Book Review – Pantomime Hero: Memories of the Man Who Lifted Leeds United After Brian Clough (Football Shorts) by Ian Ridley

Ian Ridley is an award-winning journalist and author. His latest venture is Football Shorts which are a series of books in a collaboration between his own publishing company Floodlit Dreams and renowned sports book publisher, Pitch Publishing. Ridley details in the Notes and Acknowledgments that the inspiration of the series came about during lockdown and his desire for a short sporting read. The intention is that there are to be three books a year, with Pantomime Hero: Memories of the Man Who Lifted Leeds United After Brian Clough by Ridley, the first, with the others coming from former Women in Football CEO Jane Purdon and comedian and writer Andy Hamilton during 2023.

This first short is dedicated to Jimmy Armfield and provides, “memories of, and a friendship with one of the most humble and remarkable men to ever grace English football”. Whilst this is a very personal account, and not a biographical look at Armfield’s career, readers come to learn that his entire playing career was spent at Blackpool and he won over 40 caps for England, played in the 1962 World Cup in Chile and was part of the 1966 World Cup winning squad. After retiring from playing in 1971 he became manager at Bolton Wanderers leading them to the Third Division title in 1972/73. Then after the calamitous 44 day reign of Brian Clough at Leeds United, Armfield took the Elland Road job in October 1974.

He was able to galvanise a troubled club and squad after the turmoil of the ill-fated Clough spell and took the team to the European Cup Final in 1974/75 where they controversially lost 2-0 to Bayern Munich in Paris. It was a injustice that rankled with the normally calm and unflappable Armfield. Part of the process during that season and described within the book is how Armfield “came up with a novel and unique idea to restore the morale of a club tearing itself apart” – one which makes sense of the title of this book. Despite taking Leeds to the FA Cup semi-finals in 1976/77 and the same stage in the League Cup in 1977/78, Armfield was sacked in July 1978 and he never managed again, instead turning his hand to a successful media and journalistic career, in the same assured way that he had been one of the best right backs in the World.

These wonderful 160 pages are a real tribute to Armfield, and Ridley has produced a book that has a genuine warmth borne out of their friendship and Ridley’s admiration for Armfield’s talent as player, manager and broadcaster. It is also a very personal story, one that can only sometimes come from a shared experience – in this case, their respective battles with cancer diagnosis and sadly also for Ridley, the loss of his wife Vikki Orvice to breast cancer.

If the shorts from Jane Purdon and Andy Hamilton are as good as this, readers are in for a real treat, in what will become a much anticipated series of books.

(Publisher: Football Shorts. January 2023. Paperback: 160 pages)

 

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Book Review – We Paid to Play: Reflection of playing football at school and local leagues by Kenneth McLauchlan

The synopsis on the back of the book informs potential readers that We Paid to Play: Reflection of playing football at school and local leagues, is both an “interesting…educated” and “fascinating read”. And if you make claims like that then you need to deliver.

Having set the bar so high, the reality for this reader was that it failed to meet those expectations. This mixture of Kenneth McLauchlan’s playing career from schoolboy to adulthood and his very general and fleeting observations on football, are sadly disappointing. The details and anecdotes about his experience as a player feel flat and lack engagement and in a number of places within the book there are some major factual errors.

Take for instance this sentence taken from page 49. “Liverpool had a successful club side with two good wingers in Phil Thompson and Ian Callaghan – though neither of them featured in the world cup after the first game.” Firstly McLaughlin has confused Phil Thompson who was a defender at Anfield between 1971 and 1984, with the Liverpool winger Peter Thompson who plied his trade between 1963 and 1973. Secondly, whilst Peter Thompson was in England’s 1966 provisional 28 man World Cup squad he was cut from the final 22. Thirdly, in the 1966 World Cup, Ian Callaghan only played in last group game against France and not in the opener v Uruguay. Lastly, the capitalisation is inconsistent throughout the book, and in the example on page 49, refers to the “world cup”. Unfortunately these are not the only errors and they are distracting to the reading experience. It leaves you wondering who did the proof reading for the book.

The fact is though that there is no joy in having to write such a review and indeed our intention is not to be disrespectful to either the author or publishers, but to provide an honest account from our reviewer to our readers and followers.

