Anyone remember Simon Francis?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

ThatJa

ThatJa

Bigger Blade than United's Arab Emirate
Joined
Aug 4, 2005
Messages
5,061
Reaction score
7,225
Location
Gleadless
Did he not get slated when playing for us in the Championship? Think he was a scapegoat back then......

Not doing too bad is he? Playing for Bournemouth in the Championship, assisted two last night in their 4-1 win over Leeds..

Another one that got away I suppose, maybe we're just a bad judge of players?
 

From the Star

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/shef...i-blew-my-lane-chance-simon-francis-1-4425325

SIMON Francis last night admitted he blew his big chance of representing Sheffield United in the Premier League after being seduced by football’s glamorous lifestyle.

Francis was touted as one of the most promising talents in the English game when he arrived at Bramall Lane in 2004.

But, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s meeting between his former club and new employers Bournemouth, the defender told The Star that his love of partying contributed to his failure to realise that potential.

“I look back on what happened when I was at Sheffield United with quite a lot of regret,” Francis said.

“I was a young lad at the time and I thought, because I’d joined such a big club, I’d pretty much made it.

“Because of that, I relaxed a bit and didn’t look after myself as I should.

“I moved back to Nottingham where all my family and friends were and ended up getting into the whole ‘going out thing’ too much.

“I wasn’t really concentrating on being a footballer.

“Now I wish I’d done things differently, but it happened and I’ve moved on.”

Francis was still a teenager when Neil Warnock exploited Bradford City’s precarious financial situation to spirit him away from Valley Parade.

But, despite being regarded as one of football’s bright young things, the full-back made only 12 league appearances before joining Southend two years later.

Rather than wallow in self-pity as his old team mates celebrated promotion to the top flight, Francis embarked on a period of brutal self-assessment.

Having repaired his reputation with a series of eye-catching performances at Roots Hall, he moved to Bournemouth last year via a brief spell with Charlton Athletic.

“If I hadn’t been completely frank with myself then I might not have been able to make a good go of things, he said

“Injuries hampered me as well – I had a few at really unfortunate times – but overall I was to blame.

“I won’t be the first young footballer to make those mistakes and I won’t be the last but, now I’m older and more experienced, I try and tell the lads coming through the ranks about what happened and give them good advice.

“It’s up to them whether they take it or not.

“When I came to Sheffield United I wasn’t as wise as I thought I was and so that’s why I try and give a bit of guidance.

“Looking back, the move probably came at a good time for me because it meant I moved away from everyone, got my head down and just concentrated completely on my football.”

The Francis of today is far removed from the starry-eyed youngster who found the bright lights of his hometown’s renowned social scene so irresistible.

“I’ve got a family now, I’m a dad and that also improves your focus,” he said. “You’re not just doing things for yourself anymore.

“Like anyone else, I want to look after them and try to do as well as I can so I can make as much money for them as possible.

With United second in the League One table and Bournemouth 12th, Paul Groves’ side start tomorrow’s contest as underdogs, but Francis warned: “This division is so unpredictable it’s untrue.

“When you’re at one of the smaller clubs so to speak, the team talks take care of themselves. Everyone wants to impress on the bigger stages.

“Listen, the league table doesn’t lie. The top clubs are up there because they deserve to be. But you can never tell what’s going to happen.”

Francis, who signed a permanent contract with Bournemouth in January, was still on loan when United triumphed at The Seward Stadium four months ago.

“Even though I didn’t make as good a ‘go’ of it as I’d have liked or should have, Sheffield United are still a club I look back on with so much affection,” he said.
 
JL94x4 said:
Did he not get slated when playing for us in the Championship? Think he was a scapegoat back then......

Not doing too bad is he? Playing for Bournemouth in the Championship, assisted two last night in their 4-1 win over Leeds..

Another one that got away I suppose, maybe we're just a bad judge of players?
Click to expand...

We signed him in 2004 when we were a top second tier team. He didn't play much and looked nothing special when he did. We sold him in 2006 when we got promoted to the PL. He has subsequently played in the lower divisions and now plays for a mid table second tier team.

Given where we were then, it was the right decision to let him go. Obviously, given where we are now, he would be a reasonable signing.
 
I remember us away against Cardiff and he had a pretty good game. Never looked bad.
 
Was another player who got the easily excitable all warm and fuzzy, he could pass the ball two yards and looked decent going forward ! Couldnt defend mind .once saw him in an an fa youth cup semi final against southampton and he git absolutely torn apart which was quite embarassing seen as he was the over age experienced player in the side
 
Once saw him on a night out in Nottingham when he was at United. He was in a right tangle.
 
All players improve immeasurably once they leave. We should bring them all back...every last one of them.
 
Pinchy said:
All players improve immeasurably once they leave. We should bring them all back...every last one of them.
Click to expand...

I agree, including Jonathon Hunt, Ashley Ward and Simmo....

ok, maybe not simmo.
 
I remember an interview with him in the Star in the promotion summer of 2006. He came across as extremely bitter, saying bog standard things such as 'Parson Cross Rovers are a much bigger club than United' etc, and that Warnock was a shite manager. Warnock had just let him go of course, but it showed little or no class for me. Crap player anyway.
 
Warnock said when he left that he had "every attribute" and could go as far as he wanted to in the game. I agreed, I thought his potential was excellent.

A shame he didn't have the required attitude.
 
I bumped into him when we played away at Weymouth in a pre-season. He didn't look much arsed about playing and when he went on, put in a 'fuck-all' performance. He looked a lot better (though no world beater) last season away at Boringmouth.

pommpey
 
I remember him as a fast attacking full back. I thought he was reported to have missed a load of games with glandular fever which is why he lost his fitness and got sold. Maybe the glandular fever was like Beattie "flu" or Williams "groin".
 
I recall seeing his first game and couldn't believe how good he looked...next step is to read the second post, as Francis' own comments tell us all what happened. To his credit at least he admits to what went wrong, pity as he had so much to offer and couldn't be arsed. His loss not ours I'm afraid to say.
 

He's always looked decent for Bournemouth,apart from when he came up against Flynn in the 2nd half in that 5-2 game a couple of years back...Talking of Full Backs..Freeman is looking a decent Loan signing,although it's early days.Decent on the ball,get's forward well plays either side..not done to much wrong.Stonewall Penalty he should have got at Crawley aswell.
 
Pinchy said:
All players improve immeasurably once they leave. We should bring them all back...every last one of them.
Click to expand...
Up until cloughy come ,whos brought back the faith in me ,united could make messi look bad, thats just how we are
 
never mind messi, this is the club that turned down maradona.

I'm at least thankful our scouting seems to be a little better nowadays though.
 
axel smeets said:
I remember an interview with him in the Star in the promotion summer of 2006. He came across as extremely bitter, saying bog standard things such as 'Parson Cross Rovers are a much bigger club than United' etc, and that Warnock was a shite manager. Warnock had just let him go of course, but it showed little or no class for me. Crap player anyway.
Click to expand...



I remember this sort of stuff being said as well.
He even made the cardinal sin of bigging Wendy up over us...........Total tosser for saying something like that regardless of how pi55ed he probably was when he said it. That kind of statement is a deliberate slap in the face to the people who have paid your wages for two years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom