Book Review: FC Farce by Darryl Barkwill

Before the advent of Sky’s Soccer Saturday, viewers pre-match football analysis came from BBC’s Football Focus and ITV’s Saint and Greavsie. Those of a certain vintage who watched the ITV show featuring ex-Scotland International Ian St John and ex-England striker Jimmy Greaves, were well used to Greavsie’s oft-used catchphrase, “It’s a funny old game.”

In FC Farce, Darryl Barkwill’s debut novel, he takes this, as the title suggests, to, well, a seemingly fanciful farcical different level. The premise for the book is that Graham Farce, who has no real affinity for football, takes on the role of Club Chairman after the passing of his father.

What follows is a humorous catalogue of mishaps, misadventure and madness, both on and off the pitch as anything that can go wrong, does so, as FC Farce stumble their way through a season.

At only just over 150 pages, the incidents just keep coming and it is a romp that will keep readers engaged and wanting to know what other disasters wait around the corner for the Club. And whilst this is a work of fiction, one only has to look into the reaches of non-league football to see some of the stranger than fact events that beset Clubs around the country.

Sometimes football isn’t just about winning, but simply surviving and having a Club to support.

 

(Publisher: Independently published. January. 2025. Paperback: 154 pages)

 

Buy the book here