Ben Francis is showing The Athletic a photograph on his phone, but he can’t quite pinpoint when it was taken, so pings off a text to his father seeking clarification.
It turns out the picture dates from the early 2000s with a young Francis standing next to his brother Joe, both clad in Aston Villa replica training gear, and the club’s former European Cup-winning striker Gary Shaw with an arm round each.
Satisfied, the 32-year-old scrolls further through his camera roll.
“This one’s from Wembley when we got promoted,” he says, showing a video of him and his Canadian wife, Robin, jumping up and down after Villa secured promotion to the Premier League against Derby Country in 2019. “That was an amazing day. My wife didn’t know what was going on, but she has to be a Villa fan now.
“Our boys are 18 months old now. This season might be a little bit early for them, but as soon as they’re old enough to take it in, I’ll get season tickets and take them to Villa Park all the time.”
Ben Francis (right) and his brother Joe (left) with Gary Shaw
It is Monday afternoon and The Athletic has been invited to Gymshark, the exercise apparel company Francis founded in 2012.
Its origin story is well-known but still remarkable. Francis began Gymshark as a teenager…
