Editing Trevor Francis (section)

==Managerial career==
===Sheffield Wednesday===
After the departure of [[Ron Atkinson]], Francis took over as manager of Sheffield Wednesday with popular support from club and supporters. He guided Wednesday to third-place finish in 1992.<ref>{{cite web | last1=Whaling | first1=James | last2=Lloyd | first2=Howard | title=Trevor Francis dies aged 69 | website=WalesOnline | date=24 July 2023 | url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/trevor-francis-dies-aged-69-27384407 | access-date=24 July 2023}}</ref> The following year, Wednesday reached the [[1993 FA Cup Final|FA Cup]] and [[1993 Football League Cup Final|League Cup finals]], losing both to [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]], the former after a replay.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/football/news/sheffield-wednesday-arsenal-fa-cup-18281115 |title=How Arsenal wrecked Sheffield Wednesday's fourth visit to Wembley in quick succession in 1993 |first=Dom |last=Howson |website=Yorkshire Live |date=20 May 2020 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> In 1994, Francis finally retired as a player, shortly before his 40th birthday.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66287307 |title=Trevor Francis: Ex-England player and Britain's first £1m footballer dies aged 69 |website=BBC Sport |date=24 July 2023 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> He was dismissed as manager a year later after Wednesday finished 13th in the Premiership.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-never-recovered-since-1995-sacking-of-trevor-francis-2857365 |title=Sheffield Wednesday never recovered since 1995 sacking of Trevor Francis |first=Leon |last=Wobschall |newspaper=The Yorkshire Post |date=19 May 2020 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref>

In February 1992, Francis brought former French international [[Eric Cantona]] back from a poor discipline enforced hiatus in his career 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/players/cantona2.htm |title=Players: Eric Cantona Part 2 – Ooh, aah, cantona! |website=The Mighty Mighty Whites: The Definitive History of Leeds United |access-date=24 July 2018}}</ref> An outraged Cantona walked out on The Owls and was signed (without a trial) by [[Leeds United]], inspiring first them and then Manchester United to success. In a 2012 interview Francis said that he had agreed to take Cantona on as a favour to Francis' former agent, Dennis Roach, and [[Michel Platini]], who he knew from his time playing in Italy, when they approached him about taking on Cantona, and that it was intended as an opportunity for Cantona to put himself in the "shop window": Wednesday had only recently been promoted back to the top flight, with most of the squad still being on Second Division-level wages, and the club could not afford to sign him.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/exclusive-francis-sets-the-record-straight-on-why-sheffield-wednesday-did-not-sign-cantona-1-4470843 |title=Exclusive: Francis sets the record straight on why Sheffield Wednesday did not sign Cantona |last=Hercock |first=Richard |date=21 April 2012 |newspaper=The Yorkshire Post |access-date=3 November 2018}}</ref>

===Birmingham City===
Francis was hired as Birmingham City as manager in 1996, with the club in the First Division. He guided Birmingham to 10th- and 7th-place finishes in his first two seasons, missing out on the playoffs on goal difference in the latter. Finishes of 4th, 4th and 5th in the next three seasons resulted in playoff entry, losing each time.<ref name=nearly>{{cite news |title=Francis the nearly man |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/1338066.stm |access-date=24 July 2023 |work=BBC Sport |date=18 May 2001}}</ref>

Francis led Blues to the [[2001 Football League Cup Final|2001 League Cup Final]], in which they lost on penalties to [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]]. He was dismissed in October that year. [[BBC Sport]] wrote "Francis the player was legendary. Francis the manager is the nearly man".<ref name=nearly/>

===Crystal Palace===
Francis was manager of [[Crystal Palace F.C.|Crystal Palace]]  from November 2001 to April 2003.<ref name="Named Palace">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2001/nov/30/newsstory.sport5 |title=Palace name Francis as manager |first=Dan |last=Rookwood |newspaper=The Guardian |date=30 November 2001 |access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref><ref name="Sacked Palace"/> He was appointed by Crystal Palace chairman, [[Simon Jordan]] to replace [[Steve Bruce]] who had resigned as Crystal Palace manager with the intention of taking the manager's role at Birmingham City. Litigation had followed with Bruce being placed on "[[gardening leave]]".<ref>{{cite web | last=Harris | first=Nick | title=Palace win injunction against Bruce | website=The Independent | date=23 November 2001 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/palace-win-injunction-against-bruce-9201022.html | access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref> Of the appointment Jordan said, "The last two or three weeks have not been easy. I'm bored of Steve Bruce and Birmingham and what I'm interested in is Trevor Francis and Crystal Palace." At the time Francis said that he had turned down four jobs before accepting the role at Crystal Palace.<ref name="Named Palace" /> Under his managership, Palace defeated a [[Gerard Houllier]]-managed [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] in an FA Cup fourth round replay at [[Anfield]] in February 2003<ref>{{cite web | title=Palace stun Liverpool | website=BBC Sport | date=13 February 2003 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/2708843.stm | access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref> and beat Palace's main rivals, [[Brighton & Hove Albion]], 5–0 in October 2002.<ref>{{cite book |title=Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–2011 |last=King |first=Ian |date=April 2012 |pages=221, 420–23 |publisher=Derby Books |isbn=9781780910468}}</ref> However, after the team's second failure to achieve promotion to the Premier League, Simon Jordan dismissed him, stating: "People know I am very unhappy with the selection of our players under Francis. We have a very strong squad and we should have done a lot better this season – a lot of lessons need to be learned from injury prevention and transfer policy."<ref name="Sacked Palace">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/apr/19/newsstory.sport4 |title=Francis sacked for failing to decorate Jordan's Palace |first=Dominic |last=Fifield |newspaper=The Guardian |date=19 April 2003 |access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref>