BRITAIN’s first £1m footballer Trevor Francis left £1.9m in his will – but not a penny to his two estranged sons.
The ex-England striker took his feud with his children to the grave as he left strict instructions they are not to benefit from his cash pile.
A row with sons James and Matthew was revealed when his will was published following his death in July last year aged 69.
The European Cup winner handed his £1.9m estate to his two siblings, brother Ian and sister Carolyn.
He specifically wrote in his will, which was drawn up in February 2019, that he wanted nothing to go to his two children.
His wife Helen, a hairdresser, passed away two years earlier from breast cancer.
He made clear in the document: “I wish to make it clear in this my will that I have not included my children as beneficiaries due to the fact that we have become estranged following family differences over the last several months. Neither of my children are financially dependent on me.”
Former Nottingham Forest legend Francis died at his home in Spain from a heart attack and his funeral service was held near Marbella. Both sons attended the service.
The legal documents say his UK estate should be shared equally between his brother Ian and his sister Carolyn, who both live in Plymouth.
It said his Spanish estate, believed to include an apartment near Marbella, would be divided up separately.
In 2013 Francis’ son James appeared in court charged with burgling the home of ex Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie, in Warwickshire.
James, who was cleared of the charge, told the jury that his fingerprints were at the scene as he had visited the home to give a quote for cleaning.
Francis spoke on behalf of his son saying: “Both my boys were brought up in what I would consider to be the correct way – with strong discipline.
“I was quite strict with them, they were always polite, well-mannered and always knew when to say please and thank you.
“As you can imagine, this, what has happened, has been very, very difficult for the family. I have known Lee Hendrie for a long, long time and that’s what makes it so extraordinary.
“We are a very close family, a very loving family but it’s been tough.”
Francis enjoyed a glittering playing career that saw him burst onto the scene at Birmingham City in 1970 before going on to win two European Cups at Nottingham Forest.
He earned 52 caps for England, scoring 12 goals.
He hit the headlines when he was transferred from Birmingham to Forest in 1979 for a British record-breaking £1million.
Francis scored the winner in that year’s European Cup final against Malmo, and also played for clubs including Manchester City, Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday, Sampdoria and Atlanta.
He scored twice in the group stage of the 1982 World Cup and after hanging up his boots managed clubs including QPR and Crystal Palace.
He later managed both QPR and Sheffield Wednesday – famously causing Eric Cantona to storm out after a trial for the Owls.
Francis described how hard he was hit by the death of his wife in his autobiography, One In A Million.
He said: “It’s so hard because of the deep love I had for Helen and also because I am useless in the house. She did everything for me. I don’t mind admitting that.
“All of a sudden I am living by myself and I suppose I never contemplated this would ever happen. It is a tougher challenge than anything I ever faced on a football field.
“I didn’t think Helen and I would ever stop. She was my best friend and I couldn’t have done any of what I did without her.
“We were married 43 years. You know, every day is difficult. I do get quite lonely. But I am trying to adapt. I have to.”
The pair first met as teenagers on holiday in Spain but Francis lost her telephone number and then had to call every hairdresser in Llanelli, Wales until he managed to track her down.
Francis had an earlier heart attack in 2012, when aged 57, after which surgeons at Heartlands Hospital, in Birmingham, operated on him and installed a stent to improve his blood flow.
At the time of that attack his son Matthew was reported as saying: “It’s a massive shock to everyone that it’s happened to him.
“People do have heart attacks but he is such a healthy guy, he has a really good lifestyle.
“He watches what he eats and works out three or four times a week. That’s been the biggest shock to everyone.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