(Publisher: Olympia Publishers. June 2022. Paperback: 194 pages)

 

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Book Review – ‘Unsuitable for Females’: The Rise of the Lionesses and Women’s Football in England by Carrie Dunn

Beth Mead, Leah Williamson, Chloe Kelly – women’s footballers and all household names after an epic summer last year saw the Lionesses reign supreme not only in Europe but in the public’s consciousness. But ask most football fans and they’d struggle to reel off the names of players from a decade ago, two decades ago, let alone going back to the origins of the women’s game over a century ago, whilst names like Billy Wright, Geoff Hurst and Duncan Edwards are as synonymous with the game today as Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish. There is an entire history that has been overlooked for decades in the women’s game, yet academics, writers and researchers are working hard to plug that gap and publishers are starting to get on board. Sarina Wiegman’s team have done much in popularising the game and galvanising interest in women’s football, but theirs is only the latest chapter in a story that has too long been suppressed. Whilst we rightly celebrate this modern generation of women, it is crucial that we fill in the gaps, giving those who laid the foundations for the Lionesses from the nineteenth-century on their rightful place in the story and making them too household names. Carrie Dunn’s ‘Unsuitable For Females’ begins this important task.

The book takes its title from the ignominious 1921 declaration by the FA that would place a ban on the women’s game for fifty years, but Dunn begins the narrative even before that, with Nettie Honeyball and Emma Clarke –pioneers of women’s football, but figures who have both been mythologised in different ways. From these earliest days, Dunn’s book traces a history of the game through some of its leading lights, introducing names like Wendy Owen, Pat Chapman, Linda Curl, Karen Walker, Jody Handley, Anita Asante and many more. Influential coaches in the development of the women’s game, as well as some of the trailblazing teams, are similarly written back into the story, as Dunn plots the domestic and international narrative of the game. And even for those who take an interest in the history of the women’s game will find a wealth of new information in this well-researched book. Indeed, anyone wanting to know more about women’s football in England will not go far wrong in reading this book.

Speaking directly to many of those involved, the book reflects the challenges and obstacles that previous generations faced just to be allowed to play the game, but the pride and joy of those who found not only a love of the game but a sense of belonging and camaraderie within football shines through. And whilst many of those who relive their earlier experiences express little regret at having missed out on playing in the current era, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been for these players had the game not been held back half a century. There is a ringing truth, however, that anyone who has been involved in women’s football across history will attest to: that the players of the past are not inferior to their contemporaries, but rather are equal to those of today in talent, skill and quality and to suggest otherwise is to do them a gross disservice. This is a fact that is emphasised throughout the book by the women themselves: women who were the first to play for England, the first to play overseas and the first to win a historic quadruple. They rightly deserve their place alongside Sarina Wiegman’s pride of Lionesses and it is heartening to see this recognition emerge, albeit much too belatedly.

Whilst this generation of Lionesses have impressively stamped their mark on history and fiercely taken the opportunities that have finally come women’s way, it is humbling to think of those who missed out on such chances by a hundred, fifty or even ten years. We can only imagine what heights players like Lily Parr, Sylvia Gore, Sheila Parker et al would have reached in this era, but let’s not forget their names or their vital contributions in laying the foundations for Leah Williamson’s team to step into the light.

Postscript: Carrie Dunn’s ‘Unsuitable For Women’, it’s probably the most informative and significant contribution to a joined-up history of the women’s game that I’ve read, so was refreshingly eye-opening.

Jade Craddock

(Publisher: Arena Sport. June 2022. Paperback: 240 pages)

 

Buy the book here: ‘Unsuitable for Females’

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Book Review – Blood on the Crossbar: The Dictatorship’s World Cup by Rhys Richards

18 December 2022 – the Lusail Stadium. Lionel Messi receives the FIFA World Cup trophy after one of the most dramatic finals in the competitions history. This is Argentina’s, La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue), third triumph following wins in 1978 and 1986. However, for all the magnificence of the final, the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world has been a controversial one even from the point Qatar were awarded the event back in December 2010. Rumours circulated how votes had been ‘bought’ to ensure the tiny but incredibly wealthy state became hosts, with many around the globe pointing to Qatar’s human rights record as a significant and compelling reason for the country to be stripped of the 2022 event.

This however was not the first time that the staging of the World Cup finals in a particular nation has proved to be contentious. Roll back the clock to 1978 with the finals being held in Argentina for the first time and we have a tournament that was equally controversial.

Rhys Richards’, Blood on the Crossbar: The Dictatorship’s World Cup, explores what was the eleventh World Cup finals and is a brilliant read. This well researched book is not just about the tournament itself, but also social and political history within the South American country in the late 1970s.

Two years before the finals Argentina had been subject to a military coup with the democratically elected president, Isabel Peron, ousted by General Jorge Rafael Videla. This was a dictatorship that ruthlessly imprisoned, tortured and killed anyone who opposed the regime and used the World Cup as a massive propaganda exercise.

As a young teenager at the time, and even without England having qualified, all I naively cared about was the football, and knew nothing of the political situation. The book was therefore a real eye-opener in learning not only about the cruel and brutal administration, but about the opposition that existed both within Argentina and abroad. For instance, Los Montoneros (a left wing organisation who supported Peron) who as part of their protest, on a number of occasions were able to hijack the audio of Argentina’s games in certain locations. There was also deep concerns in Europe, and a Dutch alternative cabaret duo Bram Vermeulen and Freek de Jonge began a campaign for the Netherlands to boycott the finals. The title of their show was Blood on the Crossbar, and “focused on the crimes of the dictatorship and the use of the World Cup as a sports-washing project.” They attempted to work with the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) but ultimately failed and ironically the Dutch squad were then used in part of the propaganda war ahead of the Final, with an article appearing purporting to be from Rudi Krol, praising the hospitality, the organisation and the military –  all the content however was a forgery.

Richards though for all his excellent exploration of issues off the pitch, doesn’t forget about those on the pitch taking readers through the matches group by group and dealing with some of the other controversies associated with the tournament, such as the allegations of drug taking by the Argentina players, and most especially the 6-0 beating of Peru that put La Albiceleste through the Final.

The teenage me remembers the Final and the sea of ticker-tape that rained down from the stands of the Estadio Monumental. I’d never seen anything like it and was then proceeded to be dazzled by the performance of Mario Kempes and his compatriots. Now though after reading this book, those innocent boyish feelings and recollections are now tempered by an adult realisation of what lay behind the scene in the name of sport.

La Albiceleste’s win in 1986 will always be associated with the brilliance of Maradona whilst 2022 saw a fairy-tale ending for Messi’s. Yet that first win in 1978 has to deal to this day with the stigma of association with the junta. However, this book redresses the balance and is a homage to the 1978 winners of Argentina’s first World Cup triumph and leaves you with some sympathy for the group as Richards attempts to give them separation from the association with the dictatorship and the horrors of the regime of the time.

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. September 2022. Hardcover: 304 pages)

 

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Book Review: Hutch, Hard Work and Belief: The Tommy Hutchison Story with Kevin Shannon

Old school.

If it is not tattooed on the inside of his eyelids, I have a heavy fancy it shall be on his gravestone.

Tommy Hutchison is old school. Given the subtitle of his book – Hard Work and Belief – it could be very little else. This is a biography grown out of love and that drips from every syllable on the pages. It has heart and it has soul. And the fact that in a modern world, we can often dismiss the values and views of those who have lived a life is dispelled in the final few chapters as former Scottish international and current Coventry City legend Hutchison, is shown to be a guy who wants to give back to the community in a way that many who are “old school” are believed to be incapable.

Starting from the Raws in Fife where his hard-working family brought Tommy up, this is exactly the type of rags to fame story which Scottish football does so well – the big three Shankly, Busby and Stein come to mind. But it is a lot more than that. The surprise, by the end of the book, is that this has not been ghost written by a journalist but by a fan. It’s what might be described as a vanity project but the one quality missing from the entire enterprise is vanity.

Of course, this means that much of the narrative is unchallenged, that it lacks some of the critical poise that a seasoned journalist may bring and there is a lack, at times, of the perspective of others when facts are presented as fact, but it is a tremendous read. That lack of context can be difficult as you are reading through a story which is not anchored in the events of its time. You can forget what else was happening in the world and without a journalistic attention to the detail much can be left unchallenged, however, this is a modest subject matter not given to hyperbole or boastfulness; they would never allow him away with oany o that in Dundonald efter aw.

And so, we begin in Fife, a kingdom not without its troubles but it certainly had quite a few hearts – though none of them lost to any in Midlothian. In the beauty of Dundonald a boy was born who was rubbish at football at school. That he became a Scottish international is one for the cliché comics but for us it is a revelation Hutchison uses in his teaching of other kids like himself as much as to show us all what such hard work and belief can bring. It was christened in the actions of his upbringing where the chimney sweep gets an honourable mention as much as does his father and mother. This is a boy who was gratefully raised by a village and of course we have the there was no… crime, anti-social behaviour etc tropes of the past and we were poor, but it was idyllic, until you read of his father’s troubles as a miner. His illness led to poverty and yes it was different then, but poverty is poverty. Hutchison may have struggled with the cost of a boot, but he never had his heart taken from him by a lack of support.

That schooling was not to be his master is a common enough theme for those whose intelligence is to be found at the end of your legs, but Hutchison does not forswear the needs of education. He trained and became a painter and decorator out of necessity – football was not a full time occupation for someone who started in the Juniors – and from the Bluebells, he went on an odyssey which is rich in experience and full of anecdotes. It is a rich tapestry which includes the “luck” of broken legs with the Wasps, the vagaries of managerial change at the seaside, the joys of promotion – premature or otherwise, the despair of relegation, working with legendary figures of the game like Bob Stokoe, a fairly unique barter system of ticket trading to make ends meet, and all of this, before he entered the field of play in a Scotland shirt.

