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Football/Cricket Autobiographies

OaksterOakster
edited March 2014 in Other Football and Sports
Just finished Martin Bicknell's autobiography - good read, forgot he played for England a handful of times. Anyway I enjoy these kind of books - especially the more obscure players. Not really interested in the likes of Wayne Rooney or John Terry, but more down to earth characters who shed light on the struggles of making it in the game.

So any good recommendations?

Comments

  • RivieraRiviera
    Tony Grieg biography - Tony Greig: A Reappraisal of English Cricket's Most Controversial Captain by David Tossell is excellent. It was written just before he died. Also CMJ's A Life in Cricket is good if you are a traditionalist. Again it was completed by CMJ just before he fell ill.

    David Tossell also wrote Grovel which is about the infamous 1976 series Eng v WI. Great book.

    Steve Marsh's The Gloves are Off is a good bit of light reading but he tries too hard to be humorous.

    Slightly left field but if you like biography type books, Michael Palin's diaries are the most wonderful read.
  • PeakieRocketPeakieRocket
    Think there's a thread already on here about biographies somewhere. For me Paul McGrath's is well worth a read.
  • OaksterOakster
    Riviera said:

    Tony Grieg biography - Tony Greig: A Reappraisal of English Cricket's Most Controversial Captain by David Tossell is excellent. It was written just before he died. Also CMJ's A Life in Cricket is good if you are a traditionalist. Again it was completed by CMJ just before he fell ill.

    David Tossell also wrote Grovel which is about the infamous 1976 series Eng v WI. Great book.

    Steve Marsh's The Gloves are Off is a good bit of light reading but he tries too hard to be humorous.

    Slightly left field but if you like biography type books, Michael Palin's diaries are the most wonderful read.

    Thanks Riviera - really enjoyed Grovel - think they made a film or documentary about it as well.

    Ian Greig was Bicknell's coach at Surrey for a while - he hated him. He hated a lot of people it seemed - Irani, Caddick, Symonds, Dean Jones - the list was quite long!
  • red_murphred_murph
    PeakieRocket said:

    Think there's a thread already on here about biographies somewhere. For me Paul McGrath's is well worth a read.

    Yup defo a thread here somewhere with loads of excellent recommendations.

    The books I'd recommend are one's that I suspect you're already aware of Oakster....

    The two Garry Nelson books.

    Fred Trueman - Ball of Fire

    Tony Cascarino - Full Time

    Robin Friday - The Greatest Footballler You Never Saw

    Whilst not famous or anything, this is a cracking little read and something that all Addicks can relate to...

    The Bromley Boys: The True Story of Supporting the Worst Football Team in Britain.



  • kentaddickkentaddick
    edited March 2014
    A Lot of Hard Yakka by Simon Hughes, analyst for Daily Telegraph and commentates on channel 5 highlights. You might recognise him as the analyst when cricket was on channel 4. Amazing insight into the game as he plays alongside the likes of gatting, brearley and botham. Gives the best insight into what its like being a county cricketer and is generally accepted now as a classic of the autobiography genre. Sounds exactly what you're after and is a brilliant read
  • RivieraRiviera
    kentaddick said:

    A Lot of Hard Yakka by Simon Hughes, analyst for Daily Telegraph and commentates on channel 5 highlights. You might recognise him as the analyst when cricket was on channel 4. Amazing insight into the game as he plays alongside the likes of gatting, brearley and botham. Gives the best insight into what its like being a county cricketer and is generally accepted now as a classic of the autobiography genre. Sounds exactly what you're after and is a brilliant read

    Indeed. A great read.

    Also Golden Boy, a brilliant biography of Kim Hughes.
  • smudge7946smudge7946
    Frankenstein McAvenies book is worth a chuckle, but I wonder how much of it was fiction.
    The best biographies are the ones written by people who have a chip on there shoulder about something and rant off in there books.
  • pettgrapettgra
    According to the Independent, Iain Redmond's bio " Why does it always rain on me" is an excellent read.

    Published in Nov and sadly took his life this year. I reckon he played in the same team as Ralph Milne?
  • LenGloverLenGlover
    edited March 2014
    Depends how old you are.

    Brian Luckhurst From Boot Boy To President was an interesting read for me as a Kent CCC fan as his first team career proper started pretty much as I first started following them.

    He was a nice man too.

    RIP
  • Sir_CliveSir_Clive
    Woody and Nord, despite being about the Palace in the early days is an interesting read about the friendship between Andy Woodman and Gareth Southgate and the path's their careers took, Micky Quinn's is a brilliant read and enjoyed Marcus Trescothick's for different reasons. One of the most powerful I've read is A Life Too Short, about the tragic Robert Enke. First Autobiography I read was Brian Clough's, to be honest I haven't read many if any better.
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  • hawksmoorhawksmoor
    Another vote for the Cascarino and the two Garry Nelsons, but I'll see you those, and I'll raise you The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro. An ace football book.
  • OaksterOakster
    How many Charlton players/staff have released ABs - obviously Nelse, Curbs, Peacock & Dunphy (who was disparaging in his latest book about his time at The Valley)
  • SillybillySillybilly
    Enjoyed Nasser Hussain's book. If you are into golf, Four Iron In the Soul by Lawrence Donegan and Bring Me the head Of Sergio Garcia are good too.
  • JohnBoyUKJohnBoyUK
    As much as I loved Ledley Ling as a player, his autobiography sadly paints a picture of a man devoid of any personality, bless his cottons.

    One to avoid I'm afraid.
  • Henry IrvingHenry Irving
    Oakster said:

    How many Charlton players/staff have released ABs - obviously Nelse, Curbs, Peacock & Dunphy (who was disparaging in his latest book about his time at The Valley)


    Robert Lee, Paul Hince, Malcolm Allison, Alan Mullery all have brief mentions. Worth a few pennies on ebay but not much more.

    There is a slim Matt Tees book and Theo Foley and Matt Holmes have both done coaching books

    Bartram, Firmani and Seed (all re-issued) worth a go but all dated.

    Madiba's boys about Fish and Lucas Radabe is a good read.

    Mike Blake's "Sam Bartram: THe Story of a Goalkeeping Legend" is excellent. Worth getting the big fully illustrated edition.

    There is also a Danish language Simonsen book I don't have a copy of.
  • killerandflashkillerandflash
    Tony Adams' Addicted is a fine and painful read
  • lolwraylolwray
    Paul Canovilles and Tony Cascarino are good

    The Millwall supporters book of Victorian Etiquette is a good read but a little on the thin side
  • AlgarveaddickAlgarveaddick
    Provided you don't kiss me by Duncan Hamilton is an excellent biography of Brian Clough, and Gary Imlach's My father and other working class football heroes is another great read.
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