Trevor Francis, below (note historic hair style); on February 9th 1979, he became the first player to warrant a £1 million football transfer. His move from Birmingham City to Brian Clough's, Nottingham Forest was actually publicised at £999,999, so that "the lad wouldn't get too big headed"!... Old "Big Head" told the press. Expenditure on the balance sheet allowed the avoidance of a large corporation tax bill, plus a rebate on the previous year's payments "to boot". Apparently Forest outlayed £400,000 in cash.
Trevor Francis, born in Plymouth, was prominent as a footballer and manager spending time at Birmingham City (280 apps with 118 goals), so no wonder Brian Clough wanted him. Francis had a loan spell at Detroit Express, Nottingham Forest (70 with 28 goals), Manchester City, Sampdoria, Atalanta (USA), Glasgow Rangers, QPR, Wollongong City in Australia and Sheffield Wednesday, terminating in 1994.
Total: 636 apps 231 goals. England 52 caps: 12 goals.
His managerial career began with QPR in 1988, continued with Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City and Crystal Palace in 1994. He suffered a heart attack in April 2012, from which he recovered.
| Senior career* | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970–1979 | Birmingham City | 280 | (118) |
| 1978 | → Detroit Express (loan) | 19 | (22) |
| 1979–1981 | Nottingham Forest | 70 | (28) |
| 1979 | → Detroit Express (loan) | 14 | (14) |
| 1981–1982 | Manchester City | 26 | (12) |
| 1982–1986 | Sampdoria | 67 | (17) |
| 1986–1987 | Atalanta | 21 | (1) |
| 1987–1988 | Rangers | 18 | (0) |
| 1988–1990 | Queens Park Rangers | 32 | (12) |
| 1988 | → Wollongong City (loan) | 3 | (2) |
| 1990–1994 | Sheffield Wednesday | 76 | (5) |
| Total | 626 | (231) | |
| International career | |||
| 1977–1986 | England[2] | 52 | (12) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1988–1989 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 1991–1995 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| 1996–2001 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2001–2003 | Crystal Palace | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
David Mills (born 6 December 1951) is an English former footballer, most notable for his career with Middlesbrough and becoming England's first £500,000 footballer. His playing career pathway is below. Note that this topped David Mills' transfer, He came from Whitby Town and had played for England Schoolboys as a youngster. He joined Middlesbrough in 1968 and stayed there for 11 years, making nearly 300 appearances. He scored 76 goals before moving on to West Bromwich Albion under Ron Atkinson for a British transfer record at the time. Three years, 59 apps; 6 goals???
From there he moved after one year to Sheffield Wednesday (below), then after a year to Newcastle United on loan, back to Middlesbrough in 1985 and finished off at Darlington and then home to Whitby Town.
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968–1979 | Middlesbrough | 296 | (76) |
| 1979–1982 | West Bromwich Albion | 59 | (6) |
| 1981–1982 | → Newcastle United (loan) | 23 | (4) |
| 1982–1983 | Sheffield Wednesday | 15 | (3) |
| 1983–1984 | Newcastle United | 16 | (5) |
| 1984–1985 | Middlesbrough | 32 | (14) |
| 1986–1987 | Darlington | 17 | (2) |
| Whitby Town |
Following a stint as assistant chief scout at Newcastle Utd, where he worked under seven different managers, it was announced on 29 April 2008 that Mills would return to Middlesbrough to boost the recruitment team along with Gordon McQueen, Mills has since worked closely with Steve Walsh at Leicester City and Hull City, as a chief scout Mills has worked alongside Walsh to bring young emerging talent to the two clubs with many ex-Manchester United youth players now found at both clubs. He was seriously injured in a car crash on Tyneside, which claimed the life of his father. Later, he went on to work as a representative for a printing firm (and maybe a barber).
http://www.myfootballfacts.com/BritishFootballPlayerTransferRecords1904-2009.html
It's a long time since Alf Common (yes, the one with a smart cap), above, cost £1,000 involving Middlesbrough back in the day.
Alf was born in Sunderland, played for them, went to Sheffield United for £325 and won an FA Cup medal with the Blades in 1902 after helping Sunderland AFC to a runners-up place in the First Division. After that he scored 58 goals in 168 apps for Middlesbrough, had a spell at Woolwich Arsenal and helped Preston to a Second Division promotion in 1913. With all his clubs he averaged 1 goal in 3 games. With only 3 England caps and two goals, his career came to halt with the Great War but he lived on until 1946, running pubs in the north-east and that sort of thing!
Alf was born in Sunderland, played for them, went to Sheffield United for £325 and won an FA Cup medal with the Blades in 1902 after helping Sunderland AFC to a runners-up place in the First Division. After that he scored 58 goals in 168 apps for Middlesbrough, had a spell at Woolwich Arsenal and helped Preston to a Second Division promotion in 1913. With all his clubs he averaged 1 goal in 3 games. With only 3 England caps and two goals, his career came to halt with the Great War but he lived on until 1946, running pubs in the north-east and that sort of thing!
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