him a salary of £100,000 plus bonuses, which the club could no longer afford to pay to a player who regularly sustained injuries. As a result, Francis was sold to Italian club Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
.
Sampdoria
Later that summer, Francis was approached by ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
giants Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
, who paid Manchester City £700,000 for his services. He helped win the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
in 1985, in the same team as Scotland's
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
former Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
midfielder Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
. It was the first time that Sampdoria had won the competition.
Atalanta
He joined AtalantaAtalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
for £800,000, where he played twenty-one times but only managed one goal. In spring 1986, he made his 52nd and final appearance for England in a victory over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, and was therefore not selected for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico that summer. He had scored twelve goals for the national side.
Rangers
Francis returned to Britain in 1987 and joined Rangers F.C.Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
under Graeme Souness
Graeme Souness
Graeme James Souness is a Scottish former professional football player and manager.Souness was the captain of the successful Liverpool team of the early 1980s and player-manager of Rangers in the late 1980s as well as captain of the Scottish national team. He also played for Tottenham Hotspur,...
, as part of his self-styled "English invasion" at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
. Francis cost just £75,000 and won the Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
in 1987.
Queens Park Rangers
He signed as a player for Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
in 1987 and took over as player-manager in November 1988 when Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
moved to Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. He left after a year in charge, with a previously effective QPR side now in danger of relegation.
Sheffield Wednesday
Francis left QPR in 1990 to play for Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
; despite gaining a good reputation amongst supporters, he could not help the club avoid relegation to the second tier for the 1990-1991 season. However, that season he helped Wednesday win the League Cup (although he was a non-playing substitute in the final) and also promotion back to the top flight.
At this stage of his career his pace had dropped off (although the occasional burst would often surprise defenders) but he made up for this with a deft touch and skilfulness that such wide and prolonged top flight experience brings. The Wednesday supporters would chant, "we've got tricky Trevor, he will play forever!"
Sheffield Wednesday
After the departure of Ron AtkinsonRon Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
, Francis took over with popular support from club and supporters. He guided Wednesday to an excellent third place finish in 1992. The following year, Wednesday reached the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and League Cup finals, losing both to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, the former after a replay. In 1994, Francis finally retired as a player, shortly before his 40th birthday. He was sacked as manager a year later after Wednesday finished 13th in the Premiership, and many people still feel that his dismissal - the result of one relatively bad season - was the cause of a subsequent decline from which the club has still not fully recovered.
In February 1992, Francis brought former French International Eric Cantona
Eric Cantona
Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona is a French actor and former French international footballer. He played for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes and Leeds United before ending his professional footballing career at Manchester United, where he won four Premier League titles in...
back from the wilderness by inviting him for a trial at Sheffield Wednesday. However as the snowy conditions meant that he could only evaluate Cantona on astroturf, Francis requested an extension to the trial to see whether Cantona could play on grass. http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/cantona2.htm
An outraged Cantona walked out on The Owls and was signed (without a trial) by Leeds United, famously inspiring first them and then Manchester United to success.
Birmingham City
After leaving Wednesday, Francis spent time working as a television pundit (something which he had done throughout his career) before going back to his spiritual home of Birmingham City as manager in 1996, aiming to regain their position as a top team. They continued to reach the play-offs but failed to be promoted. They also lost the 2001 Football League Cup Final2001 Football League Cup Final
The 2001 Worthington Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Birmingham City at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 25 February 2001...
to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Francis left later that year.
Crystal Palace
Francis had a short spell in charge of Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. Under his managership, Palace defeated Liverpool in an FA Cup fourth round replay at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
in February 2003 and thrashed Palace's main rivals Brighton 5-0.
Career statistics
|-|1970-71
The Football League 1970-71
-Overview:The 1970–1971 season was the 71st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool...
||rowspan="8"|Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
||rowspan="2"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||22||15||||||||
|-
|1971-72
The Football League 1971-72
-Overview:The 1971–1972 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough, 37, won the first major trophy of his managerial career by guiding Derby County to their first ever league championship. They overcame Leeds United to win a four-horse race also...
||39||12||||||||
|-
|1972-73
The Football League 1972-73
-Overview:The 1972–1973 season was the 73rd completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool cruised to another championship triumph in Bill Shankly's penultimate season as manager despite competition from Arsenal, Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers.Manchester...
||rowspan="6"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||31||6||||||||
|-
|1973-74
The Football League 1973-74
-Overview:The 1973–1974 season was the 74th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Don Revie marked his last season as Leeds United's manager by guiding them to league championship glory, before taking over from Sir Alf Ramsey as the England national football team manager, with...
||37||6||||||||
|-
|1974-75
The Football League 1974-75
-Overview:The 1974–1975 season was the 75th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:David Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough in...
||23||13||||||||
|-
|1975-76
The Football League 1975-76
-Overview:The 1975–1976 season was the 76th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won their first major trophy under Bob Paisley by narrowly winning the league title after heated competition from Queens Park Rangers. They also lifted the UEFA Cup for the second time in...
||35||17||||||||
|-
|1976-77
The Football League 1976-77
-Overview:The 1976–1977 season was the 77th completed season of The Football League.As of this season, goal difference was used to separate the clubs finishing level on points. The earlier system, used from the season 1894–95 until the 1975–76 had been the so-called goal average , or more properly...
||42||21||||||||
|-
|1977-78
The Football League 1977-78
-Overview:The 1977–1978 season was the 78th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
||42||25||||||||
|-
|1978
North American Soccer League 1978
Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1978. This was the 11th season of the NASL.-Overview:The league was made up of 24 teams. The Cosmos defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the finals on August 27 to win the championship.-Relocated Teams:* St...
||Detroit Express
Detroit Express
The Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned and directed by famous English soccer pundit Jimmy Hill who was also the managing...
||NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
||19||22||||||||
|-
|1978-79
The Football League 1978-79
-Overview:The 1978–1979 season was the 79th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley won his third league title at Liverpool as his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph...
||Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||8||3||||||||
|-
|1978-79
The Football League 1978-79
-Overview:The 1978–1979 season was the 79th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley won his third league title at Liverpool as his conquering side fought off competition from the likes of Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion to achieve their triumph...
||Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||20||6||||||||
|-
|1979
North American Soccer League 1979
Statistics of North American Soccer League in season 1979. This was the 12th season of the NASL.-Overview:The league comprised 24 teams.ABC Sports began covering the NASL....
||Detroit Express
Detroit Express
The Detroit Express was a soccer team based in suburban Detroit that played in the now defunct North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1980. Its home field was the Pontiac Silverdome. The Express were co-owned and directed by famous English soccer pundit Jimmy Hill who was also the managing...
||NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
||14||14||||||||
|-
|1979-80
The Football League 1979-80
-Overview:The 1979–1980 season was the 80th completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Bob Paisley's Liverpool retained their league championship trophy after fighting off a determined challenge by Dave Sexton's Manchester United...
||rowspan="3"|Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
||rowspan="3"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||30||14||||||||
|-
|1980-81
The Football League 1980-81
The 1980–1981 season was the 81st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Ron Saunders completed Aston Villa's revival, as they ended their 71-year wait for the league championship trophy. They competed in a two-horse race with Ipswich Town during the final stages of the season...
||18||6||||||||
|-
|1981-82
The Football League 1981-82
The 1981–1982 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:3 points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
||2||2||||||||
|-
|1981-82
The Football League 1981-82
The 1981–1982 season was the 82nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division:3 points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...
||Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||26||12||||||||
|-
|1982-83
Serie A 1982-83
The 1982/1983 Serie A season was won by A.S. Roma.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||rowspan="4"|Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
||rowspan="4"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||14||7||||||||
|-
|1983-84
Serie A 1983-84
The 1983/1984 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C. It was a tight championship, won only on the last day of the season.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:...
||16||3||||||||
|-
|1984-85
Serie A 1984-85
The 1984/1985 Serie A season heralded Hellas Verona's first and so far only Scudetto. Unusually, none of the big three of Juventus, AC Milan or Inter managed to finish in the top two...
||24||6||||||||
|-
|1985-86
Serie A 1985-86
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||14||1||||||||
|-
|1986-87
Serie A 1986-87
The 1986/1987 Serie A season ended with S.S.C. Napoli doing the "domestic double", winning their first Scudetto and third Coppa Italia, spurred on by their talismanic captain Diego Maradona....
||Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
||Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||21||1||||||||
|-
|1987-88
Scottish Football League 1987-88
Statistics of the Scottish Football League in season 1987–88.-Scottish Premier Division:-Scottish League Division One:-Scottish League Division Two:...
||Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
||Premier Division
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||18||0||||||||
|-
|1987-88
The Football League 1987-88
The 1987–1988 season was the 88th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season...
||rowspan="3"|Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
||rowspan="3"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||9||0||||||||
|-
|1988-89
The Football League 1988-89
The 1988–1989 season was the 89th completed season of the Football League.No European qualification took place due to the Heysel Stadium disaster suspension in place....
||19||7||||||||
|-
|1989-90
The Football League 1989-90
The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains...
||4||5||||||||
|-
|1989-90
The Football League 1989-90
The 1989–1990 season was the 90th completed season of The Football League.- First Division :Liverpool overhauled a greatly improved Aston Villa side to win their 18th league championship trophy and their fifth major trophy in as many seasons under Kenny Dalglish’s management. To date, this remains...
||rowspan="5"|Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||12||0||||||||
|-
|1990-91
The Football League 1990-91
The 1990–1991 season was the 91st completed season of The Football League.-First Division:Arsenal took their second league title in three seasons despite a season during which it often looked as though the good points would be outnumbered by the bad points...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||38||4||||||||
|-
|1991-92
The Football League 1991-92
The 1991–1992 season was the 92nd completed season of The Football League.- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of players like Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||20||1||||||||
|-
|1992-93
FA Premier League 1992-93
The 1992–93 FA Premier League was the first season of the Premier League, the top division of English football. The league was made up of the 22 clubs that broke away from The Football League at the end of the 1991–92 season. The new league was backed up by a five-year, £305 million deal with...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||5||0||||||||
|-
|1993-94
FA Premier League 1993-94
-New league sponsors:From the start of the 1993-94 season, the FA Premier League was sponsored by Carling Breweries.-Promoted teams:Newcastle United and West Ham were promoted to the Premier League from the First Division as champions and runners-up respectively. The last promotion place was won by...
||1||0||||||||
483||175||||||||
33||36||||||||
89||18||||||||
18||0||||||||
623||229||||||||
As player
Birmingham City- Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
runners-up: 1971–72
Detroit Express
- Central Division of the American Conference winner:1978
Nottingham Forest
- Football League First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
runners-up: 1978–79 - European Cup winner: 19791979 European Cup FinalThe 1979 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Olympiastadion, Munich, on 30 May 1979, that saw Nottingham Forest of England defeat Malmö FF of Sweden 1–0.-Background:...
- European Super Cup winner: 1979
- European Super Cup finalist: 1980
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
finalist: 19801980 Intercontinental CupThe 1980 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 11 February 1981 between Nacional of Uruguay, winners of the 1980 Copa Libertadores, and Nottingham Forest of England, winners of the 1979–80 European Cup. The match was played for the first time at the neutral venue of the National... - League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
finalist: 19801980 Football League Cup FinalThe 1980 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 1979–80 Football League Cup, the 20th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in The Football League...
Sampdoria
- Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
winner: 1985 - Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
finalist: 1986
Rangers
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
winner: 19871987 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 1987 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 25 October 1987 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 42nd Scottish League Cup competition. The final was contested by Aberdeen and Rangers. Rangers won the match 5-3 on penalties after both sides drew 3–3.-Match...
Sheffield Wednesday
- League Cup winner: 19911991 Football League Cup FinalThe 1991 Rumbelows Cup Final was a football match played on 21 April 1991 between Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday. It was the first of two years that the competition was sponsored by Rumbelows....
As manager
Sheffield Wednesday- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalist: 19931993 FA Cup FinalThe 1993 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley. The original match, played on 15 May 1993 finished 1–1, with Arsenal winning the replay on 20 May; 2–1 after extra-time.... - League Cup finalist: 19931993 Football League Cup FinalThe 1993 Coca Cola Cup Final took place on 18 April 1993 at Wembley Stadium, and was played between Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday. Arsenal won 2–1 in normal time, in what was the first of three Wembley finals between the two sides that season; Arsenal and Wednesday also met in the FA Cup...
Birmingham City
- League Cup finalist: 20012001 Football League Cup FinalThe 2001 Worthington Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Birmingham City at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 25 February 2001...