Of course, there are many characters named along the way including one John Burridge who must have been very young when he appeared in Hutch’s career, as he appeared in a charity game in Edinburgh in the latter part of 2022 in his seventies!

Hutch’s transfer to Coventry City and elevation to the First Division meant he was in the shop window for the Scottish selectors. That is when I, as a young spectator became aware of him – the 1974 World Cup. It was the first World Cup of which I was aware. Scotland’s manager, Willie Ormond has always been cast as the gentile figure, not seen by many as a giant of the Scottish game despite being the only Scottish manager to get us to a World Cup and come home unbeaten – although still, by Tommy Docherty’s standards, home before the postcards. I read these chapters with great interest. The names around Hutch’s debut are legends themselves, McGrain, Dalglish, Jordan, Hay, the Lawman… But it is the detail both of the campaign to get to the World Cup and whilst they were there that was of huge interest. Penny pinching blazers who put an international squad up in a halls of residence for a World Cup final friendly, cockeyed commercial deals, a wholly forgettable World Cup song, and being unable to deal with recalcitrant rowers as well as one man who saw his stature greater than his height  – Billy Bremner – are all included, and I devoured them with eyes wide open.

Of revelations, there were none, but confirmations aplenty with an earnestness, a pride for wearing a jersey that meant so much to him and his wee boy self, which must have hurt when at the tender age of only 28, he had played his last for his country.

But then Manchester City came calling… Then eventually Burnley, the flirting with management that always seemed to involve flirting in one direction, and then Wales – Swansea City, where a man once his captain now became his manager and both had to deal with a chairman seemingly out of his depth and Merthyr Tydfil.

All are given to us with great glee especially when you could make sure the carpenter gave you the keys to the drinks room…

And so, of the man whose best international goal was in a Home International defeat, who took his steer as a captain from a Welshman rather than a Scot, his spat with Jimmy Hill, rollercoaster relationship with John Bond that began with a dip, why he may never be welcomed in Sunderland, his retail acumen or lack thereof, the final where he scored twice, for each team, the times he played for Manchester United and why, his foreign odysseys in Seattle and with Bulova involved injustice in New York and a trophy for Mr. Gentleman in Hong Kong. They are told with sufficient detail of the experience and a modesty in each accomplishment.

Then came retirement from playing and possibly the most surprising part of the whole book – his role as a Football Development Officer. The way that it is told, Hutch wanted nothing to do with the professional side of the game once the boots were hung up and the managerial merry go-round was firmly shut. I was and still am an Academy Director. You get your fair share of former professionals who still believe they are the epitome of what it means to be a professional footballer and that they are still, mentally, playing each Saturday at 3pm. Here is a Football Development Officer who just happens to be a former professional footballer. Hutch approached this task with the same professional attitude which saw him turn up in shirt and tie and train in the best of facilities because that is what was deserved. Hutch took on his new role with relish – and raised his own wages whilst doing it too. There is something of the son of the Raws here which shines through.

And so why should I be surprised? Throughout the anecdotes have dwelled upon chimney sweeps with an unfortunate streak, a man covered in snuff, a sage tea lady and a family who may never have pulled on the shirt of their country but whose heart burst with pride that their son did. It is the story of a man who lived a dream and knew it. His best role, father, husband, son, prepared him for his public one and with Kevin Shannon wielding the pen he has found a muse to tell the tale and tell it well. As he was once told when down in the dumps because he thought he did not belong at a trial, he was told, “Well ye must hae something otherwise ye wouldnae be here” – aye he did indeed and now we can all share in the reading of it. Oh, the wisdom of tea ladies…

Donald C Stewart

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. October 2022. Hardcover: 320 pages)

 

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Book Review – Get Shirty: The Rise & Fall of Admiral Sportswear by Andy Wells

Watching the recent 2022 World Cup there were a couple of things in terms of the fans attending that stood out. Firstly, irrespective of the country, and whether a child or an adult the vast majority were wearing replica shirts creating swathes of colour in the stands. Secondly, despite The FA having signed with Nike in 2012 to produce the England kits, many fans favoured the wearing of retro shirts from before that period. Prominent amongst them were the Three Lions home and away shirts released in 1980 and 1982 respectively, synonymous with the European Championship Finals in Italy and the World Cup in Spain. The design with the distinctive coloured bands across the shoulders was derided by many leading names in the game at the time, but yet over 40 years later are much loved by fans. The original maker of these now classic tops? A Leicester firm called Admiral.

Get Shirty: The Rise & Fall of Admiral Sportswear by Andy Wells tells the story of how the company “helped pioneer today’s multi-billion pound sportswear industry” and “invented the replica football strip and revolutionised the worlds of football finance and street fashion alike.” Wells was the director of the ITV film Get Shirty, and the documentary is the basis for this book, with unused material and interviews seeing the light of day through the pages of the story which is totally open in detailing the meteoric rise and calamitous crash of the company.

