Gerry Francis

Gerry Francis

Born Chiswick; December 6, 1951.

I suppose most professional footballers begin life as outstanding, all round sporting schoolboys and Gerry Francis was certainly no different, a fact that will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers the all action midfield dynamo from his 1970’s heyday.

The son of a professional footballer the game was in his genes from the start and it quickly became apparent that Francis was likely to emulate his father. As well as his obvious talent for football Francis was an outstanding athlete and also had trials for the England schoolboys rugby side. The energy, speed, endurance and power that helped him excel in these areas were to remain crucial assets as he made his way to the top in football and, combined with his natural flair and flamboyance, ensured that he would become one of the most exciting footballers of his time.

George Francis, Gerry’s dad, had been a reliable centre forward during the 1950’s and early 60’s spending the majority of his career with Brentford and it appeared likely that Griffin Park would be the starting point of Gerry’s career as well but the youngsters’ talent was spotted by a scout from Queens Park Rangers and the club moved swiftly to take him to Loftus Road.

Traditionally, up to this point, Brentford had actually been a bigger, more successful club than QPR but this was a good time to be joining Rangers. Inspired by the precocious talent of Rodney Marsh the club had recently won the League Cup as a third division side and were moving swiftly towards the top flight. In the swinging sixties the club was becoming extremely fashionable, in an underground sort of way, and it was an exciting, vibrant place to be for a confident aspiring young footballer like Francis.

With a successful first team in place it was not going to be easy for Francis to break through at Loftus Road but the enthusiastic, energetic youngster quickly made his mark at the club scoring regularly for their youth and reserve teams. The emergence of Francis as a hot prospect was just another cause for optimism at Queens Park Rangers as the club headed for the first division, a destination they reached in 1968 after successive promotions.

Francis was clearly knocking on the door of QPR’s first team as they prepared for their first season in the top flight but he was still very young and there was also the question of what his best position was to be answered. Francis was basically a traditional inside forward. He had energy to burn and liked to be involved in the action at both ends of the field but predominantly he was effective bursting forward to support the attack and clearly had a keen eye for goal.

Football at this time was moving away from the formation which utilised inside forwards with the 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or 4-2-4 systems favoured. In these formations Francis would most likely need to claim one of the two central midfield berths on offer and this would obviously be a difficult task for a sixteen year old just out of school.

Not surprisingly it would be a couple of seasons before Francis was able to establish himself as a first team regular at Loftus Road but he continued to enjoy a prosperous apprenticeship with the club, making excellent progress in the London Combination.

The youngster was given a brief taste of first team action during the 1968-69 season as the club endured a torrid baptism in the first division. Without the injured Marsh for much of the season Rangers struggled badly and by the time Liverpool were due at Loftus Road at the end of March they knew that another defeat would confirm relegation.

Despite one of their brighter displays this defeat duly arrived and Francis had his share of the disappointment having come on for his debut in place of Tony Hazell with twenty minutes remaining.

With the club back in Division Two Francis was able to make a more substantial contribution when he was given his first start for the club on an early visit to Portsmouth. Rangers ran out 3-1 winners with Francis grabbing one of the goals in what would become familiar style.

Taking possession just beyond the halfway line Francis surged forward beyond a couple of challenges before sending a fierce drive ripping into the net.

Les Allen, the QPR manager, still reckoned his exciting prospect needed to be nurtured along and it would be over two months before Francis figured in the first team again and by the end of the season he had made ten appearances and scored twice. By this time, however, the Rangers team was beginning to look in need of an injection of youth and from the start of the 1970-71 season Francis would become an automatic choice.

The emergence of Francis as a vibrant new talent was one of the brightest aspects of life at Loftus Road at this time as the club endured a frustrating time back in the second division. The chastening experience of one season in the first division had done little to dampen the feeling around the club that they were worth a place in the top flight and, with Rodney Marsh back to fitness and form, the general feeling was that an immediate return was well within the clubs’ compass. Regaining first division status did not prove that simple, however.

