Concert honouring football star Trevor Francis raises thousands for charity

Tens of thousands of pounds have been raised for charity by a star-filled concert that will pay tribute to football legend Trevor Francis.

The Trevor Francis Memorial Concert at Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Thursday 27 March will be hosted by his friend and comedy great Jasper Carrott.

The special event will feature a surprise line-up of stars from the worlds of music, comedy and football.

Jasper explained that the 2,300 tickets for the much-anticipated show, priced at £80 a head, sold out within minutes of becoming available.

Trevor, who died from a heart attack in Spain in July 2023 aged 69, played nearly 300 times for Birmingham City from the age of just 16. He then became Britain’s first £1 million footballer when he moved to Nottingham Forest in 1979.

He went on to score the winner in that year’s European Cup final – winning the trophy for a second time in 1980 – before playing for several years in Italy. He also scored 12 goals in 52 England appearances, and went on to manage Blues, as well as Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace.

Jasper said: “I was very close to Trevor and there has been no real chance to recognise his life and achievements, so I thought I would put something on.

“He spent quite a bit of time in Spain and suddenly had a heart attack. The funeral was just three days later and I just couldn’t manage to get out there. A tremendous amount of people would have gone.”

Lifelong Blues fan Jasper added: “There was a brief testimonial match last year, but we haven’t really had the chance to properly say goodbye and pay tribute. This will be a proper send-off for him.

“People trust me to put on a show so it’s going to be very good, with music and laughter and an element of looking back.”

Both Jasper and Trevor are on the Broad Street Walk of Stars in Birmingham, honouring notable people from the city or with significant connections with it.

The scheme is organised and funded by Westside Business Improvement District (BID), and each star is considered and selected by the Walk of Stars committee, which Jasper now chairs

The money raised from the concert will go to the Trevor Francis Foundation, part of the Birmingham City Foundation. This will then fund two football tournaments in Trevor’s name for boys and girls aged 14 and under from the Birmingham area.

“It is a fitting tribute to him,” Jasper concluded.