Trevor Francis had only been at Nottingham Forest 110 days when he stooped to head in the winning goal of the 1979 European Cup final. The 25-year-old had become the first million-pound player when he signed from Birmingham City on 9 February 1979, and Brian Clough’s decision to invest an unprecedented seven-figure sum was vindicated against Malmö in the Munich final when Francis turned home John Robertson’s cross from the left just before half-time.
It was Francis’s first appearance in the competition and he later said he did not feel comfortable being photographed alone with the trophy because he had come so late to the party.
“I was reluctant to take too much of the credit,” he explained. “Even though I had contributed greatly to winning the final by scoring the all-important goal, it still was very much on my mind that I was so fortunate to be part of this European Cup-winning team.
Trevor Francis had only been at Nottingham Forest 110 days when he stooped to head in the winning goal of the 1979 European Cup final. The 25-year-old had become the first million-pound player when he signed from Birmingham City on 9 February 1979, and Brian Clough’s decision to invest an unprecedented seven-figure sum was vindicated against Malmö in the Munich final when Francis turned home John Robertson’s cross from the left just before half-time.
It was Francis’s first appearance in the competition and he later said he did not feel comfortable being photographed alone with the trophy because he had come so late to the party.
“I was reluctant to take too much of the credit,” he explained. “Even though I had contributed greatly to winning the final by scoring the all-important goal, it still was very much on my mind that I was so fortunate to be part of this European Cup-winning team.
“Of course, I enjoyed having my photo taken, but I wanted the other players to enjoy the moment because we had some unsung heroes in that team, and they had played right throughout the competition. If it wasn’t for their input, their contribution, I wouldn’t have been stood there in the Olympic Stadium holding that trophy.”
It did not take much, however, to convince Francis to pose with the trophy in the cockpit of the plane that flew the squad back home from Germany. After all, when you score the winner in a European Cup final, it’s not easy to keep your feet on the ground.
Sadly, Francis passed away on 24 July after suffering a heart attack aged 69, leaving behind memories that Forest fans and his team-mates will cherish forever.
Trevor Francis had only been at Nottingham Forest 110 days when he stooped to head in the winning goal of the 1979 European Cup final. The 25-year-old had become the first million-pound player when he signed from Birmingham City on 9 February 1979, and Brian Clough’s decision to invest an unprecedented seven-figure sum was vindicated against Malmö in the Munich final when Francis turned home John Robertson’s cross from the left just before half-time.
It was Francis’s first appearance in the competition and he later said he did not feel comfortable being photographed alone with the trophy because he had come so late to the party.
“I was reluctant to take too much of the credit,” he explained. “Even though I had contributed greatly to winning the final by scoring the all-important goal, it still was very much on my mind that I was so fortunate to be part of this European Cup-winning team.
Trevor Francis had only been at Nottingham Forest 110 days when he stooped to head in the winning goal of the 1979 European Cup final. The 25-year-old had become the first million-pound player when he signed from Birmingham City on 9 February 1979, and Brian Clough’s decision to invest an unprecedented seven-figure sum was vindicated against Malmö in the Munich final when Francis turned home John Robertson’s cross from the left just before half-time.
It was Francis’s first appearance in the competition and he later said he did not feel comfortable being photographed alone with the trophy because he had come so late to the party.
“I was reluctant to take too much of the credit,” he explained. “Even though I had contributed greatly to winning the final by scoring the all-important goal, it still was very much on my mind that I was so fortunate to be part of this European Cup-winning team.
Trevor Francis had only been at Nottingham Forest 110 days when he stooped to head in the winning goal of the 1979 European Cup final. The 25-year-old had become the first million-pound player when he signed from Birmingham City on 9 February 1979, and Brian Clough’s decision to invest an unprecedented seven-figure sum was vindicated against Malmö in the Munich final when Francis turned home John Robertson’s cross from the left just before half-time.
It was Francis’s first appearance in the competition and he later said he did not feel comfortable being photographed alone with the trophy because he had come so late to the party.
“I was reluctant to take too much of the credit,” he explained. “Even though I had contributed greatly to winning the final by scoring the all-important goal, it still was very much on my mind that I was so fortunate to be part of this European Cup-winning team.
“Of course, I enjoyed having my photo taken, but I wanted the other players to enjoy the moment because we had some unsung heroes in that team, and they had played right throughout the competition. If it wasn’t for their input, their contribution, I wouldn’t have been stood there in the Olympic Stadium holding that trophy.”
It did not take much, however, to convince Francis to pose with the trophy in the cockpit of the plane that flew the squad back home from Germany. After all, when you score the winner in a European Cup final, it’s not easy to keep your feet on the ground.
Sadly, Francis passed away on 24 July after suffering a heart attack aged 69, leaving behind memories that Forest fans and his team-mates will cherish forever.
Trevor Francis had only been at Nottingham Forest 110 days when he stooped to head in the winning goal of the 1979 European Cup final. The 25-year-old had become the first million-pound player when he signed from Birmingham City on 9 February 1979, and Brian Clough’s decision to invest an unprecedented seven-figure sum was vindicated against Malmö in the Munich final when Francis turned home John Robertson’s cross from the left just before half-time.
It was Francis’s first appearance in the competition and he later said he did not feel comfortable being photographed alone with the trophy because he had come so late to the party.
“I was reluctant to take too much of the credit,” he explained. “Even though I had contributed greatly to winning the final by scoring the all-important goal, it still was very much on my mind that I was so fortunate to be part of this European Cup-winning team.
