Super Johnny Francis

John Francis in action at Plymouth during the league game in the 1993/94 season

He joined the Clarets as a striker with considerable pace and for the first couple of seasons played as an out and out striker. But with the signing of Micky Conroy and Roger Eli moving up front John settled into a right win role during the 4^th Division Championship season with at times dramatic effect.

His pace down the flank certainly caused more than one team some anguish and the Northampton defence that season but still be wondering where he is as they had no answer to him in a game where he simply destroyed them.

He waited his moment though that season and with the clock ticking away at York and a 1-1 draw taking us ever closer to promotion he swapped roles with Conroy who latched onto a ball from Joe Jakub down the left wing. Conroy went all the way to the by-line before pulling the ball back across and there was John to hit home. Finally the Clarets were out of the basement division and as Champions and John Francis had scored the goal that clinched it.

That was to be his last game for some time as he refused a new contract and surprisingly signed for Cambridge United but his stay was neither long nor happy and the following March in transfer deadline week he returned to Burnley.

A year later and he was a hero again as the Clarets reached the 2^nd Division play offs. After a 0-0 draw at home to Plymouth in the first leg of the semi-final nobody gave us a chance down in Devon. We trailed 1-0 but then he turned the game upside down by scoring twice in almost as many minutes, just reward for the Plymouth fans who had been abusing him.

With that won 3-1 his day out at Wembley was mixed. He celebrated the promotion after our 2-1 win but he had been forced off with an injury that just about ended his Burnley career. He remained with the club for another two years but his appearances were scattered as he fought the injury and was released by Adrian Heath at the end of the 1995/96 season.

Not many Burnley players get the chance to be a real hero but John did it twice. Always popular with the Turf Moor crowd there is no doubt at all that he will receive a superb reception tomorrow when he comes on to make the half time draw.