I am off on a couple of long flights soon for work and need a good read to keep me occupied, can anyone recommend a autobiography of players/managers? Would prefer someone from the 60's-80's era where you get a full career, not some 20 year old currently playing now when their career has hardly begun

Best autobiography I’ve read was The Moons a balloon, David Niven not football related though

I've just listened to Keegan's on Audible. It was pretty good, especially the Mike Ashley stuff where he doesn't hold back.

Tony adams

"The footballer who could fly" by Duncan Hamilton, a very good read.

Saturday Bloody Saturday by Alastair Campbell, 70s soccer mixed up with IRA politics. Loosely based on a club like Burnley.

All a matter of personal taste but autobiographies of those who've played lower down the leagues pre-PL era can tend to be more interesting/easier to relate to:

Eamon Dunphy - Only A Game
Garry Nelson - Left Foot Forward
Stewart Imlach - My Father and Other Working Class Football Heroes (biography of his dad Stewart Imlach)
Tony Cascarino - Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino

Thanks for the tips, I shall look a few out.

Frank Worthington - "One Hump Or Two" - brilliant!

Harry Redknapp "My Dog & the Merchant Banker"

OK thats not a real autobiography

Tommy Boyle- broken hero. Not quite 60s to 80s but a gripping poignant read nonetheless

Sucide Squad - The Inside Story of a Football Firm

In terms of describing what it was like for below tier 1 players in the mid 70s, there's a David McVay autobiog about his playing career at Notts County:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steak-Diana-Ro ... avid+mcvay

I found this pretty funny when I read it a few years back & Eric Probert is featured in a few of the tales (he went to Notts for c 5 years after his Clarets career). Some great Jimmy Sirrel tales in there as well. Nice chucklesome light reading.

Alanstevensonsgloves wrote:Tommy Boyle- broken hero. Not quite 60s to 80s but a gripping poignant read nonetheless

I'll second that....... best football book I have ever read

John Burridge and Tony Cascarino fit the age range. Read Jon Parkin's from start to finish this afternoon, found it very amusing.

Not an autobiography but an excellent read is On the Brink by Simon Hughes.

Brian clough - walking on water

Alanstevensonsgloves wrote:Tommy Boyle- broken hero. Not quite 60s to 80s but a gripping poignant read nonetheless

A sense of Freedom by Jimmy Boyle first published in 1977....I was 24 and could relate in a lot of ways to it.republished.

Just read Peter Crouch - How to be a Footballer. Not an autobiography, more a lighthearted look at today's modern footballers.

I have been chatting with a few fellow Clarets on social media,and they were telling me in Roger Eli's autobiography he reveals something that went on between Chris Pearce and Mullen,does anyone know the story tried to get hold of Roger Eli's book to find out but had no joy,could one of you guys tell me the story...please

+1 for the Garry Nelson book. I've read a lot over the years and that one stands out.

We Are Sunday League.
Ewan Flynn

Excellent book.

Steve 1956... I have some Roger Eli books here

claretfern wrote:Just read Peter Crouch - How to be a Footballer. Not an autobiography, more a lighthearted look at today's modern footballers.

Im onto.that next

Buxtonclaret wrote:We Are Sunday League.
Ewan Flynn

Excellent book.

Thanks for that Buxton, got it on kindle this morning and should occupy the afternoon on the sun lounger out here in Correlajo.

Good start so far.

Kicked Into Touch - Fred Eyre

You won't be disappointed

Mala591 wrote:Kicked Into Touch - Fred Ayre

You won't be disappointed

Another breath of Fred Eyre is a good read from memory too. He used to summarise on GMR and during a game against Burnley the commentator asked him about the freeze spray when a player was getting treatment. He said he didn't know as when he was injured on the pitch the physio came on and made the noise of the spray through his teeth as it wasn't worth wasting it on him

Paul Hince, formerly of the Manchester Evening News - memories of a failed footballer and a crap journalist was decent too.

Rodleydave wrote:Steve 1956... I have some Roger Eli books here

Could I purchase his autobiography off you RD?

just read local lad, Mick Duxberry's auto biography "its mick not mike"

Very interesting read about his time at man u through the 80's.

Also played for england in Brazil, when john barnes scored that super goal in the maracana!

see him regularly walking his dog locally!!

Try Jack Charlton:The Autobiography .Covers playing and management career...even the Leeds bit is interesting but there's a LOT more in the book than his career with Dirty Leeds.

Willie Morgans book is a great read.

Steve1956 email me at beehivethomas at a o l dot com
or I'm @Rodleydave

On The Brink has a good Sean D chapter and an even better one on Accy Stanley.

The best football book I have read is probably 'The miracle of Castel Di Sangro' - a fly-on-the-wall look at a tiny Italian club who made it to Serie B for a couple of seasons, written by a bonkers US journalist who gained great access with the team and its shadowy owners.
I read 'Zlatan' last summer, and that was a surprisingly entertaining read; he's exactly what you'd expect a superstar footballer to be, full of himself, but funny with it. He had a tough upbringing and its hard to not find yourself pulling for him as his career progresses.