AN ECHO OF GLORY: TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR IN THE 21ST CENTURY by Gareth Thomas

An Echo of Glory: Tottenham Hotspur in the 21st Century delves into the famous club’s recent past to uncover how Spurs emerged from a stagnant period in the 1990s to once again compete for the game’s highest honours.

At the turn of the millennium, Tottenham were languishing in mid-table mediocrity, out of all the cup competitions and about to say goodbye to their star player. Just two decades later they had challenged for the league title, built one of the world’s finest stadiums and come so close to the ultimate glory of lifting the Champions League trophy.

But this story is not without its twists and turns. In this century, the club has been through some of its most testing times, as heroes have come and gone and the revolving door of managers has hardly stopped spinning.

Gareth Thomas peels back the layers on the key characters that have left their mark on the club, bringing fresh perspectives and shedding new light on the issues and events that continue to shape the present and future of Tottenham Hotspur.

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. October 2023. Hardcover: 288 pages)

 

Buy the book here: An Echo to Glory

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NATURAL: THE JIMMY GREAVES STORY by David Tossell

Jimmy Greaves remains the greatest goalscorer in English football history, with a record of 357 top-flight goals that may never be surpassed.

Teenage sensation at Chelsea and England debutant at 19, he became – after an unhappy spell at AC Milan – a legend at Tottenham Hotspur. But despite 44 international goals in 57 games, his England career was defined by the heartbreak of missing the 1966 World Cup Final. A shock move to West Ham brought an acrimonious end to his Spurs days and, a year later, he retired from the game, aged only 31.

What followed was a desperate descent into alcoholism, followed by a remarkable battle to win back his family and self-esteem. Reinventing himself as a popular TV personality, his instincts in front of camera proved as natural as those in front of goal. Having taken his final drink in 1978, Greaves has remained sober from that day.

Drawing on interviews with family, friends, colleagues and opponents, Natural: The Jimmy Greaves Story is the definitive biography of one of England’s most loved footballers.

(Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd. April 2019. Hardcover: 384 pages)

 

Buy the book here: Jimmy Greaves

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Book Review: Me, Family and the Making of a Footballer by Jamie Redknapp

In recent times, Jamie Redknapp has emerged as something of a TV personality, first as a football pundit and later as a captain on the sports comedy panel show A League of Their Own and its spin-off ‘travelogue’ shows, but rewind thirty years and you’re taken back to the start of a very different story that begins with a supremely talented and dedicated young footballer. Jamie Redknapp’s first autobiography takes readers back to that very beginning.

From his earliest days, Jamie Redknapp lives and breathes football, but his is not just your ordinary childhood experience of football. The son of footballer, and later manager, Harry Redknapp, Jamie’s earliest years are spent watching from the side-lines as his dad lines up for Seattle Sounders, Phoenix Fire and Bournemouth against Pele et al, chatting to his dad’s friend Bobby Moore and his uncle Frank Lampard senior, and having a kick-about in the back garden with George Best and later his cousin Frank Lampard. These experiences clearly helped and motivated a young Jamie, but it would be simplistic to think his success was a given. If that were the case, every child of a half-decent footballer would therefore be a pro, but that is far from the reality. Indeed, Jamie’s success actually is something of an anomaly and for those who wonder why more children of footballers themselves don’t become footballers, the book serves as a reminder that there’s more to success in the sport than lineage, genes and even talent. Indeed, Jamie impresses that whilst he may get some ability from his dad, his attitude is very much from his mum, and this combination is integral to his success.

So too, though, is his almost obsessive attitude towards the sport and the hours spent practising. Young Jamie is defined by a certain degree of obsessiveness and dedication that belies his years. He is a very particular and exacting child, and his discipline and focus are evident, and again there is a sense that whilst Jamie may have inherited some talent, it is his character, his drive, which determines his success. The advantage of his early years, of being immersed in football and growing up around the sport, seems to be borne out more in his understanding of the game and its tactics, as well as of team and changing-room culture, rather than the actual playing side. Talent and hard work complement that early context, but there’s always a sense of a combination of factors needed to succeed as a footballer, that genealogy alone won’t suffice. In fact, in some ways, being the son of a footballer seems to bring additional challenges – the expectations to live up to, the pressure of matching up to his dad, the inevitable comparisons, and the taunting by team-mates and opponents alike.

