Birmingham City legend Trevor Francis could be offered new role at club by owner Carson Yeung
Nov 3 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
TREVOR Francis today admitted that he was keen to return to Blues as part of the new-look Carson Yeung regime.
The St Andrew’s legend said that a meeting was being set up to discuss an ambassador’s role.
Francis, who is still revered as Blues’ greatest player and served as manager between 1996-2001, said he was excited about what could lie ahead for the club under Chinese ownership.
He was invited into the boardroom a fortnight ago and the wheels were set in motion for a more formal get-together to talk about his re-engagement.
“I went to the Sunderland game and was made very welcome
in the boadroom,” he told the Birmingham Mail.
“I met all the new owners and it was very nice.
“I was really pleased to be greeted like I was and they said I was welcome at every home match as a guest of theirs. They want me to be part of the family.
“Again, I was pleased to hear that because since I came up here in 1969 as a 15-year-old boy, Birmingham City has always been my team and always will be.
“The new owners want to take it forward, they want to try and involve me at the football club, so of course that interests me greatly.
“These are busy times for them at the moment, and I fully understand that. And I have got my own media work.
“So we’re talking over the phone to try and organise a meeting.
“When I met them at the Sunderland game it was quite informal. There were a lot of other guests around and lots of opposing directors.
“So this next meeting will be more formal, and we’re looking to try and arrange it in the next week or so, depending on our commitments.
“It’s all quite exciting. I am looking forward to speaking with them and looking forward to seeing how the future pans out for Birmingham City.”
Francis was commentating for Sky Sports on the Sunderland match. He works for them on their Champions League coverage too and also as an expert analyst for Al-Jazeera television in Qatar, where he is going next week.
Francis, who burst on to the scene as an astonishing talent aged just 16, tended to steer clear of Blues after his sacking by the old board.
His relationship with David Sullivan and Karren Brady was always fraught and his lack of involvement over the past few years spoke volumes about his opinion of Yeung’s predecessors.
Francis led Blues to three Division One play-off semi-finals and the 2001 League Cup final. He surprisingly turned up at Crystal Palace in a ‘job swop’ with Steve Bruce.
He insisted that he had no yearning for the St Andrew’s hot seat again, and would steer well clear of Alex McLeish’s domain, if a role could be agreed.
“Whenever I am asked the question do I want to manage again, by whoever it may be, I never totally dismiss it. Never say never,’ he said.
“But I realise it’s been a long period now since I’ve been out of management, since I left Crystal Palace, and as time moves on so it would become more difficult for me to go back in.
“I never say no to it but, equally so, with the new owners wanting to talk to me, the last thing on my mind would be thinking about coming back to have any involvement in management. I want to make that quite clear, that would not be a consideration.”
Francis is unlikely to become a ‘super scout’ or an advisor; any position agreed would probably be not that much hands-on.
