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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
24 July, 2023

Trevor Francis European Cup hero dies

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 2023 former Forest forward Trevor Francis passes away after a landmark football career.

Player legacies

Individual milestone
Trevor Francis, club legend.
Trevor Francis, club legend. Image: Hans van Dijk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Trevor Francis’ death was felt across English football, but at Forest it carried a very specific memory: Munich, 1979, and a header at the far post.

Francis had joined Forest earlier that year as Britain’s first £1m footballer, a transfer that made national headlines and placed him inside Brian Clough’s European champions-elect. The fee brought expectation, but he answered it on the biggest stage.

Trevor Francis, club legend.
Trevor Francis, club legend. Image: Hans van Dijk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In the 1979 European Cup final against Malmö, John Robertson crossed from the left and Francis arrived at the far post to head in the only goal. Forest won 1-0, and the moment became one of the defining images of the club’s greatest era.

His Forest career was affected by injury and did not become a long stay, but that goal was enough to secure his place permanently in club history. Few players have one action so closely tied to a trophy.

When Francis passed away, the tributes were about more than a famous transfer fee. For Forest supporters, he remained the man who finished the move that made the club champions of Europe.

Trevor Francis Remembered

Sources

Nottingham Forest official site; Premier League

Forest timeline

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest
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On this day in …
2023
Trevor Francis European Cup hero dies

Trevor Francis’ death was felt across English football, but at Forest it carried a very specific memory: Munich, 1979, and a header at the…

Player legacies