What is also intriguing to see in this account of the life of the son of a footballer is the way Harry treats him. There is never any parental pressure or harsh words, Harry leaves Jamie to it and follows his lead when it comes to Jamie’s career. The title of the autobiography couldn’t be more apt: Me, Family and the Making of a Footballer, for it is clear throughout that there are two loves of young Jamie’s life: football and family. And although family tends to play a part in most autobiographies to some degree, I’ve never had the sense of such a close, loving unit as the Redknapp’s. It’s not just a case of a mention here or there of his family, but a continuous thread throughout the memoir that is rooted in real, authentic respect, affection and love. And whilst Jamie admits to dabbling in the dark arts of football – the little tricks and incursions to thwart an opponent – the lasting impression is of a thoroughly decent human being and nice guy and of a similarly nice family – although some of Harry’s players may question that on the basis of Jamie’s reflections on his temper! There are some lovely words from Harry at the end of the book, about Jamie’s quality, his potential, but also the importance of being a good, honest person, and again this seems to perfectly sum up the qualities of not only Jamie, but the Redknapp’s – that football is important, but that values and family are more important.

The autobiography ends, somewhat unusually, when Jamie is eighteen, having just moved to Liverpool and scored his first goal, and one of my recurring issues with memoirs is that, in condensing a life story into a single book, they can often feel rushed and compressed, so the decision to focus almost microscopically on just Jamie’s formative years is a welcome one, I felt. It gives greater depth and richness to the life story and allows space for this period to be delved into in full. Yet it never drags or feels slowed down by this abbreviated timeframe. Indeed, there is so much to tell that the book easily justifies this approach and only serves to show how other autobiographies perhaps skimp on content and detail by sticking to the full life-story approach. Admittedly, Jamie’s childhood has perhaps more than its fair share of anecdotes and adventures, but it just goes to show that there is so much more to tell in a person’s history. And whilst it may be a good marketing ploy, to get readers to buy more than one book, as presumably there will be a follow-up (or two), I don’t begrudge that at all because the book feels so much richer and more detailed. The only thing I do begrudge if there are subsequent books is the inevitable wait for the next one!

Despite my positive inclination towards the structure of the book, I must admit that I was not wholly convinced by, or satisfied with, the voice of the memoir. For some reason, I didn’t really get a sense of Jamie Redknapp’s voice. Perhaps because he’s so present on TV, it feels as if you know him and his voice and the narrative voice in the autobiography just didn’t seem individual or personalised enough, but it may be a perfectly true reflection; it just didn’t quite hit the right note for me. However, I loved the inclusion of sections from other people from Jamie’s story – not only dad Harry, mum Sandra and brother Mark, but early team-mates, managers and coaches, which really added to the book, and is certainly something other autobiographies could borrow.

Jamie Redknapp’s career may have branched off in recent years and his footballing journey may have been reduced to a story of injuries and what-ifs, but this book is a reminder of Jamie’s talent, his footballing pedigree and his early promise, motivation and success. It is a journey through a young footballer’s life and his desire to make his own mark, but it is also a portrait of a loving family.

Jade Craddock

 

(Publisher: Headline. October 2020. Hardcover: 336 pages)

 

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Book Review: Luka Modric – My Autobiography

If Luka Modric had a bucket list, it would surely read something like this: play in the Premier League (tick), become a Galactico (tick), win the Champions League (tick), lead Croatia to their best ever result at a World Cup (tick), win the Ballon d’Or (tick). After all that, there was only one thing left for Croatia’s most capped player to tick off – write an autobiography – and it’s now mission accomplished.

Modric emerged onto the global footballing radar in his four-year spell at Tottenham, but he’d already made his mark in his native Croatia at Dinamo Zagreb, via loan spells at Zrinjski Mostar and Inter Zapresic. His story started, though, much earlier, in modest and turbulent roots, set against the backdrop of a brutal Croatian War of Independence that robbed him of his beloved grandfather and his home. Despite these challenges, as the universal footballer narrative goes, Modric was drawn to football. Questions over his size and physicality which lingered throughout a lot of his career were raised early in his formative years, but there was perhaps no better test for a young Modric, nor a better schooling, than the notoriously tough Bosnian Premier League, where he became Bosnian Premier League Player of the Year aged 18. His time at Dinamo Zagreb brought a host of trophies and eventually a move to London, where Modric’s career took off, before his journey became stratospheric at Real Madrid. Modric’s autobiography, however, is bookended by perhaps the most important and yet arguably the most disappointing moment in his career – finishing as runner-up in World Cup 2018. For a nation of some four million people, this is a staggering achievement, but for Modric, a man who has won virtually all there is to win in the game, it initially felt like a failure. His autobiography fills in the story of how a young boy from war-torn Zadar reached the dizzy heights of a World Cup final and becoming the best player in the world.