Wells uses a traditional timeline within the book to chart the history of Admiral’s predecessor company Cook & Hurst founded in 1908, through to its demise in the 1980s. Cook & Hurst essentially were known as a manufacturer of underwear for the armed forces, but under the ownership of Bert Patrick and Managing Director, John Griffin, wanted to expand the business into sportswear and so began a 1970s revolution that changed the football landscape both on and off the pitch.

Before Admiral came along, replica shirts were only made for children and were essentially generic. So for instance a red shirt with a white colour and cuff could have been a Barnsley, Manchester United or Liverpool top. These were without club badges and manufacturers logos and shirt sponsors were nowhere to be seen. Indeed it wasn’t until 1987 until all clubs had some form of shirt sponsorship.

Admiral’s big break came with what is described in the book as a chance meeting with then Leeds United manager Don Revie in 1973 at Elland Road. Revie was considered a tactical innovator and his vision extended to other areas of club business. He negotiated with Admiral a deal which saw them pay the West Yorkshire side to design kits and tracksuits with Admiral also producing replica kits for the children’s market. The Revie link was to prove invaluable when in 1974 he became England manager with Admiral picking up the contract to provide the Three Lions kit, which they continued to do up until 1984.

The book details how with their vibrant designs and new materials, including the use of the distinctive Admiral logo at every opportunity on shirts, shorts, socks, tracksuits etc. they came to sign up vast numbers of clubs and challenged the bigger more established brands such as Adidas, Bukta and Umbro. It helped too that certain managers were getting a ‘fee’ to ensure that Admiral was the choice of the club and indeed when players realised that some of this money could be channelled their way, they too would put pressure on the club hierarchy to take on the new kids on the block. During the rise it is evident that the Admiral set-up had a real community and family feel to it. Many of the workers interviewed in the book, detailed that those times were the best of their working lives.

However, the reality was that Admiral were punching above their weight, and once the other major firms realised that the replica market was a viable and lucrative business, the writing was on the wall. But it wasn’t just that Admiral were outmuscled by the big boys, Wells is frank in explaining how expansion plans that failed and other poor management decisions also contributed to their demise. Additionally, the situation wasn’t helped as goods could be manufactured abroad far more cheaply in a period which saw the decline of the clothing industry within the country.

Whilst the brand has survived through various licence sales since, those heady days of Admiral’s domination are long gone, but it should never be forgotten that they changed the landscape in terms of kit designs and the replica market we have today.

This is another excellent well researched, engaging and wonderfully illustrated addition to the Conker Editions stable, which once again understands and conveys the importance of history and nostalgia in telling the story of the game today.

(Publisher: Conker Editions Ltd. September 2022. Paperback: 200 pages)

 

Buy the book here: Get Shirty

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Book Review: Birdsong on Holbeck Moor by Billy Morris

This is the third book from Billy Morris, with his debut novel Bournemouth 90 and its follow-up LS92 both reviewed on FBR. The first two are a mix of fact and fiction surrounding the events of Leeds United’s promotion clinching win down at Bournemouth in May 1990 and then picking up with both the club and some of the characters two years later.

For Birdsong on Holbeck Moor readers are taken back to the period in and around the First World War. As the author detailed in his interview with FBR the backdrop to the story is, “a time of upheaval in Leeds…the war is coming to an end, the Leeds Pals were virtually wiped out on the first day of the Somme and families are struggling to cope with the aftermath of that. There is rationing and food shortages and Spanish flu is ravaging the city; At Elland Road Leeds City are struggling to explain how they funded an influx of ‘guest’ players who enabled them to win the 1917/18 League Championship, at a time when match fixing was rife.”

Whereas in his first two books Morris was able to call on his own experiences to provide an authenticity to the writing, in this third book, the author has had to rely more on research about the period to provide the same effect, and once again he succeeds creating a realistic feeling of setting for Leeds in the late 1910’s for his crime fiction.

As ever the writing is tight within this book and Morris manages to juggle the various plotlines effectively. The football content is not as prominent within Birdsong on Holbeck but is an interesting take on events at Elland Road and the brief existence of Leeds City.

They were founded in 1904 and were elected to the Football League a year later and during the First World War became Midland League Champions. However, they were expelled from the Football League during the 1919/20 campaign for illegal payments to players. The Leeds named continued though when Leeds United were founded in 1919 and taking up residence at Elland Road.

The other plotlines centre on a some of the surviving Leeds Pals, back in the city after the war with both facing very different struggles. For Arthur Rowley he returns to Yorkshire traumatised and suffering from shell shock after his experiences in the trenches and struggling to deal with life. Whilst Frank Holleran, feted as a war hero, returns to his ‘businesses’ and finds himself and his family embroiled in a serious issue as a consequence.

Morris captures what must have been a difficult time for Leeds, those returning to it after the war, their families and indeed the city’s football team. The book maybe small in size but delivers a punch.

(Publisher: Independently published. October 2022. Paperback: 175 pages)

 

Buy the book here: Birdsong on Holbeck Moor

 

 

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Book Review: A Life Well Red – A memoir edged in black – a true story of family, friends & football, of joy and tragedy by Les Jackson

I confess that I dived straight into this without reading any of the back page. I began to read about a time forgotten but well remembered, a written biography of an ordinary fan, in an ordinary life. It’s all about the value of family, growing up and the attraction that football holds for its community. It felt comfortable and comforting, but after a while I had to ask myself why someone would write this, and a publishing house would publish it, so I consulted the chapter headings.

A single chapter with a single date.

As sense of fear and foreboding dwelled. But it was a Liverpool fan and there are two dates which resonate. Neither chimed with the date in the book. And then I read the back page and discovered why it had been written.

Tom Jackson, Les and San’s eldest boy was murdered in Australia. A red through and through from a red family, this is the story of where he came from and how the sport of football gave him and his family memories that have sustained them and helped others to get through a tragedy that is truly heart-breaking.

I have read better written tales and I have abandoned worst misery memoirs, but by the end of this I knew a Tom who was full of life, dedicated to his club and who was passionately remembered and missed by a loving family. As an emotional tribute from a father, this was clearly – job done.

Though the pandemic gave Les an opportunity to write it, and the reason for putting fingers on keys is tragic, it is not without humour. There are many moments of light relief and when I noted the key to a potential trivia question, no spoilers here, I am using it, I realised not that this was someone who had got over their tragedy, but who had found perspective and was now sharing it. So let me, in that spirit pose another. Which footballing legend was present at three of the biggest tragedies in British football and what were their roles at each? Heysel, Ibrox and Hillsborough. (Answer at the end.)

As a Scot, your relationship with English football can be based upon quite arbitrary decisions. I followed Liverpool for a variety of reasons in the eighties. Firstly, as an Ayrshire man, I was made aware of the Glenbuck man who had revolutionized the fortunes of a second division team he then led to league glory. I still pass both the turn off to the village and the new colourful memorial in Muirkirk to Bill Shankly on a regular basis. Secondly, having watched with awe the development of a young lad from Troon who was clearly destined for bigger things, my interest peaked when we sold Stevie Nicol for a then club record of £300,000 to Liverpool. I was also not too keen on Brian Clough at the time so whilst most of my mates liked Nottingham Forest, I couldn’t stand them.

But such an affinity takes you so far. Having begun the book with a curiosity, where it works best for me is the personal story. I became embroiled, not just in the way in which the football team was followed but the effect it had upon Les and his family. I get the walk round the houses rather than sit and listen to the game on the radio – though I still listen, I get the desire not to miss out on the big games, the, often, ridiculous ways in which you try and make sure you can be where you need to be to hear and see what you want to hear and see too.

Les adds colour to the bigger occasions by the peculiar and personal recollections of what a young child will do to an icing set, John Manning, his arch nemesis at chess, Mr. Matson, the teacher who introduced him to the game, the reason Tim would have been a suitable nickname growing up and the closeness of a club where you could end up in a kickabout with a player – even if he was a blue. It is telling the tale of a time long forgotten by some but treasured by a generation and whilst it is pleasing to read of the years attending a uniformed organization – the Boys Brigade – which does not include any scandal, it serves as more than a piece of social history with which to bore the grandkids. It also reminds us of why the game has such and enduring relationship to us – it mattered, because it was what dominated our lives. It seeped into us not just because there were few alternatives, but because it was there – close to us and accessible.

There are times when the story resonates more – his first match saw Leicester City with Peter Shilton in goal – as was mine, questionable fashion choices around a time when the bombshell of Shankly retiring whilst mine was when Ally MacLeod went to take on Scotland, discovering your child – in his case, Tom – had a potentially dangerous ailment, dermatomyositis – different ailment, same trauma for me, and the Orange Lodge Days which for us in the West Coast of Scotland have an altogether more fiery outcome and significance. But you don’t need to be “of a certain age” to understand or enjoy this. People are coloured in, and the issues are widened out for you to understand. In short, you are taken on a journey where all becomes clear as you are travelling and not awaiting a major reveal at the end of it all.

The Hillsborough section caught my attention most. Les was there, and as he acknowledges there are plenty of other legacy tales which cover the pain and tragedies which unfolded. Justice for the 97 is well served but, as someone who follows English football avidly, the chapter on Hillsborough gave vital context. Why the ground was used, what other semi-finals had been there and why it had become a significant chapter in the book of any year was exactly what has been missing for many football fans. I got it.

