1. Playing Career
Gerry Francis's professional football playing career spanned several clubs, beginning in the late 1960s and extending through the mid-1980s, often marked by his leadership on the field and persistent struggles with injuries.
1.1. Early Career
Francis made his first-team debut for Queens Park Rangers (QPR) against Liverpool in March 1969. He remained with QPR until 1979, making 295 appearances and scoring 53 goals. During the 1970s, he became a pivotal figure for QPR, serving as both captain and central midfielder. He was a key player in the QPR side that narrowly missed winning their first-ever league title in 1976, finishing second in the First Division. His performances at club level earned him international recognition, leading to 12 appearances for the England national team between 1974 and 1976, where he scored 3 goals. He captained England in eight of these matches, demonstrating his leadership qualities on the international stage. However, his promising international career was curtailed by a persistent back injury, which severely limited his appearances for his country.
1.2. Later Career and Player-Management
In 1979, Francis left QPR to join Crystal Palace, where he played 59 matches and scored 7 goals until 1981. He later returned to QPR for a second spell from 1981 to 1982, adding 17 appearances and 4 goals, before moving to Coventry City from 1982 to 1983, where he played 50 matches and scored 2 goals. This period was particularly challenging for him as he continued to suffer from significant injury problems. In August 1983, he embarked on a unique role, accepting the position of player-manager at Exeter City. During his tenure until May 1984, he made 28 appearances and scored 3 goals, though the team experienced a very difficult season under his combined leadership. Following his time at Exeter, Francis had several short playing spells at various clubs in 1984, including Cardiff City (7 appearances), Swansea City (3 appearances), and Portsmouth (3 appearances), without scoring for any of these clubs. His final playing club was Bristol Rovers, where he made 32 league appearances without scoring in 1985 before officially ending his playing career in 1986. Prior to his full retirement from playing, he also had a brief non-playing stint as a player-coach at Wimbledon.
2. Management Career
Gerry Francis's management career began in the late 1980s and saw him take charge of several prominent English clubs, marked by periods of significant success and challenging struggles.
2.1. Bristol Rovers (first spell)
After a period as a defensive coach at Wimbledon, Francis took over from Bobby Gould as manager of Bristol Rovers, then a Third Division side. In 1990, he successfully guided the "Pirates" to the Third Division title, securing their promotion to the Second Division. His achievements at Bristol Rovers quickly drew attention from larger clubs.
2.2. Queens Park Rangers (first spell)
A year after his success with Bristol Rovers, Francis returned to QPR as manager in 1991. His tenure at QPR during the early Premier League era was particularly notable. In the inaugural Premier League season of 1992-93, QPR finished an impressive fifth, making them the highest-placed London team. They followed this with a ninth-place finish in 1993-94 and an eighth-place finish in 1994-95.
During his three years in charge at QPR, Francis managed a squad that featured some of the most formidable players in the top flight. A standout player under his leadership was striker Les Ferdinand, who had joined the club from non-league Hayes in 1986. Ferdinand had not fully established himself in the first team until the season before Francis arrived, scoring eight goals in 18 First Division games in 1990-91. Francis placed significant trust in Ferdinand, a decision that paid dividends when the player scored 20 league goals in the 1992-93 season. Ferdinand remained at QPR until his transfer to Newcastle for 6.00 M GBP in 1995, by which time he had netted 78 goals in five league campaigns and was widely considered one of England's most feared strikers, earning his first cap for the England national team in 1993. Notably, in July 1997, while manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Francis would sign Ferdinand again for 6.00 M GBP.
Following the resignation of Graham Taylor as England national team manager in November 1993, after the failure to qualify for the World Cup, Francis was among the many names linked to the vacant position. However, the job ultimately went to Terry Venables. In March 1994, an ambitious Division One club, Wolverhampton Wanderers, made a lucrative offer for Francis to move down a division and lead their push for Premier League promotion. Francis, however, rejected the offer, and Wolves subsequently appointed Graham Taylor instead. In November 1994, Francis departed Loftus Road, QPR's home stadium, to take up the managerial role at Tottenham Hotspur.
2.3. Tottenham Hotspur
Francis's tenure at Tottenham Hotspur began in November 1994. The 1994-95 season was a season of near misses for Tottenham; they finished seventh in the Premier League, two places shy of a UEFA Cup qualification spot, and were defeated by Everton in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. The subsequent two seasons saw unconvincing mid-table finishes. Francis resigned in November 1997, with Spurs struggling against relegation from the Premier League.
During his time at Tottenham, Francis faced considerable fan resentment, particularly regarding his handling of star player Darren Anderton. It was argued by some that Francis was largely responsible for Anderton's recurring injuries, frequently fielding him without sufficient time to recover. This approach allegedly resulted in Anderton appearing in only eight games during the 1995-96 season and 17 games in the 1996-97 season, severely limiting his contributions due to persistent fitness issues.
2.4. Queens Park Rangers (second spell)
In September 1998, Gerry Francis returned for his second spell as manager of QPR. The club had experienced a decline since his departure four years earlier and was now struggling in the Division One. He managed to keep them clear of relegation for the next two seasons. However, with the team facing a renewed threat of dropping into the lower half of the league after more than 30 years, Francis eventually resigned in February 2001. He briefly served as the Director of Football at QPR before commencing his second spell as manager of Bristol Rovers in June 2001.
2.5. Bristol Rovers (second spell)
Francis's second stint as manager of Bristol Rovers began with promise. Three successive wins at the start of the 2001-02 campaign generated hope for the "Pirates" to secure promotion back to Division Two. However, a significant number of injuries soon afflicted the squad, severely impacting the team's form and results. Faced with these challenges, Francis resigned just before Christmas 2001. Following his departure, Bristol Rovers continued their downward trajectory, narrowly avoiding relegation to the Conference (the fourth tier of English football) by just one place. During this period, Francis worked alongside Graham Muxworthy and Ian Holloway. Francis has not held a full managerial position since this time.
2.6. Coaching Roles
After his full managerial career, Gerry Francis transitioned into coaching, contributing his expertise to the first-team setups of several clubs.
2.6.1. Stoke City
On 4 October 2008, Francis was offered a position as first-team coach at Newcastle United. However, due to uncertainty surrounding the duration of the role, he opted to accept an offer from Stoke City to become their first-team coach instead. He remained in this position at Stoke until the end of the 2012-13 season.
2.6.2. Crystal Palace
Francis followed his former Stoke manager, Tony Pulis, to Crystal Palace, joining as a coach under Pulis at the London club. Following Pulis's unexpected departure from Crystal Palace in August 2014, Francis remained in his coaching role to assist caretaker manager Keith Millen. However, on 28 August 2014, with the appointment of Neil Warnock as the new manager, Crystal Palace announced that Francis had left the club.
3. Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win % | |||
| Exeter City | 20 July 1983 | 14 May 1984 | 46 | 6 | 15 | 25 | 13.04 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1 July 1987 | 13 May 1991 | 206 | 85 | 63 | 58 | 41.26 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1 June 1991 | 11 November 1994 | 158 | 59 | 47 | 52 | 37.34 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 15 November 1994 | 19 November 1997 | 142 | 55 | 42 | 45 | 38.73 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 16 October 1998 | 25 February 2001 | 125 | 36 | 42 | 47 | 28.80 |
| Bristol Rovers | 27 June 2001 | 24 December 2001 | 31 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 29.03 |
| Total | 708 | 250 | 219 | 239 | 35.31 | ||
4. Honours
Gerry Francis received individual recognition during his managerial career.
- Premier League Manager of the Month: December 1994
5. Media Activities
Following his career in football management and coaching, Gerry Francis has transitioned into media work. He frequently appears as a football pundit and commentator, notably for Sky Sports, where he provides analysis and insights on football matches and related topics.
6. Personal Life
Gerald Charles James Francis was born on 6 December 1951 in Chiswick, London. He was a supporter of Brentford in his youth, a connection that runs in his family; his father, Roy Francis, was a professional footballer for the club in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Gerry Francis also has two sons, Adam and Jake, both of whom were academy players at his former club, Queens Park Rangers.
7. Assessment and Legacy
Gerry Francis's career in football, both as a player and manager, is characterized by moments of significant achievement alongside periods of considerable challenge. As a player, he was a gifted central midfielder and a charismatic captain for QPR, leading the club to its highest league finish in the modern era during the 1970s. His 12 caps and 8 instances as captain for the England national team underscore his quality, though his international potential was ultimately limited by persistent injuries.
As a manager, Francis is remembered for guiding Bristol Rovers to the Third Division title in 1990, demonstrating his ability to achieve promotion with a lower-league side. His first spell at QPR was also highly successful, with the club achieving strong Premier League finishes, including fifth place in the inaugural season. He was instrumental in developing key players like Les Ferdinand during this period, establishing a reputation for building competitive teams. His name was even considered for the prestigious England national team managerial role, indicating the respect he commanded.
However, his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur was met with mixed results and controversy, particularly concerning the handling of Darren Anderton's injuries, which led to fan resentment and highlighted the pressures of managing a top-tier club. His subsequent returns to QPR and Bristol Rovers were often characterized by struggles against relegation and injury crises, reflecting the demanding nature of the sport. Despite these challenges, Francis maintained a consistent presence in football, transitioning to valuable coaching roles in the later stages of his career. Overall, Gerry Francis's legacy is that of a dedicated professional who contributed significantly to English football across multiple roles, leaving a mark as a respected player, an astute manager capable of building strong teams, and a resilient figure in the face of adversity.