The style of the autobiography itself is very traditional; there is nothing flamboyant or excessive in the way the book is ordered or told. Although, it’s a nice touch for the book to have 10 chapters – referencing Modric’s hallowed number 10. Modric, who comes across as a modest, humble man, appears as such in the book, but there’s also a hint of steel and tenacity that I hadn’t necessarily expected. The content is much to be expected, however, and gives a thorough overview of his whole life, although detail is sometimes a little bit lacking, but that’s hardly surprising given the amount Modric has to pack in to the book. Indeed, it’s great to have one of the best players of his generation and a recent Ballon d’Or winner not only penning an autobiography but doing so whilst still very much integral at club and national level. There’s a real sense of currency to the book as a result.

It’s also brilliant to see a different culture and nationality represented in footballing autobiographies. Indeed, I don’t think I’ve read another Croatian autobiography, nor I am aware if there are any others, but certainly it’s not the usual fare available. Perhaps Modric’s tome will open the floodgates, not only for other Croatian players – the likes of Davor Suker, Vedran Corluka, Niko Krancar, Davor Suker, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic, Mario Mandzukic, Domagoj Vida, Dejan Lovren, Eduardo da Silva and Mateo Kovacic, to name a few – but also lesser-represented nations.

I also enjoyed getting a greater sense of Modric the man, as although he’ll be familiar the world over as a footballer, he’s not one of the game’s most accessible personalities, so it’s intriguing to get a glimpse into his character. And anyone who followed the Harry Kane saga this summer will also note a very telling insight from Modric into one of the most formidable chairmen in the modern game – Tottenham’s Daniel Levy. Modric speaks often in the book about fate and had he got his way in negotiations at Spurs, he may have ended up at Chelsea instead of Real Madrid and who knows just how his story would have unfolded then. As it is, having been sold to Los Blancos, Modric went on to win two La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, three Supercopa de Espana, four Champions Leagues, three UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cup, and that’s before any individual accolades. So, however Modric’s career developed, it’s not bad for a boy who was rejected at Hadjuk Split for being too little. The phrase ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ springs to mind here!

Jade Craddock

 

(Bloomsbury Sport. May 2021. Paperback: 304 pages)

 

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2021/22 Premier League books (Part 3) – Saints to Wolves by Jade Craddock

With the new Premier League season just around the corner and a host of familiar and new players gracing the league, there’s plenty of stories to be written, metaphorically and literally. Here, we take a look at each club and pick an already published autobiography from a player of the Premier League era that’s worth a read and one from the current crop that would appeal.

Southampton

Past: Southampton go into 2021/22 in their tenth straight campaign in the Premier League. When the league kicked off in 1992, the Saints enjoyed twelve seasons at the top, but their thirteenth proved unlucky as they were relegated in 20th place in 2005. Worse was yet to come as four seasons in the Championship ended in relegation to League One in 2009. But it was only a brief stay with Nigel Adkins steering the Saints back to the Championship in two seasons, with the help of Rickie Lambert’s goals, before a second consecutive promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League in 2011/12. As far as past players go, the Saints boast the likes of Gareth Bale, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk, but there’s only really one man who’s synonymous with the South Coast side – Matt Le Tissier. Le Tissier spent all of his career at Southampton, having joined the youth set-up in 1985, eventually bidding St Mary’s farewell seventeen years later. He holds the accolade of the first midfielder to score 100 Premier League goals and was included in the 1994/95 PFA Team of the Year. His wittily titled Taking Le Tiss was published in 2009.

Present: The departure of Danny Ings to Villa this summer may have caught many out, and the Saints will be keen to hold on to their other star men as they head into the season, none more so than James Ward-Prowse, who, like Le Tissier, is currently a one-club man, racking up a decade in the senior team and almost twenty years at the club in total. He would make a very good case for a Southampton autobiography. Young guns like Kyle Walker Peters and Nathan Tella are ones to watch, while Che Adams has begun to make his mark. However, with his return to his boyhood club, initially on loan in 2020, before making the deal permanent, Theo Walcott’s journey would make for an interesting read. Although an autobiography was published in 2011, Theo: Growing Up Fast, the following decade has been as eventful as his early years and at thirty-two he’s well placed to look back on a career that started in earnest at just sixteen. Indeed, sixteen years in the Premier League is certainly something to write home about.

Tottenham Hotspur

Past: One of the Premier League mainstays, Tottenham’s lowest finish in the top flight came in 1993/94 when they ended up in fifteenth. The nineties and early 2000s saw them finish in and around mid-table, but by 2006 they had become regular top-half finishers and participants in Europe. Major trophies have largely eluded the North London side, with just the League Cup in 2008 to their name in recent times, although a Champions League final was on the cards in 2019, but they came unstuck in an all-English tie against Liverpool. New manager Nuno Espirito Santo, brought in this summer, has begun to ring the changes, but the football world’s eyes will be singularly on the future of Harry Kane. And he’s not the only iconic marksman that Spurs have had in the Premier League era, but, interestingly, neither Robbie Keane nor Jermain Defoe, to name but two, have published autobiographies yet, but with Defoe still banging in the goals for Rangers, there’s plenty of time for that. Similarly, perhaps Tottenham’s biggest ever superstar, or certainly their biggest ever money-earner, Gareth Bale hasn’t yet put pen to paper on his momentous career, but between Wales and Real Madrid, there’s still presumably lots to be written. In terms of those with autobiographies already published, both Luka Modric and Ledley King options are available, but there are few better reads out there across the entirety of the football book world than Peter Crouch’s How To Be A Footballer and I, Robot, both of which benefit from Crouch’s trademark humour. Better yet, a third book looks slated for release next year.

Present: As England captain and current Premier League Golden Boot holder, it is hard to look beyond Harry Kane for a future autobiography regardless of what the next couple of weeks bring. But as the transfer saga rumbles on, let’s turn our attention to other Spurs players. Eric Dier and Hugo Lloris have been Tottenham mainstays for seven and nine years respectively. Dier’s start offered a somewhat different route to a lot of England players, having begun his journey in Portugal with Sporting CP, before moving to England with Tottenham. Lloris, meanwhile, began in his native France with Nice and latterly Lyon but has spent the bulk of his career in the Premier League. As captain of France, he led Les Bleus to both the final at Euro 2016, eventually finishing runners-up, before going one better two years later at the World Cup in Russia, where France triumphed over Croatia. Whilst Dele Alli has found himself on the fringes in recent times, at still only 25, there is plenty more to come from the MK Dons youngster. A mercurial talent Alli was soon spotted at the League One side and was named PFA Young Player of the Year in his first two consecutive seasons in the Premier League. He has played at both a Euros and World Cup, racking up almost 40 caps, but missed out on this summer’s entertainment. But when it comes to the final pick, it has to be Son Heung-Min who has taken the Premier League by storm since his arrival in 2015, growing into one of the league’s top performers, winning the Premier League Player of the Month three times, Goal of the Month three times, Goal of the Season once and the Puskas Award in 2020. He has notched various awards as Asian International Player of the Year and Korean Player of the Year.

Watford

Past: In its 29 seasons, Watford have featured in the Premier League for seven campaigns. In 1992, they were playing in Division 1 and fell to Division 2 in 1996, before consecutive promotions in 1998 and 1999 saw them join the top flight for the first time. However, it was the briefest of stays with the Hornets immediately dropping back down. Several seasons in Division 1/Championship followed, before a return to the Premier League in 2006. But history was to repeat itself with the London outfit managing just the single campaign. Eight years in the Championship followed before Watford once again made it to the top, and this time their stay extended across five seasons before their relegation in 2020. However, the Hornets bounced back at the first time of asking, finishing second last season to begin anew in the Premier League this time out. Like many teams outside of the so-called big six, Watford players haven’t typically been the subject of autobiographies. However, one man central to Watford’s past has penned his life In His Own Words – the late Graham Taylor. Manager of the Hornets for ten years, he led Watford from the Fourth Division to the First in five years and three years later was England manager. He returned to Watford for a second spell in charge from 1996 to 2001.

Present: There is a case for saying that two of Watford’s best players are part of the current squad and both would be suitable picks for an autobiography. In fact, Cassell have beaten me to the punch, by landing Troy Deeney’s memoir, Redemption, which will be published next month and will chart his footballing career from Chelmsley Town, whilst training as a bricklayer, to becoming captain of a Premier League side and leading the line for Watford for over a decade. The second man to rival Deeney’s charge is Watford’s current number 1. Ben Foster had two loan seasons at Watford, picking up Player of the Season in 2006/2007, before moving there on a permanent basis in 2018. His has been a meandering journey that saw him start out in Southern League Division One West for Racing Club Warwick whilst also training as a chef. Turning professional in 2001, he made the move to Stoke and saw time on loan at Bristol City, Tiverton Town, Stafford Rangers, Kidderminster Harriers and Wrexham. In 2005 came the biggest move of his career as he was signed by Manchester United, but appearances were hard to come by in his five years at Old Trafford, two seasons of which were spent on loan at Watford. Interim moves to Birmingham City and West Brom followed, but Foster has taken to life as Watford’s number one.

West Ham United

Past: Despite starting the Premier League era outside of the top flight, West Ham soon rectified that with automatic promotion at the end of that first campaign in 1993. Ten years of top-flight football followed, which included a season in Europe. The Hammers have twice been relegated in subsequent years, first in 2003 and again in 2012, but their time out of the Premier League has been minimal, with them bouncing back quickly on both occasions. The new season is their tenth consecutive in the Premier League since their return to the top in 2012, with a sixth-placed finish last time out signalling a marked improvement on previous seasons. When it comes to former players, West Ham have boasted some big names, including Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick who have all gone on to pen autobiographies, whilst other Hammers graduates are still absent from the bookshelves. Whilst Tony Cottee’s affiliation with the club spans almost a decade, he spent just two years with the Hammers in the Premier League era and released his autobiography, centred on the club, in 2012. Paolo Di Canio may not have been at West Ham as long as Cottee but his legacy continues. Few can forget his goal against Wimbledon that is one of the iconic moments in the league’s history and earnt Di Canio BBC Goal of the Season and Hammer of the Year. Although he never represented Italy at senior level, Di Canio’s career saw him represent some of the biggest names in Serie A, where he won the league and UEFA cup. The Inside Story told in Paolo Di Canio: The Autobiography was published in 2001.

Present: It would be relatively easy to make a case for a number of current West Ham players: Lukasz Fabianski who started off at Lech Poznan before breaking into the Premier League at Arsenal; Craig Dawson whose circuitous journey to the top started off at Radcliffe Borough; New Zealand captain Winston Reid who represented his nation at this summer’s Olympics; Michail Antonio who has been the Hammers top scorer in the last two seasons (joint with Tomas Soucek in 2020/21); and despite being 21, who can rule out Declan Rice, who as well as pushing himself into the England spotlight in recent seasons also has the habit of becoming a meme. But there’s no denying that really there’s only one name when it comes down to it: Mark Noble – nicknamed Mr West Ham. Indeed, despite brief loans at Hull and Ipswich Town and an early blooding at Arsenal, Noble has been a part of the furniture at West Ham since 2000 – over twenty years. With players barely seeing out contracts these days, Noble has put in enough service for the Hammers for two testimonials, but prior to the coming season he announced that 2020/21 would be his last at West Ham, having racked up over 400 appearances. It remains to be seen what Noble will do after he’s hung up his boots, but publishers may just want to get a phone call in early.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Past: Wolvers were one of the founding members of the Football League in 1888 and have had some memorable moments in the sun in their 140-plus history. When the Premier League kicked off, however, Wolves weren’t at the top any longer and spent the first eleven seasons in Division 1. A brief foray into the top flight came in 2003/04, but it was back to the Championship for another five seasons before Wolves got their second shot at the big time. Their stay lasted three seasons, but subsequent relegations saw them drop down to the third tier in 2013. The Midlands men bounced back straight away and with new ownership and management in charge made a concerted push for the Premier League, which paid dividends in 2018. Wolves’ return to the top flight saw them secure Europa League football at the first time of asking and now new manager Bruno Lage will be looking to bring the European nights back to Molineux. When it comes to Wolves’ greats in the Premier League era, despite never having experienced the top flight himself, Steve Bull remains a legend for a generation of supporters and his book My Memories of Wolves was released in 2003. Top pick, however, goes to Carl Ikeme, whose book Why Not Me was published in 2019 and charts the former goalkeeper’s biggest battle, off the pitch, with leukaemia.

Present: Since stepping up to the Premier League in 2019, Wolves have caught many an eye, thanks to an impressive roster of players. Ruben Neves, Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez are amongst the star men at Molineux, but stalwarts like Romain Saiss and Willy Boly have been an integral part of their journey into the Premier League. Whilst talented youngsters Pedro Neto and Rayan Ait-Nouri are ones for the future, few players come more experienced than Wolves’ midfield maestro Joao Moutinho, who boasts several league titles in Portugal and one in France, the UEFA Cup and European Championship. But when it comes to wresting a publishing opportunity away from Moutinho, Conor Coady is the man. The former Liverpool youngster may have felt his opportunity for the top flight had slipped away when he was released by the Reds in 2014, but he’s taken his chance at Wolves with both hands. A natural captain and reconfigured as a central defender, Coady is very much at place in the top flight, and equally in the England set-up. Despite missing out on minutes at this summer’s Euros, the former England U20 captain is clearly an asset to any team and his post-match conferences and appearances on Monday Night Football also highlight his ease and warmth. A publisher’s dream, I imagine.

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Book Review: Rhapsody in Blue – How I Fell in Love with the Great Chelsea Team of the Early Seventies by Neil Fitzsimon

Chelsea Football Club were founded in 1905 playing their homes games at Stamford Bridge, which they still do, to this day. Up to the First World War, The Blues were very much a yo-yo club, as they bounced between the First and Second Division, but did make an FA Cup Final appearance in 1914/15 losing 3-0 at Old Trafford to Sheffield United. After the war and the resumption of football and up to the start of the Second World War, Chelsea continued to drift between the two divisions, leaving their best performances for the FA Cup as they appeared in a number of Semi-Finals.

It wasn’t until 1954/55 that the club made its mark in the English game, when they won the First Division title for the first time. However, it was not a success that The Blues built on and in 1961/62 they suffered relegation back to the Second Division, only to bounce straight back up the following season under Manager Tommy Docherty. It was to see the club have up to that period its best years, with players coming through the youth set-up and the League Cup won in 1964/65 after a 3-2 aggregate win over Leicester City. The club then also made it through to the 1966/67 FA Cup Final against Spurs, going down 2-1 to their London rivals. Docherty was sacked in 1967 heralding the start of the era under Dave Sexton, with Chelsea at the centre of the ‘swinging sixties’ with celebrity fans and the bars and clubs of the Kings Road the places to be.

Neil Fitzsimon’s book, Rhapsody in Blue – How I Fell in Love with the Great Chelsea Team of the Early Seventies, picks up the story of the Stamford Bridge club, as the author attends his first games in SW6 during the 1968/69 campaign and charts the success of the early 70s. In that period Chelsea won the FA Cup in 1969/70 after a replay against Leeds United and in the following season picked up the (now defunct) European Cup Winners Cup, also after a replay against Spanish giants, Real Madrid. The Blues made it to a third cup final in 1971/72 only to lose 2-1 to unfancied Stoke City in the League Cup. As the author details and believes, from that point the club suffered a decline that was only halted in the 1990s with the advent of the Premier League and the financial backing of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, that has subsequently brought unparalleled success to Chelsea.

Fitzsimon’s focus though is not only of that four or five year period back in the late 60s and early 70s at the Bridge and the stereotypical view of grim northern teams, but also of his formative years growing up into a young adult and the nostalgic days of playing football in the streets and on local pitches, Subbuteo football tournaments and of travelling to games with his mates. This is undoubtedly a tale of a time never to be repeated as money and the media has changed the professional game and the matchday ‘experience’ beyond recognition and for Fitzsimon’s the loss of the innocence of youth.

Stylistically, it is written in a very conversational and at time laddish manner, with vignettes of varying length covering from a football perspective, the highs and lows of the cup triumphs at Old Trafford, Athens and Wembley, other memorable games Fitzsimon attended, as well as his observations and memories of homelife, friendship and growing-up. There is a passion in the text that demonstrates and captures the love that fans have for their club, whether in the biased admiration of their own team or the sometimes illogical dislike of opposition teams. For those of a similar age to the author, so much of the book will ring true with their own experiences of the time and for younger readers it will give a view into a life and a sport that was different in so many ways to that of the current generation.

As an aside, is there a story behind the choice of title Rhapsody in Blue? The Oxford Dictionary definition states: a popular musical work for piano and orchestra by George Gershwin. It combines jazz and classical music and was first performed in 1924 by the band of Paul Whiteman, with Gershwin at the piano. The film ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ (1945) was about Gershwin’s life. Much is made that of the fact that football in the 70s was very physical, with every successful club having its ‘hardmen’, with Leeds United having, Norman Hunter, Peter Storey at Arsenal and Tommy Smith at Liverpool. Chelsea though were seen as a flare team, with Alan Hudson, and Peter Osgood, but the reality was that they had their share of those who could dish it out such as Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris and David Webb. The Blues were in fact a combination of the two styles of the 70s, as with the musical Rhapsody in Blue was described as a combination of jazz and classical. Coincidence? Given Fitzsimon’s background as a songwriter maybe it isn’t.

 

(Pitch Publishing Ltd. April 2020. Paperback 224pp)

 

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Book Review: I, Robot – How to Be a Footballer 2 by Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch’s How to Be A Footballer was one of the publishing hits of last 2018, notching shortlist nominations for both the National Book Awards and Telegraph Sports Book Awards. Unsurprisingly, therefore, Crouch’s publishers have been quick to make hay on the former England striker’s seamless transition into the literary world by bringing out a second book – I, Robot – How to Be A Footballer 2 – a little over twelve months later. It’s a rather unprecedented move in the world of sports autobiographies, which tend to be separated by years, or even decades (if at all), rather than months (Crouch’s strike partner Michael Owen waited fifteen years for the privilege), but such was the runaway success of Crouch’s first offering, in large part thanks to his dry wit and entertaining take on life as a footballer, in contrast to the often predictable, and dare I say it bland, rags to riches tales of old.

Book two is very much more of the same with regards to the format and tone. The chapters take a theme – Strikers, Nerves, Tackling, etc – and Crouch offers musings and anecdotes from his own experiences. I did feel a bit of déjà vu in the initial chapters and worried maybe this would be a case of the dreaded second-book syndrome, especially coming so soon after the first book, whose novelty and freshness had set it apart. The wit and playfulness are still there from the offset, but I felt the book grew into its own after a few chapters and once again gave that same sense of fun and humour as its predecessor. The chapter on referees particularly showcases everything that Crouch, and this book excels at, with the sort of relatable comic observations associated with the best stand-ups. Similarly, the chapter on the subs bench captures, with perfect wit, the footballer’s relationship to being a substitute. And what Crouch does so brilliantly is take apart the standard football clichés and discloses what really goes on in the minds and dressing rooms of modern footballers – sometimes, there is an I in team, especially, according to Crouch, if you’re a striker. In truth, a lot of what Crouch says isn’t shocking or revealing – nobody wants to be a sub, strikers can sabotage goals for other strikers, some players feign injuries, there’s nothing wrong with 4-4-2 – but footballers have become so accustomed to being part of the diplomatic PR machine that oftentimes the reality is masked behind commercial savoir-faire. Crouch’s honesty, therefore, is a breath of fresh air. And yet, even as he throws playful jibes at his team-mates, it all feels exactly that – playful and harmless. He’s not a footballer with a grudge and this is not a book with an agenda – it’s purely an open, light-hearted, savvy take on football from the inside and it is great fun to read.

Although the book touches on all the main aspects of the game, there’s one glaring omission in the current climate – VAR. I suspect, given that the book published in October, when it went to print, there was little chance to observe the new technology in all its ‘glory’, but it would be interesting to have Crouch’s thoughts on this. Perhaps, that’s lined up for Book 3? To my mind, despite the success of this second book, I think a third in the same vein may be pushing it, but personally I’d love to see a book in the mould of the recent Ask a Footballer (James Milner) with Crouch fielding questions from fans on all manner of football-related queries. But, for now, Crouch has certainly struck gold for a second time with I, Robot. His publishers may have to change the subtitle of the book for the paperback release to How to Be a Footballer and Also A Best-Selling Publishing Sensation.

 

Jade Craddock

 

 

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World Cup diary 2018 – Tuesday 19 June

Long live King Harry! No, I’m not prompting some massacre of all those in line to the throne of England, but merely praising the performance of Tottenham’s Harry Kane. His two-goal salvo, the first after eleven minutes gave The Three Lions the perfect start in a first-half in which they created enough chances to have put the game beyond Tunisia by half-time. However, as every England fan knows, the national team never does anything easily and after a soft penalty for the African side was converted before the break by Sassi after thirty-five minutes, the game became one of attrition as Tunisia tried to hang on to a point by fair means or foul. Tunisia’s cause was helped by VAR not being used when King Harry was wrestled to the ground rugby-style twice in the penalty box from corners, but England continued to knock at the door and a minute into stoppage time, Kane slipped his marker and headed home to ensure a 2-1 victory as the nation signed in a huge collective relief. A vital win and confidence boost for Gareth Southgate’s young charges.

In the other game in England’s group, Belgium were eventually comfortable 3-0 winners over Panama, but it took until the forty-seventh minute for Mertens to break the deadlock, before a Lukaku brace (69’ and 75’) saw The Red Devils secure the win and top spot in Group G. In the other game of the day in Group F, a rather scrappy game saw Sweden win 1-0 thanks to an Andreas Granqvist just past the hour. It showed that VAR works in that the correction decision was given, but also illustrated how it is messy within football rather than the rugby codes which have natural stop and starts. In this case play had continued with South Korea on the break after Kim Min-woo’s foul on Viktor Claesson, only for the game to be stopped for the review. And after the failings of the use of VAR in the England game, I’m not totally convinced that there is a consistent application of the technology.

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The Ultimate Spurs Quiz Book: 1,250 Questions Covering the 80s, 90s and 2000s by Chris Cowlin

Are you a Spurs fan? Have you followed the team’s progress through good times and bad? Would you like to test your memory of the people and places that have shaped the club through the 80s, 90s and 2000s?

If Tottenham Hotspur is the team you support, you are certain to want to have a go at the 1,250 questions in The Ultimate Spurs Quiz Book.