It underlined why the personal stories were so important. What happened can only be understood in the context of what was lost. Not the memories but the expectations that those memories built. You may always have Istanbul, but you knew there was always the opportunity for another one. With new members of the family arriving, there shall be new memories, different and equally valued. But different.

As the story weaves through finding San, his soulmate and Tom’s mum, jobs in various parts of the country the significance of a central part of your life – Anfield becomes increasingly important. It not only centres your week, it holds your entire focus. If all else fails, you can go and collect cups in May…

It is therefore the success that eluded Liverpool which becomes important as much as the success they had. This is a story which is framed around a club but also informs the narrative. If you are expecting a story that takes you season by season, game by game, this is not it. The totality of the effect of the seasons is measured personally and as Dan arrives and Liverpool progress it allows the Disneyland Paris trip, the Barcelona visit and European excursions become about the core reason for writing this – the family.

That family is constantly extended, not just by the inclusion of new close family members but by colleagues and acquaintances who may be able to barbecue better than Les as well as provide the type of support which you wish never to have to rely on but are immensely grateful when it is there.

And then I arrived at the chapter.

23rd of August 2016.

Tom had gone to experience Australia and when there was staying in a hostel. One night he went to the aid of a young woman being attacked. The attacker turned on Tom and of the three, only one survived. It was neither victim of the attacker.

From the message received that he was in hospital, that supportive cast of characters kicked in. Les went to Australia, and after a period of time, brought Tom home. I cannot do justice to the expression of pain dripping from each page nor to the pride felt when Tom was recognised by friends, governments and former schools. There are too many clichés to be avoided over what a parent should expect regarding their children, but here there is genuine emotion well expressed. That the book, near the end talks of how the attacker has now been released and may be walking free back in his home country of France does not send Les into apoplexy but his understated angst.  Is. Completely. Clear.

The ending of the book manages the positive and when Les is pontificating on the game, the passion has continued but it does not quite work as well. Les is hobby horsing a bit. I can forgive that. You could forgive much, but to do so would be to treat this as a sympathy review of a piece of work that has true meaning. It’s well written and it tells the tale well. I am glad I got to read it in the end. You should make the effort to do so too.

And as for the trivial question – Sir Kenny Dalglish, Rangers supporter at Ibrox, Liverpool player at Heysel and Liverpool manager at Hillsborough. Small world, right enough…

Donald C Stewart

 

(Publisher: Independently published. March 2021. Paperback: 296 pages)

Category: Reviews | 1 Comment on Book Review: A Life Well Red – A memoir edged in black – a true story of family, friends & football, of joy and tragedy by Les Jackson

Book Review – Her Game Too: A Manifesto for Change by Matt Riley

When England’s Lionesses brought home the nation’s first major trophy in almost sixty years, they galvanised a nation. Fans new and old, male and female, got behind the team and women’s football reached new heights. It was a demonstration of all that is brilliant in sport and a celebration of equality and diversity at its finest. For many women, however, football hasn’t been, and isn’t always, a safe, welcoming and equal space. Incidents of sexism and misogyny have been all too often the experience of women in football, whether as players, employees or fans. And it was such undesirable experiences that led to two women making a stand.

On 15 May 2021, Caz May and Lucy Ford, both having suffered negative experiences as women at men’s football matches, established Her Game Too (HGT) – a campaign to ‘eradicate sexism in the football industry’ allowing ‘women and girls of all ages to feel confident and safe’ within football, which launched with a hard-hitting and impactful video, which I urge anyone to take a look at. Having grown from strength to strength and with increasing interest and visibility for women in the game, Matt Riley’s Her Game Too reflects on and takes up Caz and Lucy’s rallying cry.

The issue of a man writing this book may seem somewhat askew to some people, but, as Riley explains, he is simply a football fan, and in a world without sexism and misogyny that is what we all are: not male or female fans, just football fans. It is encouraging too for HGT to have such a proud and vocal male ally. Having said this, would it have been empowering to have a female author behind the book? Of course, but, ultimately, the most important thing is getting the message out there via supportive and cooperative means and Riley is clearly a committed and qualified ally. What’s more his book gives both voice to other key allies and, crucially, to the women themselves who have been affected by insult and abuse. Indeed, HGT carried out a survey of female fans in 2021 to get a sense of the extent of the problem and all 371 responses are included at the back of the book. If a reader chooses to read nothing else, this alone gives a clear indication of the problem that instigated the need for HGT.

