Birmingham City fans call for club to name stand after Trevor Francis as tributes left outside St Andrew’s

Birmingham City fans are calling on the club to name a stand after their former player and manager Trevor Francis following his death on Monday (July 24).

Sixty-nine year-old Francis, Britain’s first-ever £1 million footballer and one of Birmingham’s greatest players of all time, passed away on Monday morning while at his holiday home in Marbella. His family confirmed he died after suffering a heart attack at his Spanish apartment.

A spokesman for Birmingham City confirmed that the club have been discussing ways to pay tribute to Trevor.

Francis, who lived in Solihull after his retirement, spent nine years at St Andrew’s, playing 330 times for Blues and netting 133 times before making a groundbreaking transfer to Nottingham Forest in 1979.

He also returned to St Andrew’s for a five-year spell as manager between 1996 and 2001 and led Blues to the League Cup final against Liverpool in 2001. A prolific forward known globally for winning two European Cup titles with Nottingham Forest in 1979 and 1980, Francis racked up 626 career appearances, scoring 231 goals, and won 52 England caps.

Tributes have poured in from across the football world following Trevor’s passing, with the likes of Gary Lineker, Jude Bellingham and Birmingham City all paying their respects to the European Cup winner. Many Blues fans are now calling on the club to name a stand after the club legend.

Posting on Twitter, the Blues Collective fan account, wrote: “The Greatest player I’ve ever seen not just at Blues but in football in general. RIP Trevor. Rename the Main Stand, The Trevor Francis Stand.”

Another fan teeted: “I know there are problems with knocking the old main stand down and building one like the Kop and Tilton and joining them up. All due to a preservation on the flats behind. But at least a modernisation and thorough refurb is due. And called The Trevor Francis Stand.”

One fan said: “Replace the ‘railway end’ and change it to the ‘Trevor Francis stand’.” Another Blues supporter tweeted: “Trevor Francis was the first player I was was told about growing up supporting the Blues. Build the statue and name a stand after him. may he Rest In Peace.”

Another wrote: “The bond between the fans, the club and Trevor Francis needs something permanent at the ground. Whether that’s a named stand or statue, it would be a fitting tribute to the player who epitomised our beloved club.”

Fans and players leave tributes outside St Andrew’s

At St Andrew’s, tributes from fans and players are being left at a designated area towards the Ticket Office. Manager John Eustace and Darren Carter also placed a wreath in the area on Tuesday morning (25 July) to pay their respects to Trevor, with a number of fans also leaving flowers and messages.