Although Marsh was able to torment second division defences and score heavily other positions were in need of improvement. On their day Rangers remained an exciting side to watch and were capable of beating anyone in the section. At other times the team lacked cohesion and looked more like a collection of individuals. Three seasons came and went without the coveted promotion being won and Gordon Jago was appointed manager in place of Les Allen as a consequence.

Although the club was treading water, however, Gerry Francis was progressing nicely as he forged an excellent partnership in central midfield with Terry Venables. Venables was an ideal partner for Francis at this fledgling stage of his career and the youngster undoubtedly learnt a lot from his experienced colleague.

Venables had an astute footballing brain and made sure he got the most out of his hugely energetic partner. Francis no doubt did a lot of running for Venables during this period but the older player still had plenty of devil about him and liked to be at the heart of the action himself. The pair formed a dynamic, competitive and highly skilful partnership and Francis quickly developed into a more complete midfield player than might have been expected at first.

Always capable of getting around the pitch Francis became more aware of when to burst forward and when to hold his position as well as manifestly improving his distribution. As his understanding of the game developed it became obvious that he possessed all the attributes needed to become a top class midfield player.

He could tackle and was a willing worker, his passing was astute and accurate over any distance, and he generally chose the right options, and his shooting was dangerous from any distance. He was exciting to watch and his stealthy movements and controlled power gave him a real presence on the pitch.

Francis was obviously ready for first division football and, in 1973, QPR finally gained the promotion that would offer him the bigger stage his talents merited and his ambition demanded.

The catalyst for Rangers’ promotion push was actually the selling of their cult hero Marsh to Manchester City. Jago invested the transfer fee wisely bringing in the attacking talents of Don Givens, Dave Thomas and Stan Bowles, all of whom proved outstanding signings.

Givens scored goals and provided the team with a good target up front, Thomas was a flying winger who provided wonderful service from the flanks and Bowles perhaps surpassed Marsh as the flamboyant, roving attacker who had carte blanche to tease and torment opposition defences.

With these three players added to the attack and Francis driving them forward relentlessly from midfield QPR became a truly potent combination and gained a comprehensive promotion. They had to settle for the runners up spot behind Burnley but, in the days of two points for a win, finished a full eleven points clear of Aston Villa in third place. The side were also comfortably the leading scorers in any of the four divisions and Francis contributed consistently towards their total with nine goals, his highest tally for a league season up to that point.

Boasting such fine attacking talent and also possessing the basis of a sound defence QPR approached their second venture into first division football with genuine optimism. Nobody radiated confidence more obviously than Francis himself. The midfield dynamo was quick to put on record his eagerness to pit his skills against the best midfielders in the country, fully believing that he was their equal. He also made public his intention of forcing his way into international reckoning.

This brash, no nonsense approach could have been taken as arrogance but Francis fully believed in his own ability and his subsequent performances would more than justify his self confidence. The start of the season brought frustration for Francis as suspension ruled him out of the first two games but he was quick to make his mark in his first game as he scored with a smart volley at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

This game was a bittersweet experience for Rangers. They put on a fine attacking display and dominated much of the play but still left shaking their heads and pondering a 2-1 defeat. The general consensus was that QPR had looked a far better team than United, however, and this opinion would be borne out by the end of the season as Rangers went on to finish a creditable eighth while United would descend into chaos and end up relegated.

There was no danger of Francis being overawed by the big stage or big reputations and his positive approach was undoubtedly a huge factor in the team making the step up in assured fashion. There was also the international recognition Francis craved as he appeared in all of England’s under 23 games over the course of the season while the full England team was missing out on qualification for the 1974 World Cup finals to be held in Germany.

The failure of Alf Ramsey’s side to beat Poland at Wembley seemed certain to mark the end of an era in English football and Francis looked to be at the front of the queue to challenge established stars like Martin Peters, Colin Bell and Alan Ball for a place in the England midfield.