The book itself offers a whistle-stop tour of some of the main issues, themes, experiences and developments when it comes to sexism and misogyny in the game and while it is clear there is much still to be done, there are examples, not least in the work of HGT, that offer hope. Whilst the growth of HGT may seem to reflect the continuing challenges in football, conversely it is a symbol of transformation and progress, of a groundswell of change, a chorus of knowing voices. The message that comes across loud and clear is that there is no reason why women shouldn’t be involved in football in whatever guise they wish, they have equal right to be supporters, players, managers, officials and the like in a safe, welcoming and inclusive game, now they just need to have equal opportunity.

Jade Craddock

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. October 2022 Paperback: 192 pages)

 

Buy the book here: Her Game Too

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Book Review: How to be a Football Manager by Ian Holloway

With the managerial roundabout in full swing already this season, the question once more crops up: who would want to be a football manager? Well, ask most football fans, and they’ll probably think they can do a better job than some managers, and they may not be wrong. Let’s be honest, we’ve all sat there, in the stands or on the sofa, watching our teams lose and called out the manager for their tactical choices, their personnel choices or, perhaps in lieu of anything else, their fashion choices. After all, when it’s all going pear-shaped, we often wonder how hard can it be to pick eleven players, to get them passing ten yards, to not concede yet again? From our lofty perches, it seems like child’s play, but former QPR and Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has been there, done it and got the stories to prove it’s a lot harder than it looks. So, just before you hit send to wing your CV over to put your name in the managerial race for those teams looking for the next Pep Guardiola, it might be worth a quick perusal of Holloway’s How To Be A Football Manager, to discover just what it takes to sit in the managerial hot seat.

There are few managers as entertaining and honest as Ian Holloway, traits that have occasionally backfired on him, but nonetheless made him a memorable and engaging character in the game. Having spent almost two decades playing, for the likes of Bristol Rovers and QPR, Holloway continued his footballing career on the side-lines as manager at clubs including Leicester City, Crystal Palace and most recently Grimsby Town. Across four decades in the game, there’s very little that Holloway has not seen, done or experienced, working across the leagues, and whilst a post-match glass of wine with Arsene Wenger or a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid may sound like the stuff of dreams, the life of a football manager is often much more mundane and challenging. From picking a starting XI to overseeing contract negotiations, dealing with referees to managing in a pandemic, Ian Holloway reflects on the highs and lows in the dugout with his trademark honesty.

The book is full of Holloway’s own stranger-than-fiction real-life episodes, including the time he put his personal address on the QPR website inviting disgruntled fans to come and share their grievances face to face (none did) and the time that a pre-season prank by his players ended up with Holloway making a trip to the local police station. Holloway’s managerial career is littered with such frankly outlandish but true tales, begging the question whether it could only happen to Holloway or whether Jurgen Klopp has a similar dossier that he’s just waiting to release. Although I can’t imagine Klopp, or any manager in the top leagues come to think of it, inviting round disgruntled fans – and they’re probably wise not to. But when it comes to player acquisition, chairmen strife and press conferences, off-piste coaching and handling players, Holloway may very well be in a league of his own.

As mentioned already, one of the great strengths of Holloway, that comes across so explicitly in this book, is his honesty, but not only honesty, a complete candidness and forthrightness. And crucially it’s an honesty that is applied equally to everything, be that when he speaks about difficult chairmen, underperforming players or himself. Indeed, Holloway is unflinchingly honest about his own failings and shortcomings, recognising the moments where he has made a mistake or overstepped the mark, and neither too afraid nor too proud to try to make a change. It’s a shame that the same can’t be said for some of the other characters in the book. Above all, it’s obvious that Holloway is a man of principle and integrity, one that loves the game and wants to see the best version of it, whether in himself, his team or his supporters. He speaks passionately about protecting his players, about making difficult decisions and his commitment to his teams and you just know that what you see is what you get with Holloway. He is the type of manager who you could bump into in the street, or, as he prefers, in the second-hand shop, and discuss football with, and he would be as honest and open as ever. He would entertain you with stories of the good, the bad and the ugly of the football world, and leave you feeling energised once more about the game, despite the latest VAR debacle, your out-of-nick striker and your penny-pinching owners. He would remind you just why we all love this little old sport called football and why a good manager is much more than their tactics.

Without Holloway, the game has lost one of its larger-than-life characters, but during his hiatus, his book offers a refreshing, eye-opening insight into the real world of football management. Holloway, in yet another measure of the man, thanks ghost-writer David Clayton in the acknowledgements, a classy but oft-overlooked touch in such books, and Clayton merits these plaudits as the book perfectly encapsulates all that fans know and love about Ian Holloway – frank, passionate, down-to-earth and fair. For anyone polishing their managerial CV, those qualities aren’t bad ones to start with.

Jade Craddock

(Publisher: Headline. October 2022. Hardcover: 320 pages)

 

Buy here: Ian Holloway

 

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