Who was the first ever foreign manager of Tottenham? Which London rivals did Spurs beat in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley? How many League goals did Tim Sherwood score for Spurs in his football career?

The answers to these questions and more can all be found inside this bumper quiz book all about your favourite team.

With a foreword by life-long Spurs supporter, Chas Hodges, this book contains questions on all the memorable players, managers, goal-scorers and opponents that have been a part of the Tottenham story over the past 30 years. Packed full of fascinating facts, this book will appeal to football fans of all ages, from the young in years to the young at heart.

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2011/12: FA Cup Semi-Finals

Friday 13 April 2012

When the FA Cup reached the Semi-Final stage it used to be said that the teams were just 90 minutes away from Wembley. However, that all changed in the first weekend of April 2008 when the games were no longer played at neutral venues. The FA in their wisdom, ensured another tradition was removed from the World’s Oldest Cup competition, and found another method of taking yet more money from fans. It doesn’t enhance the Cup and in fact creates a massive dilemma for supporters. A friend of mine (a Stoke City fan), last season had to decide whether to go to the Semi-Final or take a chance and see if they got to the Final, as they were simply not able to afford attending both games. Is this what The FA see as improving the fan experience? My hope is that in the near future, Semi-Finals will return to neutral venues. With stadium improvements in this country, we have enough suitable grounds that can host large crowds. However, the sound of ker-ching as coffers grow at The FA is probably set to continue to drown out the voice of tradition.

So this weekend the pockets of fans particularly from Liverpool and Everton, and also Chelsea and Spurs, are severely stretched as Merseyside and London derbies take place at Wembley. Everton and Liverpool have meet on four occasions in the FA Cup Semi-Finals. The first meeting was in 1906 at Villa Park, when Everton beat Liverpool 2-0. The Toffees then went on to overcome Newcastle United in the Final. The Reds had to wait until 1950 before the next Semi-Final meeting with Everton. At Maine Road, Liverpool triumphed 2-0, but were unable to overcome Arsenal in the Final.  Old Trafford was the venue for the next meeting of the Merseyside giants in 1971. Everton lead at half-time 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alan Ball, however back came Liverpool and goals from Alun Evans and Brian Hall sent the Reds through. However as in 1950, Arsenal were waiting in the Final and as then, The Gunners took the Cup in 1971. The last Semi-Final meeting took place in 1977. It turned out to be a bit of a classic in which Liverpool went ahead twice through goals from Terry McDermott and Jimmy Case, with Everton equalising through Duncan McKenzie and Bruce Rioch. With the game at 2-2 and less than five minutes to go, Everton thought they had won the game when Bryan Hamilton scored, however referee Clive Thomas disallowed it and the replay was more of a formality as goals from Neal, Case and Kennedy saw Liverpool romp to a 3-0 win. The Reds took the League title that year and their first European Cup, but they didn’t add the FA Cup to that list, as Manchester United won 2-1 in the Final.

Liverpool have already secured the (Carling) League Cup this season after a penalty shoot-out win over Cardiff City, but their recent form in the Premier League has been of real concern. Of their last 10 League fixtures, Liverpool have won only two. Prior to the win this week at Blackburn, their last victory ironically was against Cup opponents Everton. The Reds will go into the Semi-Final on Saturday with third choice keeper Brad Jones likely to play in goal, as both Pepe Reina and Alexander Doni are suspended. Is that an FA Cup story in the making? By contrast, Everton have only lost two in their last ten games and are riding high after a comprehensive 4-0 win over Sunderland in their last Premier League outing.

The second Semi-Final takes place on Sunday when North London meets South West London. Chelsea and Spurs have never met in the FA Cup at the Semi-Final stage, although did meet in the 1967 Final when Tottenham emerged winners 2-1. Chelsea have gone through a mini-resurgence under Roberto Di Mattaeo, progressing through to the Champions League Semi-Finals, although they looked a little leg weary in their Easter Monday draw at Fulham and were fortunate with decisions in their 2-1 win over Wigan. Spurs lost at home in their last Premier League outing to Norwich City and the North London club have only won two of their last ten fixtures. Has all the talk of Redknapp’s departure for the England job unsettled Tottenham? They have some talent in their squad, but it’s a bad time to hit a rocky patch as the business end of the season approaches.

To the fans of all four teams, enjoy the game and the occasion, even though for two clubs their FA Cup dream will end this weekend. My kiss of death (I mean prediction) is for an all-Blue Final with Everton and Chelsea to come through and set-up a repeat of the 2009 Final. But with my lack of tipping skills, expect Liverpool and Spurs to take to the Wembley turf in May for the Final!

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