Francis made a flying start to the following season as he scored the goals that gave Rangers a draw at Sheffield United and a win away to Leeds United, the reigning league champions, in the first two games. This promising start gave way to a period of turbulence, however, which threatened to derail the club. Only one win came in the next eleven games and Rangers dropped into the relegation zone as Terry Venables departed for a coaching role at Crystal Palace, Terry Mancini was transfer listed, Stanley Bowles copped a fine for missing training and Gordon Jago resigned as manager after a dispute with the board.

Even the one victory, at home to Ipswich Town, brought controversy as Mancini ended up being fined after admitting dropping his shorts in front of the directors box in celebration of the winning goal, scored again by Francis.

Amidst this upheaval Francis continued to thrive, however, scoring vital goals and readily taking on the responsibility of the captaincy after Venables’ departure. This consistency was rewarded by a call up to Don Revie’s first England squad and Francis duly made his full international debut in the European Championship qualifier against Czechoslovakia.

Francis made a sound impression alongside Martin Dobson and Colin Bell in midfield although it was the introduction of his club colleague Dave Thomas, coming on as a substitute for his debut, that eventually provided the extra spark which carried England towards a rousing 3-0 victory.

This was a wonderful start for Revie as England manager but the night proved to be a false dawn for him and several of the players who had performed so impressively, Francis included. The next game brought a disappointing goalless draw with Portugal and Francis would then lose his place for the next four internationals.

At club level, however, Francis continued to prove himself one of the outstanding talents in the country and QPR were able to recover strongly in the second half of the season under new manager Dave Sexton. An important factor in their revival was the signing of Don Masson to fill the void left by Venables and Francis quickly struck up an excellent understanding with the intelligent Scot.

Masson had been a prolific goalscorer from midfield in his earlier days with Notts County but had since become more of a schemer and this role complemented the buccaneering Francis perfectly. As this pair gelled in midfield the whole team began to function properly and QPR ended up safely in mid table after several notable victories.

Francis was back in the England squad for the end of season Home Championships and was included for the 2-2 draw with Wales. He did enough to retain his place for the deciding game against Scotland at Wembley and it is this match that he is surely best remembered for.

Scotland ventured south only needing a draw to take the championship but nevertheless selected an unbelievably attacking team including the winger Arthur Duncan as well as forwards Kenny Dalglish, Alfie Conn, Ted MacDougall and Derek Parlane.

Bruce Rioch must have raised an eyebrow when he saw the teamsheet that afternoon and he ended up suffering a torrid time as England swamped the midfield areas with Colin Bell and Alan Ball helping Francis to dominate. It was Francis who really caught the eye, however, as he bestrode the field, his stealthy movements suggesting danger at all times and revelling in the open spaces afforded him by the Scots.

The most exhilarating moment of a breathless afternoon came as early as the fifth minute when Francis turned away from a challenge he had drawn in the centre of the pitch and fired a dipping angled drive into the corner of the Scotland net from twenty five yards out to give England the lead.

This goal seemed to inspire both Francis and England with the midfield player orchestrating most of his teams’ attacking moves in a performance that was the embodiment of pass and move football. Time and again Francis set England moving forward with a series of slick give and goes through midfield that allowed the forwards to attack an exposed Scotland defence.

Francis was heavily involved in England’s next two goals, scored by Kevin Beattie and Colin Bell, before scoring the fourth with a deflected drive from distance following a short free kick as England eventually ran out 5-1 winners.

In an age when live television coverage of football matches was still a rarity this performance, in front of a huge Saturday afternoon audience, really established Francis as a national figure and no doubt made him the hero of many an English schoolboy. It also pushed him right to the front of a fairly impressive queue of midfield players who were hoping to make a place their own in Revie’s England team.

Francis had lined up alongside Bell and Alan Ball against Scotland and with the likes of Tony Currie, Trevor Brooking and Alan Hudson all pushing for selection there was no shortage of competition for places but the QPR man now looked a safe bet for an extended run in the team.

Given QPR’s impressive finish to the 1974-5 season and his personal triumph in England’s game against the Scots Francis had every reason to view the 75-76 campaign with confidence and optimism. These were virtues Francis brought naturally to his football anyway but even this particularly chirpy Cockney would have been hard pressed to predict the remarkable season that lay in store for him.

