ASK ANY non-Stockport supporter to name a County player, past or present, my money would be on Kevin Francis.

It could be argued that the Big Man, through his deeds on and off the pitch, gave Stockport County a lasting, national image, perhaps for the first time in their long history.

Born in Birmingham on December 6 1967, Francis joined Derby from Mile Oak Rovers in February 1989.

With first-team chances limited at the Baseball Ground he moved to Edgeley Park two years later in a deal that was worth £45,000, initially, which eventually increased by a further £5000 on appearances.

He made his Hatters debut when he replaced 'little' Paul Williams in a 3-0 win at Lincoln, and scored his first goal, against Northampton, five games later.

It was an ungainly goal. He almost fell over as he somehow squeezed the ball home. And that was, perhaps, why many of the County faithful wondered if the 6' 7" giant would ever make it at League level.

They needn't have worried. Under the expert tutelage of manager Danny Bergara Francis emerged as, possibly, the most-feared striker in the lower divisions.

Two goals in an emotional final home game of the season, against Scunthorpe, took his season's tally to 5 (from 11 starts) and helped the Hatters to escape from the bottom division for the first time in 21 years.

And the step-up in standard didn't faze the Big Man as he, affectionately, and understandably, had become known.

Francis, and his new striking partner Andy Preece, shot County to not one, but two Wembley finals.

Francis scored in both legs against Burnley in the Autoglass Trophy Northern Final to reach Wembley for the first time in the club's history.

Then, eight days after losing to Stoke in the Trophy Final, Francis became the first County player to score in front of the twin-towers when he netted in the 2-1 play-off defeat by Peterborough.

Francis hit 28 league goals the following season and then matched that total twelve months later in a campaign that saw Preece score 21 of his own.

Led by the dynamic duo Bergara's men reached two more Wembley finals but couldn't break their duck, losing first to Port Vale in 1993 and then to Burnley twelve months later.

Francis scored his second Wembley goal against the Valiants. The occasion was the Autoglass Trophy Final of 1993.

And, although the Big Man scored many better goals, it is probably the one that County fans will remember more than any other.

Trailing 2-0 at half-time the travelling Blue & White Army decided to take matters into their own hands.

They turned Wembley into a cauldron of noise with the never-ending chant of 'Danny Bergara's Blue & White Army' reverberating around the famous old stadium.

Mid-way through the half the fans were rewarded with a Francis header but, despite constant pressure on the Vale goal, a deserved equaliser didn't arrive.

After the departure of Andy Preece to Crystal Palace, for a club-record £350,000, in the summer of 1994, Francis was joined in attack by an 18-year-old Alun Armstrong who will be the first to admit that the Big Man helped his first tentative steps in his Football League career immeasurably.

By now Francis had scored his 100^th County goal - only the third player in the club's history to achieve this honour - and what a goal it was.

People outside Edgeley Park will tell you that Francis scored all his goals with his head. Don't you believe it?

Around 70% of his County goals were scored with his feet. He had much more talent than people gave him credit as his 100^th goal, against Port Vale, perfectly illustrated & a fabulous over-head kick.

For more than 12-months a move to his beloved Birmingham City had been muted. It finally happened in January 1995 when Blues' boss Barry Fry broke County's transfer record by paying £800,000 to take him back down the M6.

Francis' final Hatters appearance was, like his first, as a substitute, this time against Bradford City.

County lost the game 2-1 but perhaps inevitably, and poignantly, Francis scored.

It was his 88^th County League goal scored from just 156 appearances.

Speaking 24 hours before joining Birmingham Francis said: "Edgeley Park has been like a second home for me. Most people who get up for work say, 'Oh no, another day and I've got to face so and so,' but for me coming in for training and playing for County has been a pleasure. It has never been a problem."

And on the County fans Francis added: "The reception I received when I came on against Bradford was fantastic. As things have worked out it turned out to be my final County game and I'm so glad I scored."

Strangely, though, it wasn't his last game in County blue. In March 2000 'the legend' returned from Oxford United. Unfortunately it wasn't a happy return. After just four games he suffered a bad injury against Manchester City and was released at the end of the season.

The final word belongs to Kev: "The reception (against Bradford) didn't surprise me, though. The fans have been fantastic towards me right from my first game and I hope that with the goals I've scored I've not let them down."

At the Gala Dinner to celebrate 100 years of football at Edgeley Park on October 12 2002 Kevin Francis was named 'County Player of the Century' - there can be no greater tribute.

Kevin Francis was talking to Des Hinks.

Kevin Francis' full League record reads:- 

Club	Date Signed	Aps	Gls
Derby County	February 1989	10	0
Stockport County	February 1991	152	88
Birmingham City	January 1995	73	13
Oxford United	February 1998	36	8
Stockport County	March 2000	4	0
Exeter City	November 2000	7	1
Hull City	January 2001	22	5
Total		304	115