Trevor Francis concert to be 'proper send-off'

Trevor Francis, who died in 2023, played for Birmingham City nearly 300 times and later became Britain's first £1m footballer

Getty A man kneels on a football pitch. He has chin-length brown hair and he is wearing a blue and white sports kit. The football ground's seats can be seen in in the background. — Trevor Francis, who died in 2023, played for Birmingham City nearly 300 times and later became Britain's first £1m footballer

Comedian Jasper Carrott has said a sell-out concert in memory of footballer Trevor Francis would be "a proper send-off" for his friend.

Carrott, a famous Brummie and lifelong Birmingham City fan, is hosting the memorial show at Symphony Hall on 27 March.

Francis, who died in 2023, was born in Plymouth and made his debut on the Blues' first team in 1970 aged just 16. He went on to play for the club nearly 300 times.

The spring concert will feature musicians and comedians, as well as people from the footballing world.

"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," Carrott said.

"This will be a proper send-off for him," he added in a statement released by Westside BID, a body that promotes city centre events and businesses.

Brummie comedian and Blues fan Jasper Carrott is hosting the spring concert in memory of his friend

A man sits in front of a shiny stage curtain. He is bald, and he is wearing a dark suit jacket and a purple shirt. — Brummie comedian and Blues fan Jasper Carrott is hosting the spring concert in memory of his friend

Born in Plymouth, Francis became Britain's first £1m footballer when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in 1979. He also played for England and later returned to the Blues as a manager in 1996.

He died from a heart attack while in Spain in July 2023, at the age of 69.

Carrott said he had been unable to travel to the funeral there three days later and he hoped the concert would be a way to "properly say goodbye and pay tribute".

He added that the show's 2,300 tickets had sold out within minutes.

Birmingham City held a memorial match in Francis' honour last year, to mark the first anniversary of his death

Jacob King/PA Wire Two football teams stand on a pitch, with fans on seats in the background. The team on the left is wearing white, the team on the left is wearing blue. There is a large TV screen between the two teams with a black and white photo of a man and the words "Trevor Francis". — Birmingham City held a memorial match in Francis' honour last year, to mark the first anniversary of his death

The money raised by the concert will go to the Trevor Francis Foundation, which is part of the Birmingham City Foundation, and will fund two football tournaments for local boys and girls aged up to 14.

Birmingham City held a memorial match in Francis' honour in July, to mark the first anniversary of his death. The club has also commissioned a statue that is due to be unveiled in time for the 2025-26 football season.

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