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Francis back at the Turf
He never lost the ability to find the net though and was a player who seemed to pop up with some of our most important goals during the early part of the last decade. We went to York in our thousands in April 1992, it was John's stoppage time winner that had us coming home as Champions.
Just two years, and that short spell at Cambridge, later he was again amongst the goals and I don't think anyone will ever forget the two play off semi-final goals he got at Home Park in response to the awful abuse he was taking from the home fans. His goals that night helped Jimmy Mullen's Armada to set sail for Wembley and the Promised Land.
Sadly for John, an injury at Wembley forced him off in the first half and it was an injury from which he never fully recovered although he remained with the club for another two years. His last appearances for the Clarets were the games we played under the stewardship of Clive Middlemass in 1996 and his last goal for Burnley came in one of those games, the 3-3 draw against York at the Turf.
He had a short spell at Scunthorpe in the following season, making six appearances for a side managed by another ex-Claret Mick Buxton. He left Glanford Park in February 1997 and retired from league football.
When he comes back out onto the Turf Moor pitch tomorrow afternoon I'm certain that York and Plymouth will be in everyone's thoughts.