Trevor married a girl from Llanelli. She predeceased him 6 years ago. “‘I met her on holiday in Mallorca in 1972 when I was about 18,’ he says. ‘I lost her phone number but knew she was a hairdresser from Llanelli so I decided to call them all. I presumed there would be four or five in the town. There were more than 30. ‘In pre-season at Birmingham I would go to a phone kiosk and put my 2p in and call them all one by one. It was: “Excuse me do you have a Helen working for you?” Then: “Sorry we don’t know that name”. Move on. Another one. Same answer. Move on. Then, after 15 attempts, I found her. ‘That was the start of our relationship. We were inseparable from that moment on but things were not easy for her when we first went to Forest. ‘People were very envious of her. The way she was dressed. Her looks. The wife of the first million-pound footballer. ‘Then the begging letters started from all over the country asking for money. Then the fur coat she wore attracted letters from the animal rights people. Then others would say she was spending her husband’s money on clothes. She was young, only 25. It was hard. ‘But as she got further into football she hardened to it. She came to just aboutevery game I played. She used to get requests for interviews from fashion magazines and stuff but she always said no. She just wanted to support me. ‘She had great family values. Family always came first. Our two boys she idolised but there was only one No 1 and that was me. She made sure I knew that.’
Sad that both Francis and Wilkins have left us, both English footballing greats that played and managed the Mighty Rs. Wrap Gerry in cotton wool FFS.
My first ever game was vs. Brum at home and Trevor Francis was a young, talented, buck just coming into his career. I will always remember seeing him in a Rangers shirt complete a cross-field pass at Loftus Road right to the feet of one of our players on the left wing (can’t remember who it was as I was so in awe of his perfect pass). As Sooper said, proud he played for us and to see him in an hooped shirt. He always seemed such a nice, gentile, guy - too much so for management. RIP Trevor Francis
I still can't believe that players of that calibre signed for us. RIP Trevor please log in to view this image
RIP Trevor Francis. Thanks for the memories. please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Chris Bart-Williams has died aged 49. Bart-Williams, known affectionately by fans and team-mates as 'Bartman', made more than 400 appearances in his career. After coming through Leyton Orient's academy he played for Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Charlton Athletic and Ipswich. RIP
