recommended one to bolty last night, so thought id start this if anyone can recommend some good ones?

has anyone read this one? https://stanchionbooks.com/products/lancashire-turf-wars-a-football-history?_pos=3&_sid=0441d0be2&_ss=r

I'd forgotten about Pat Nevin, that was a great read.  What a pure footballing enthusiast, didn't even want to go to Chelsea coz he just wanted to play with his mates at Clyde.  Turned them down the first time they came in for him and was on about £50 a week playing part-time.

https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/accidental-footballer-book-pat-nevin-9781913183387

20 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Definitely one of the better ones. I’ve read quite a few of that era, and specifically of Arsenal players of that era (Parlour, Wright etc), and I find it amazing how much Wenger changed / professionalised the game. There’s almost a pre Wenger / post Wenger feel to UK football and those lads had a career that spanned both parts.

One year they’re surrounded by a generally British group of mates, openly on the piss at Tuesday club every week, eating all sorts of shit and generally doing anything they fancy, then within a couple of years it’s all frowned upon, they’ve got to try and hide it, there’s an influx of foreign players and the new modern era of football is born. He really was a pioneer.

Seem to recall a story that all the English players liked getting pissed

And all the French ones didn't drink but all smoked 

But gilles grimandi wanted to get pissed with the English lads so did on the sly 

Something like that

16 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Yes, I haven't read Parlour's but Wright's was searingly honest and emotional at times, one other Arsenal of that era was Paul Merson.

I knew I’d missed an obvious one - Merson’s “how not to be a professional footballer”, also very good and another with a very similar story.

I'm surprised at the praise for Tony Adam's book.  Possibly, the worst autobiography I've ever read.  There's some interesting stuff in there but it's ruined by his monstrous ego.  I had to check a few times I wasn't reading Franz Beckenbauer's book, there were so many comments about what a great, cultured footballer he was.  Probably best summed up when he picked his greatest ever XI and chose himself! 

Just now, Duck Egg said:

I'm surprised at the praise for Tony Adam's book.  Possibly, the worst autobiography I've ever read.  There's some interesting stuff in there but it's ruined by his monstrous ego.  I had to check a few times I wasn't reading Franz Beckenbauer's book, there were so many comments about what a great, cultured footballer he was.  Probably best summed up when he picked his greatest ever XI and chose himself! 

Yeah but he shagged Caprice so fair enough

I used to enjoy the Secret Footballer books

6 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

I'm surprised at the praise for Tony Adam's book.  Possibly, the worst autobiography I've ever read.  There's some interesting stuff in there but it's ruined by his monstrous ego.  I had to check a few times I wasn't reading Franz Beckenbauer's book, there were so many comments about what a great, cultured footballer he was.  Probably best summed up when he picked his greatest ever XI and chose himself! 

He was a bloody brilliant player tbf.

Well ahead of his time.

The worst ever by a country mile has got to be Peter Beardsley’s book. It was basically a run down of every game he played and goals he’d scored. It went straight in the bin after page 20.

6 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

I'm surprised at the praise for Tony Adam's book.  Possibly, the worst autobiography I've ever read.  There's some interesting stuff in there but it's ruined by his monstrous ego.  I had to check a few times I wasn't reading Franz Beckenbauer's book, there were so many comments about what a great, cultured footballer he was.  Probably best summed up when he picked his greatest ever XI and chose himself! 

Talking of obviously huge egos in a book - step forward Mr Allardyce.

I’m not old enough to have known much about his playing career, and my main takeaway from his book was “what a waste”. Some bizarre moves, chasing the money and his own ego, all written in a style that was hugely egotistical. Suppose it’s no surprise to any of us to be fair.

5 minutes ago, Duck Egg said:

I'm surprised at the praise for Tony Adam's book.  Possibly, the worst autobiography I've ever read.  There's some interesting stuff in there but it's ruined by his monstrous ego.  I had to check a few times I wasn't reading Franz Beckenbauer's book, there were so many comments about what a great, cultured footballer he was.  Probably best summed up when he picked his greatest ever XI and chose himself! 

If we're talking about worst autobiographies, my vote goes to Colin Todd.  So dull, it was in the tone of a pre or post match manager interview when they just say the words from the A-Z of managerial quotes.  I regretted starting it after about 30 pages but felt like I had to continue out of loyalty to such a good BW manager.

Robbie Fowlers was the worst I've read.

Gave up halfway through.

17 minutes ago, Alf Hartigan said:

The worst ever by a country mile has got to be Peter Beardsley’s book. It was basically a run down of every game he played and goals he’d scored. It went straight in the bin after page 20.

You'll have missed his reaction to being handed a purple Bolton shirt then.

3 minutes ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

You'll have missed his reaction to being handed a purple Bolton shirt then.

You’ve lost me there.

3 hours ago, gonzo said:

Best autobiography I read was Tony Adams. Really funny in parts, fuckin desperate in others.

Best hoolie book was the original of all, Colin Wards Steaming in.

Scum Airways was great too.

Hated Gazzas book. Lad was a dick.

My abiding memory of that book was every cuntish thing he did was somebody else's fault

45 minutes ago, Alf Hartigan said:

The worst ever by a country mile has got to be Peter Beardsley’s book. It was basically a run down of every game he played and goals he’d scored. It went straight in the bin after page 20.

The pictures in the middle were good though 

 

5 minutes ago, Zico said:

The pictures in the middle were good though 

 

I didn’t get that far, but I presume that wasn’t a picture in the book 😂

39 minutes ago, deeane Koontz said:

My abiding memory of that book was every cuntish thing he did was somebody else's fault

Yep.

Worst bit was when he signed for Middlesbrough then got injured straight away. 

He spent a year getting fit then on his first day back he jumped on the team coach and drove it straight in to the training ground gates and wall.

Absolute bell end.

That's fuck all to do with being an ale can or beak head.

I have every issue of this. All listed on the link, covers are a thing of beauty 

https://thesefootballtimes.shop/collections/magazine

7 hours ago, Zico said:

Yeah but he shagged Caprice so fair enough

Remember when he burst through on goal to score the 4th in a 4-0 win against Everton to seal the title. Think he was with Caprice then.

I also remember when The Sun put donkeys ears on his face on their back page. Have to admit being pleased for Adams when he scored the goal above. 

Plus it denied United yet another title. 

Late 1970s, anthropologist Desmond Morris wrote this

The Soccer Tribe | Got, Not Got

which I remember had a cracking figure over analysing the “hardness” of fans (dressed in his beloved Oxford United colours) based on where they had their scarf etc

 

This was a cracker back in the day (1977) and knocks around used book sites:

Tividale!

Fantastic book

But lost my enthusiasm by the latter stages

The early rounds were top notch

Tales From The Boot Camps, Steve Claridge written up by Ian Ridley.

No Hunger in Paradise, by Michael Calvin. A few years old now but an enlightening examination of the football industry, especially the academy system, seen through the lenses of former academy lads, coaches, parents and others

6 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

No Hunger in Paradise, by Michael Calvin. A few years old now but an enlightening examination of the football industry, especially the academy system, seen through the lenses of former academy lads, coaches, parents and others

A very good book

21 hours ago, ianofcleveleys said:

No Hunger in Paradise, by Michael Calvin. A few years old now but an enlightening examination of the football industry, especially the academy system, seen through the lenses of former academy lads, coaches, parents and others

His, lifes a pitch, is also a good un