Football Autobiographies

[Ruud Van Driver]

I'm just coming to the end of Paul Lakes I'm Not Really Here (very good) and will soon be looking to buy another football autobiography. Does anyone have any they would recommended for a no-holds barred read by an ex-player or manager that doesn't skirt around issues and really tries to tell it how it is. I'm not interested in who or how many they've bedded, more interested in behind the scenes of a league club and the personalities within it.

Any recommendations please?
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[London Lilywhite]

Topical given recent events but I found Geoff Thomas' book a good read. It talks about his career and subsequent battle with leukaemia but focuses on how he fought back to ride the Tour de France and all the fun and games that entailed.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Riding-Through-The-Storm-Fitness/dp/0752876147

[bjm]

Going back a bit, but if you come across"Left Foot Forward" or"Left Foot in the Grave"(Runner-up in the 1997 Sports Book of the Year Award) both byGarry Nelson, I think you would find these a worthwhile read.

[coolascustard]

Dont read Colin Todds it was terrible.
Jim Smiths is very good as was Charlie Georges.

[Grumpypants]

A bit of an oldie, but a very worthwhile read, 'The Saint' by Ian St John.

[Auchinleckian]

Martin O'Neill's book was interesting, as you may expect from a well educated man. I've got hundreds of such biographies that I've picked up over the years, but am looking now to trim back and rid myself of the lot of them, to make way for an ever growing collection of club histories, centenaries, old handbooks etc.
They're all relatively cheap if you've got any special requirements, and postage at cost. Can't be arsed to list them all though.....

John

[Kickoff3pm]

A Lifetime in Football - Charles Buchan ?

[Auchinleckian]

Sorry....they're mainly modern.

[foxes1]

2 of the best I have read are 'Tales From The Boot Camp' by Steve Claridge and the other is 'Len Shackleton - Clown Prince Of Soccer' particularly the chapter in the Len Shackleton book entitled 'The Average Directors Knowledge Of Football'.

[goonerboy]

The Peter Marinello one is good, Peter Storey is ok but I found Perry Groves one fairly boring.

[Ruud Van Driver]

Thank you for all of your suggestions, I've just come across David Batty's that I'd forgotten I'd got so will give that a go next but will definitely read some from the list in the future so thank you for taking the time to reply.

Has anyone read Rodney Marsh's and if so is it any good?
_________________
For a daily feed of football nostalgia please click on the link to view my Twitter page on your PC - https://twitter.com/MemorabiliaMal

[Tintowner]

Kickoff3pm wrote:

A Lifetime in Football - Charles Buchan ?

Got that if you need it!

[MATT RUSH]

Ruud Van Driver wrote:

I'm just coming to the end of Paul Lakes I'm Not Really Here (very good) and will soon be looking to buy another football autobiography. Does anyone have any they would recommended for a no-holds barred read by an ex-player or manager that doesn't skirt around issues and really tries to tell it how it is. I'm not interested in who or how many they've bedded, more interested in behind the scenes of a league club and the personalities within it. Any recommendations please?

Ruud Just finished reading Steak Diana Ross, Diary of a Football Nobody by David McVay (2003). A day by day account of his time at Notts County in the mid seventies under Jimmy Sirrel.
Its far from the run of the mill stuff, well written and very humourous, a good account of life at a less than glamorous club and its "goings on".
Well worth a read especially an account of their cup win at Elland Road!!

I'd let you have my copy only it's signed by the author and could be worth a bob or two.
Search it out I'm sure you would enjoy it

[Ruud Van Driver]

Firstly, Tintowner - thank you very much for the offer. I have Buchan's book (signed!) but haven't got round to reading it as yet, always seem to find something more appealing but will hopefully get round to reading it one day.

Matt, I like the idea of the McVay book, sounds as if it may be similar to Eamonn Dunphy's Only a Game which I enjoyed reading. I'll look to buy that one, thank you. May skip the bit about the 'fortress' Elland Road cup win though! Looking at eBay I see that he has written a few books including one on Nottingham Forest's Cult Heroes and another entitled Heart of Football.

Thanks again everyone for your suggestions

[derby1884]

Would "second" the Charles Buchan one and add Peter Doherty's to the list.