Blues legend Francis leaves nothing of fortune to sons
BLUES legend Trevor Francis left a fortune of £1.9m in his will – but his two estranged sons will not see a penny of it.
The former England forward, who died last July at the age of 69, made it clear in his will that his sons James and Matthew are to be excluded from inheriting any part of his substantial estate.
Details of the family rift came to light after the will was made public, showing that Francis, who played for and managed Birmingham City, had bequeathed his entire £1.9m estate to his siblings, Ian and Carolyn.
In the will, penned in February 2019, Francis explicitly stated his desire to leave nothing to his offspring.
His spouse Helen, who worked as a hairdresser, died two years prior due to breast cancer.
Francis did not mince words in his will, declaring: “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.”
The St Andrew’s icon died of a heart attack at his Spanish residence, with his funeral held close to Marbella, which both of his sons attended.
According to the legal papers, his UK assets are to be split evenly between his brother Ian and sister Carolyn, both Plymouth residents.
His property in Spain, reportedly including an apartment near Marbella, is to be dealt with under separate arrangements.
In 2013, Francis’ son James was in court, accused of burgling the Warwickshire home of ex-Aston Villa
midfielder Lee Hendrie. James, who was acquitted of the charge, explained to the jury that his fingerprints were found at the scene because he had visited the property to provide a cleaning quote.
Speaking on behalf of his son,
Francis said: “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, wellmannered 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 had an illustrious playing career, making his debut at Birmingham City in 1970 before winning two European Cups at Nottingham Forest. He represented England 52 times, netting 12 goals.
He made headlines when he moved from Blues to Forest in 1979 for a record-breaking £1 million British transfer fee.