Recommended Football Books
Discussion
Ruskie said:
It’s such a sad story, I could feel his pain. Do feedback your thoughts, I would be interested to know your thoughts.
OK, about 3/4s thru. I know Ruskie that as a former pro footballer, you've also had battles of a similar, if maybe not so extreme, kind. But being brutally honest, as someone who a) has never suffered from depression or any kind of mental health issues and b) like millions of boys/men, dreamt of being a pro footballer but never had a shred of talent, I found it quite frustrating. He was living the dream but didn't know it, so it turned into a nightmare. When someone had it all and thru it away, it's hard for people like me who didn't have any of it but desperately wanted it, to feel much beyond annoyance. A bit like someone with no legs listening to someone moan because their shoes are a bit tight.
Whilst I'm not completely heartless, and of course realise what he was going thru must have been awful for him, obviously, and he ended up killing himself, despite that, I find myself reading it and internally shouting "ffs man, get a grip."
I can be a bit like that. Compulsive gamblers for example, a thimble of sympathy in an ocean of irritation.
Probably why I never worked for the Samaritans. I don't think "pull yourself together" is the recommended response.
Anyway, will comment again when i've finished it. But so far, well worth the £3.24 purchase price.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Ruskie said:
It’s such a sad story, I could feel his pain. Do feedback your thoughts, I would be interested to know your thoughts.
OK, about 3/4s thru. I know Ruskie that as a former pro footballer, you've also had battles of a similar, if maybe not so extreme, kind. But being brutally honest, as someone who a) has never suffered from depression or any kind of mental health issues and b) like millions of boys/men, dreamt of being a pro footballer but never had a shred of talent, I found it quite frustrating. He was living the dream but didn't know it, so it turned into a nightmare. When someone had it all and thru it away, it's hard for people like me who didn't have any of it but desperately wanted it, to feel much beyond annoyance. A bit like someone with no legs listening to someone moan because their shoes are a bit tight.
Whilst I'm not completely heartless, and of course realise what he was going thru must have been awful for him, obviously, and he ended up killing himself, despite that, I find myself reading it and internally shouting "ffs man, get a grip."
I can be a bit like that. Compulsive gamblers for example, a thimble of sympathy in an ocean of irritation.
Probably why I never worked for the Samaritans. I don't think "pull yourself together" is the recommended response.
Anyway, will comment again when i've finished it. But so far, well worth the £3.24 purchase price.
Finished it today. It's certainly a very sad tale. I guess you have to have had depression to fully understand. I can understand anyone being in the pits of despair following their child's death, but he seemed at the time to get thru that. The 2nd bout of depression that he couldn't get past seemed to hit him at a time when life was going so well. A new child, Germany's first choice keeper, and bam, he's self destructed.
It was almost as if, where most people who kill themselves can't cope with their lives going so wrong, he couldn't cope with life going well. Like he wasn't entitled to happiness.
It was almost as if, where most people who kill themselves can't cope with their lives going so wrong, he couldn't cope with life going well. Like he wasn't entitled to happiness.
Still not read my copy. Having had depression and anxiety due to work stuff some years back, I'm all too aware of how badly wired our brains can be sometimes. My wife can't understand depression either. I think if you can get through awful events and carry on, then that's no bad thing. Unfortunately we're not all wired up the same way. I think not wanting to experience that dark place again is what's keeping me from reading it so far.
Flip Martian said:
Still not read my copy. Having had depression and anxiety due to work stuff some years back, I'm all too aware of how badly wired our brains can be sometimes. My wife can't understand depression either. I think if you can get through awful events and carry on, then that's no bad thing. Unfortunately we're not all wired up the same way. I think not wanting to experience that dark place again is what's keeping me from reading it so far.
Absolutely. If something that might do you harm can be avoided, avoid it. That's my motto. For a lighter hearted read, ‘Football Cliches’ by Adam Hurrey is hilarious.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Football-Clichés-Ada...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Football-Clichés-Ada...
A recommendation - albeit the book is a few years old. I picked up a copy for a couple of quid on Amazon.
Ben Smith's Journeyman.
Billed as "1 man's odyssey through the lower leagues" it is well written and often very funny (his account of working under Steve Evans at Crawley had me laughing out loud several times). He started out as an apprentice with Arsenal but did the all too common "going out and drinking" thing a bit too often in his younger days, when the game had really changed and expected better. Finally grew up and looked after himself but by then his only options were in the lower leagues.
It is a bit of an eye opener, even when you're aware that most pro footballers have nothing like the elite lifestyle the PL players have. Not a sob story by any means but an interesting account of what it's like playing professionally on contracts that are only 1 or 2 years at a time.
Well worth a read.
Ben Smith's Journeyman.
Billed as "1 man's odyssey through the lower leagues" it is well written and often very funny (his account of working under Steve Evans at Crawley had me laughing out loud several times). He started out as an apprentice with Arsenal but did the all too common "going out and drinking" thing a bit too often in his younger days, when the game had really changed and expected better. Finally grew up and looked after himself but by then his only options were in the lower leagues.
It is a bit of an eye opener, even when you're aware that most pro footballers have nothing like the elite lifestyle the PL players have. Not a sob story by any means but an interesting account of what it's like playing professionally on contracts that are only 1 or 2 years at a time.
Well worth a read.
Flip Martian said:
Mr.Chips said:
I was given a copy of “Red Card,” for my birthday, from my step-son and his fiancé. It’s about the corruption in the higher levels of football. A very interesting and disturbing read.
Sounds interesting. Who wrote it?Highly recommended by Gary Lineker it says on the front cover….
well despite that I'll check it out, thanks. 
Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff