Editing Trevor Francis (section)

===Nottingham Forest===
[[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]], the [[1977–78 Football League|reigning First Division champions]] and [[1977–78 Football League Cup|League Cup]] holders managed by [[Brian Clough]], put in a bid for Francis which totalled just over £1&nbsp;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 (sport)|squash]]; Clough was in his red gym kit and carrying a [[racquet]] as he addressed the press conference.<ref name="UEFA Francis">{{cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=1979/ |title=1979: Burns' night for Forest |publisher=UEFA |access-date=29 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413035802/http://www.uefa.com/uefasupercup/history/season=1979/index.html |archive-date=13 April 2014}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph Briggs">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/nottingham-forest/4560618/The-day-Trevor-Francis-broke-footballs-1m-mark.html |title=The day Trevor Francis broke football's £1m mark |first=Simon |last=Briggs |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=9 February 2009 |access-date=24 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724213404/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/nottingham-forest/4560618/The-day-Trevor-Francis-broke-footballs-1m-mark.html |archive-date=24 July 2018 |url-access=registration |url-status=live |quote=Francis is still remembered as the man who went for a million, yet never quite lived up to his billing.}}</ref>

While recognised as the first British million-pound player,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/Champions_League/Story/0,5764,86712,00.html |title=Forest reach the summit |first=David |last=Lacey |newspaper=The Guardian |date=31 May 1979 |access-date=24 July 2018}}</ref> the actual transfer fee for the player was £1,150,000, including 15% commission to the Football League. Clough wrote in his autobiography that the fee was £999,999, as he wanted to ensure the million-pound milestone did not go to the player's head; although Francis says that was a [[tongue-in-cheek]] remark by Clough.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://utv.vo.llnwd.net/o16/talkSPORT/20110427_1000_LA.mp3 |title=Trevor Francis interview, Talksport Radio – Keys and Gray – 27 April 2011 |publisher=TalkSport |date=27 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323075607/http://utv.vo.llnwd.net/o16/talkSPORT/20110427_1000_LA.mp3 |archive-date=23 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Clough: The Autobiography |first=Brian |last=Clough |publisher=Corgi |date=1995 |pages=190–191 |isbn=9781409045427 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GXMhl6mgmYEC&pg=PA190}}</ref>

Nottingham Forest retained the [[1978–79 Football League Cup|League Cup]] shortly afterwards without the [[cup-tied]] Francis,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-1979-league-cup-final/129130136/ |title=Birtles rebuffs Ball's theory of negativity |first=David |last=Lacey |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=19 March 1979 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-pre-1979-league-cup-final/129130103/ |title=Magical managers: So alike and so admired |newspaper=Evening Post League Cup Special |location=Nottingham |date=13 March 1979 |page=VII |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and made progress in the [[1978–79 European Cup|European Cup]] to the extent that they reached the semi-finals,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/025a-0ea6687c95ea-1cc4f4a550f7-1000--1978-79-forest-join-elite-club/ |title=1978/79: Forest join elite club |publisher=UEFA |date=27 September 2014 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> although Francis was not eligible to play in the competition until the final.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-post-francis-to-join-forest/129129127/ |title=Francis 'yes' to Forest |newspaper=Evening Post |location=Bristol |date=9 February 1979 |page=16 |quote=Forest are still involved in the European Cup but he will not be able to play for them until the final. An FA spokesman explained: 'He had to be signed by January 15 to play in the semi-finals.' |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> They won their semi-final, and in May 1979 Forest took on Swedish club [[Malmö FF|Malmö]] in [[1979 European Cup Final|the final]] in [[Munich]], and a major instalment of the huge investment money was repaid just before half time.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2009/may/03/forest-malmo-may-1979 |title=Frozen in time |first=Tom |last=Lamont |website=The Guardian |date=2 May 2009 |access-date=30 July 2023 |quote="'The £1m man puts his name on the score sheet, and returns a great deal of the cheque,' said commentator [[Barry Davies]] after Francis headed home."}}</ref>

The ball was spread to Forest's [[winger (association football)|winger]] [[John Robertson (footballer, born 1953)|John Robertson]] wide on the left and he took on two defenders at once to reach the byline and curl an awkward, outswinging [[Cross (association football)|cross]] towards the far post. Francis had already begun to sprint into position, but even so he had to increase his pace in order 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.<ref>{{cite book |title=Clough: The Autobiography |first=Brian |last=Clough |publisher=Corgi |date=1995 |pages=190–191 |isbn=9781409045427 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GXMhl6mgmYEC&pg=PA190}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11727/9927376/watch-trevor-francis-my-greatest-game |title=Watch: Trevor Francis – My Greatest Game |website=Sky Sports |date=10 September 2015 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.extratime.com/articles/14425/oneill-recalls-forest-european-cup-victory/ |title=O'Neill recalls Forest European Cup victory |first=Fran |last=Reilly |website=ExtraTime.ie |date=6 June 2015 |access-date=30 July 2023}}</ref> 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 [[City Ground]] stadium.<ref>{{cite web | last=Mata | first=William | title=Trevor Francis: The story of Britain's first £1m football transfer | website=Evening Standard | date=25 July 2023 | url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/trevor-francis-nottingham-forest-transfer-b1096564.html | access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref>

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]] ([[Los Angeles Aztecs]]) and [[Giorgio Chinaglia]] ([[New York Cosmos (1970–1985)|New York Cosmos]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://soccerhistoryusa.org/asha/year/1979.html |title=The Year in American Soccer – 1979 |website=Soccer History USA |access-date=29 July 2023}}</ref> despite playing only half the season. In his brief NASL career, Francis scored 36 goals in 33 regular season matches and had 18 assists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/naslstar.html |title=Top international stars in the NASL, 1967–1984: Part 1: Player Biographies, A–H |first=Dave |last=Litterer |website=USA Soccer History Archives |date=29 January 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512025157/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/nasl/naslstar.html |archive-date=12 May 2008}}</ref>

At Nottingham Forest Clough frequently played Francis on the [[Forward (association football)#Winger|right wing]], rather than in his preferred position as a [[Centre forward|central attacker]].<ref name="Guardian Wilson"/><ref>{{cite book |title=The Undisputed Champions of Europe |first=Steven |last=Scragg |publisher=Pitch Publishing |location=Durrington |date=2021 |page=158 |isbn=9781801500371 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JBdkEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA158}}</ref> Francis was in the side which lost the [[1980 Football League Cup Final|1980 League Cup Final]] to [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolverhampton Wanderers]], but missed the [[1980 European Cup Final|European Cup Final]] against [[Hamburger SV|Hamburg]] due to an injury to his [[Achilles tendon]].<ref name="ENFA player"/><ref name=Achilles>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-francis-achilles/129077695/ |title=Francis injury dents Forest's European hopes |first=Donald |last=Saunders |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=5 May 1980 |page=19 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Somehow the success of his Forest career never quite reflected his huge fee:<ref name="Telegraph Briggs"/><ref name="Guardian Wilson"/> he scored only 14 league goals in the [[1979–80 Nottingham Forest F.C. season|1979–80 season]] and 6 in the next 18 games that he played for Forest.<ref name="ENFA player"/> Although still a regular for England, his Achilles injury prevented him being in the squad for the [[1980 European Football Championship|1980 European Championships]].<ref name=Achilles/>