The season started well for Francis as he scored QPR’s first goal as they defeated Liverpool 2-0 on the opening day and he netted again in their second game which ended in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. The feeling that the season might hold something special for the Loftus Road club then gained momentum as they then went away to Derby County, the defending champions, in their next game and won 5-1.

Things were certainly running smoothly for Francis at this stage of his career and he would have been confident of his prospects as the announcement of the first England squad of the season approached. It is unlikely that any amount of self assurance could have prepared Francis for what was about to happen, however.

Revie’s captain for the previous six internationals had been Alan Ball but the England manager had mysteriously lost faith in his skipper over the summer and left him out of his squad to face Switzerland altogether. This left a vacancy and Revie surprised everyone by handing the role to Francis, not only for this game, but for the entire season.

This decision was perhaps the most surprising appointment of an England captain ever. Although Francis was the captain of his club he had only held the position for one season, had only played two seasons of first division football, had a mere four full caps to his name and was not yet twenty four. Now he was being asked to lead the best players in the country.

Francis scarcely fitted the expected model of an England captain off the field either. He was not one of footballs’ rebels but with his long mane of hair and ample sideburns he was more readily identifiable with 70’s youth culture than with the establishment.

The job was his, however, and he now had the opportunity of forging a glorious future for himself, his club and his country. For one reason or another, though, true greatness would now elude Francis and his career, which seemed set to be long and glorious, had actually already peaked.

The England team never really got going under Francis’s leadership although it would be unfair to blame the man himself for this.

Not only had Ball fallen foul of Revie but so had Alan Hudson and the managers’ decision to ostracize these gifted talents robbed England of much of the buoyancy that had characterised their better performances during the previous year. Compounding this Colin Bell soon suffered a terrible injury and the England midfield quickly took on a mundane appearance. Kevin Beattie, another dynamic presence though in defence, also began to suffer injury problems at this time which further weakened the national team at a period when Revie was presumably looking to forge a new side to move England forward during the next three to four years.

England managed to beat Switzerland in Francis’s first game as captain but then failed in the games that mattered, losing in Czechoslovakia and only gaining a draw in Portugal, results that confirmed England would not qualify for the final stages of the European Championships.

On the domestic front QPR continued to prosper under the captaincy of Francis and they were able to maintain a serious championship challenge throughout the 75-76 season. Most people probably expected the Loftus Road club to falter at some stage but from the end of January they went on a magnificent run in which they took twenty three points from a possible twenty four. They also won their last two games which left them top of the table having completed their programme.

Unfortunately for them Liverpool, who had also shown tremendous consistency during the second half of the campaign, still had a game to play and a victory at Wolverhampton would give them the title and deny Rangers.

All QPR could do was sit and wait and their worst fears were confirmed when Liverpool overturned a half time deficit to run out 3-1 winners at Molineux and thereby take the title.

There can be nothing worse than missing out on the league in this manner and the fact that they had challenged so wonderfully during the season would have been of no consolation whatsoever. Nobody had done more than Francis during the season to try and bring the league title to Loftus Road, driving the team forward incessantly and contributing twelve goals himself, but in the end his own efforts and those of his team-mates fell just short of earning glory.

Having been knocked out of the European Championships England had the summer free and decided to journey to America for a series of prestige friendlies. Francis had the honour of captaining his country against Brazil, albeit in a 1-0 defeat, before sitting out the game against Italy which brought a breathless 3-2 victory.

The final game of the tour was against a side named Team America but which comprised the top names from the then thriving American league, including Pele and Bobby Moore. England won 3-1 with Francis scoring an outstanding goal with a typical burst forward and shot from distance although the game would not count as a full international.

While England were enjoying their trip to the States Czechoslovakia, their European conquerors, were winning the tournament itself with a penalty shootout victory over West Germany. While this could be considered a consolation it no doubt caused Revie, Francis and the other players to wonder what might have been, especially when they thought back to the night at Wembley when they had swept the Czech’s aside in such thrilling fashion.

The 1978 World Cup would offer England the chance to make amends for this disappointment and they travelled from America to Finland in June to begin their quest for glory. Francis led his side to a satisfactory 4-1 win which enabled everyone to look forward to the coming season in good heart.

This game provided Francis with his twelfth cap but it would also prove to be his last. Shortly into the following season Francis was struck down with a chronic back injury and his appearances would be severely restricted for the next two years. Whether he ever fully recovered is debatable and he was certainly never able to recapture the dynamic form he had shown up to sustaining the injury.

This injury also proved fatal to Revie’s hopes of turning England into a force again. There is no doubt that Revie was flawed as manager of the national team but fate certainly conspired against him on a regular basis as well. Losing his captain and driving force on top of the setbacks he had already suffered provided a problem he could not solve and England’s World Cup limped along with defeat in Italy and unsatisfactory victories over Finland and Luxembourg, results which rendered qualification a virtual impossibility.

QPR missed their inspirational captain even more obviously. From runners up the previous season Rangers could only finish fourteenth the following season and a year later only just managed to avoid relegation as their wonderful side disintegrated and the new signings brought in proved woefully inadequate replacements.

There had been a sniff of glory for the club and Francis himself as he returned from injury in time to take part in the League Cup semi finals of 1977. Francis was back for the second leg away to Aston Villa and scored in a 2-2 draw, a result that necessitated a third game to see who would be going to Wembley.

Francis was also fit for this replay, held at Highbury, but Villa cruised to a 3-0 victory and this would be as close as the player ever got to playing in a Wembley final.

Rangers had also been going well in the UEFA Cup and Francis was available for his first game in Europe at the quarter final stage. AEK Athens were the visitors to Loftus Road and Francis converted two penalties before half time as Rangers built up a healthy 3-0 lead.

Francis was not fit to travel to Greece for the second leg, however, and Rangers ended up going out of the competition on penalties.

Francis would stay fit for most of the 1978-79 season but Rangers continued their decline and ended the campaign relegated back to the second division after six years in the top flight. It was hard to believe that it was only three years since they had come so close to landing the league title.

Although Francis had always been readily identifiable with the Loftus Road club it was now hardly surprising to find him moving to new pastures. QPR’s place in the first division had been taken by Crystal Palace, managed by Terry Venables, and Francis was happy to rejoin his former playing colleague at Selhurst Park, the fee being £465,000.

This was a new beginning for Francis and there were obvious similarities between the Crystal Palace he was joining and the QPR of his early days at Loftus Road. Palace had come to prominence with a wonderful cup run while in the third division and their young side had then won two promotions in three years to take their place in the top flight.

Many observers believed there was enough talent at Selhurst Park for the club to make a positive impression in Division One and Venables obviously thought Francis was the ideal man to help bring out the best in the younger members of a squad short on first division experience.

Initially this optimism looked to be well founded. Palace’s momentum continued as they began life back in the first division and the signing of Francis appeared inspired. Looking fitter than at any time since his back problem had first flared up he immediately took command in the centre of midfield and orchestrated the teams’ play as they made a great start to the season.

This glorious beginning reached its’ zenith when Ipswich Town were thumped 4-1 at Selhurst Park at the end of September, Francis scoring from the spot, and Palace moved to the top of the table. The team was not good enough to maintain this form, however, and a steady decline during the second half of the season saw them eventually finish in thirteenth position. There were also recurring worries about Francis’s general health although he managed a decent enough total of thirty four league games in total.

Palace were still regarded as a team on the up, however, having been dubbed in some quarters “The Team of the Eighties” and nobody was prepared for the almighty collapse that was about to occur.

The 1980-81 season was a disaster from start to finish with relegation looking a certainty before a handful of games had been played. Venables quickly departed the scene, returning to QPR, and in February Francis made the same move with Palace stranded at the bottom of the table. Francis had again been a regular in the Palace side but nothing he, nor anyone else, could do was enough to arrest an alarming capitulation.

The fee to take Francis back to Loftus Road was £150,000 and he started well by scoring four goals in ten games as Rangers finished fifth in Division Two. This meant that Francis had managed eight league goals in total during the campaign and it appeared that he still had plenty to offer as a player. He would never be able to recapture the form that had made him such a force in his first spell at the club as his body continued to struggle to stand up to the rigours of professional football, however, and his career now degenerated into one unsatisfactory venture after another.

The 1981-82 season gave a further indication that the footballing gods might be having their own sport with Gerry Francis. Injury prevented him from making a serious contribution to QPR’s cause and when he regained fitness he was transferred to Coventry City in February.

This looked to be a move in the right direction as City were a first division club but the move actually cost Francis his last chance of performing on a really big stage. Both his old and his new clubs were going well in the FA Cup but Coventry would perish at the quarter final stage after losing to West Bromwich Albion whereas QPR would make it to Wembley after defeating the same opponents in the semis.

The following season brought only a prolonged relegation struggle, which Coventry just about survived, and Francis was one of many heading for the exit door at Highfield Road as the new manager Bobby Gould then made a radical overhaul of the playing staff.

The next step for Francis was a shock move into management with third division Exeter City and this was an unqualified disaster. Francis continued to play but his efforts on and off the pitch were not enough to stop The Grecians sinking without trace the following season. Only one point was gained in the first seven games and by the end of the season they were bottom of the table a full sixteen points from safety. Francis paid the obvious price by being sacked.

The following season Francis spent short periods with both Cardiff and Swansea, in the second and third divisions respectively, but suffered nine defeats in the ten games he played for the south Wales clubs, before moving back over the border to join Portsmouth. Pompey were challenging for promotion from Division Two but Francis could only manage two games in January before being struck down by injury again.

He returned for the last game of the season with Portsmouth still in with a chance of promotion but they would miss out on goal difference to Manchester City despite winning 2-0 at Huddersfield.

Next stop on Francis’s tour of the south west was Bristol Rovers and this stay would become more permanent. Francis was a fairly regular member of the side during 1985-86 but would barely figure after that as injuries, and advancing years, brought him to a virtual standstill.

He would remain an important figure within the club, however, and in 1987 he became player manager after putting some of his own money into the troubled club.

He restricted himself to one further appearance, in a 3-0 defeat to Aldershot, but began to flourish as a manager. Rovers had been struggling badly before Francis’s appointment as manager but finished eighth in his first season in charge, made the play offs the following season and were Division Three champions in 1990 as well as reaching Wembley in the Leyland DAF Trophy.

This success obviously alerted clubs higher up the league ladder and in 1991 Francis returned to the place it had all started for him by becoming manager of Queens Park Rangers. Francis led QPR to top flight finishes of 11th, 5th and 9th before quitting the club in protest at a proposed move to bring Rodney Marsh to the club as Chief Executive and swiftly taking over as manager at Tottenham Hotspur.

Francis’s record at White Hart Lane was to finish 7th, 8th and 10th and reach an FA Cup semi final but this did not match the ambitions of the club and in 1997 he was sacked.

Francis then returned to QPR before also having a second spell in charge of Bristol Rovers. Both clubs were a shadow of the sides Francis had previously managed, however, and he was unable to inspire a recovery at either club.

Since leaving Bristol Rovers in 2001 Francis has not managed another club although he has remained a presence in the game and it emerged that he had twice been interviewed by the FA in connection with the England managers job. In 2008 Newcastle expressed an interest in him taking over at St James’ Park but he turned down that opportunity, probably wisely, and instead accepted a coaching job at Stoke City.

Francis is also a successful businessman, involved in the theatre and property, as well as working as a pundit on the game in various sections of the media.

It is obvious that Francis retains the zest for life, and the hair, that characterised him as a footballer. It is as a footballer that he will always be mainly remembered and although injuries meant that his career would ultimately remain somewhat unfulfilled he should be remembered as an important talent and an England icon despite his paltry total of twelve caps.

Jet black hair, Alvin Stardust sidies, brilliant seventies England kit, clenched fist, England 5 Scotland 1.

If that’s not iconic, what is?

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