Funny Old Interview – Author Dave Seager On Talksport
Dave Seager was invited onto Talksport by hosts Andy Goldstein and Jason Cundy to discuss his forthcoming new book, Supporting Arsenal Is A Funny Old Game… You can listen to the full interview below.
To find out more about the book, and to reserve one of the signed copies, click here
Ray Parlour and Vic Ackers Signing For George Armstrong
Join us at Heffers book shop in Cambridge on 9th April 2015 (18:30 – 20:00) for a book signing with author Dave Seager, Vic Akers OBE and special guest, Ray Parlour. To reserve your space at this very special event, please click on the button below.
The book is priced at £19.99 and will be available from Heffers on the night. There is a £3 discount available on production of your eventbrite ticket.
Heffers Book shop
20 Trinity Street
CB2 1TY Cambridge
Brentford Launch Official 125 Anniversary Book
Brentford manager, Mark Warburton, was the first person at Brentford Football Club to hold and enjoy a ‘hot off the press’ copy of the club’s new official 125 Anniversary book.
The Bees celebrated the landmark birthday during October, and are holding a special gala birthday dinner at the Hurlingham Club this Thursday evening, so the arrival of these gold-foiled books is the icing on the cake – it should certainly be on all fans’ Christmas present lists this year!
The book will be available to buy online priced £29.99 through the club’s website from 4pm Thursday 20th November, and from the Breamar Road Club Shop from 10am on Friday 21st November, ahead of the local derby with Fulham at Griffin Park.
“Brentford 125: The Official History” will offer a sentimental, and often emotional, excavation of club landmarks throughout the years.
The story starts from the events surrounding the formation of the club by its founding fathers right through to the euphoria that surrounded May’s 2014 promotion to the Championship.
The book, which is produced by those behind the impressive Big Brentford Book series, has been designed to celebrate events and re-live matches which have been etched in the record books, and to remember the players and some of the personalities who have rightly earned their place in the memory banks.
The journey through the decades has been achieved by replicating actual press cuttings from a variety of sources, many by local newspaper reporters George Sands and Ernest Gifford – in addition to the pseudonym ‘Argus’ – a moniker that was handed down to successive journalists at the Richmond and Twickenham Times from the early 1900s right through to World War Two.
Lots of popular personal favourites will be found, alongside the unusual and quirky items – the book provides an opportunity to reminisce, savour and discover the magic of 125 glorious years of the Bees.
Not only is the book compiled by Brentford fans, it’s also printed and bound by Brentford supporters at HM Printers in London www.hmprinters.com
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE OTHER THREE BOOKS IN THE BIG BRENTFORD SERIES
Arsenal Supports Club Hosts Liam, Pat and Frank
The Arsenal Supporters Club bar on the corner of St. Thomas’ Street played host to a rather special books signing on Saturday, with three true Gunners’ legends signing copies of Dave Seager’s new George Armstrong book ahead of the win over Burnley.
Fans queued for more than an hour in the packed bar to meet and reminisce with the players, before having their have books signed – there were also a fair few photos taken that will no doubt find their way onto various social media sites – but on behalf of Dave the author and Legends Publishing, I’d like to thank the players and Steve at @AFSCLondon for making the afternoon such a success.
For more information on Geordie Armstrong On The Wing please click here
Derby’s Greatest Night!
It was October 1968 – Derby 3 Chelsea 1 in the League Cup third round replay. Possibly the greatest night of football in Derby, certainly in my living memory. And I was there! Nobody had any real expectations of what was to come – it was just the flash Londoners up for a routine replay. Brian Clough’s young side were not really expected to win. But what happened was simply stunning! We won 3-1 and under that old Popside corrugated tin roof that said Offilers Ales on it, we absolutely ROCKED.
We were jammed in on that terracing in a manner that would have ‘elf ‘n safety’ personnel wringing their hands in horror these days. We didn’t care – we couldn’t have got out to go to the toilet if we had tried! I had never been in such an atmosphere before as the crowd roared themselves hoarse cheering on the team. I couldn’t speak for several days afterwards – but who cared?
We went on to defeat Everton in the next round too. Another great night, but nothing can ever compare with that Chelsea night for passion, noise and sheer power of atmosphere. Although we then went out to Swindon and a Don Rogers goal, we went on to become top of the league and there was no stopping us as we went on to be promoted to the First Division and eventually take the Championship twice in the next few years. They were the greatest Derby days ever – the town (it wasn’t a city then) was absolutely buzzing and was the place to be.
Some years ago I was lucky enough to be able to go behind the scenes and meet Igor. I was looking after two Croatian girls who were devotees of Igor and Aljosa Asanovic and, courtesy of Stuart Webb, they were able to have seats in the West Stand at Pride Park. I went along to chaperone them. The match was on a Sunday and the opponents were Leeds United – always much loathed by Rams fans and especially by those of us who could remember the Sixties rivalries with Revie, Bremner and company, and that fight between Francis Lee and Norman Hunter.
There’s always a cutting edge to games with Leeds and we dread losing to them. The girls were almost hysterical with excitement as Igor led the team out. They took numerous photos and had to be told to sit down and settle by people around them when the game started. Sadly it all went wrong on the pitch and we lost 5-0, which most definitely wasn’t in the script.
Igor was known as a bad loser and when we went into the Players’ Lounge afterwards and there was no sign of him, I thought he had probably forgotten about meeting the girls in his furious disappointment. His wife Suzi was there though and she assured us he would honour his commitment. He was just having extra treatment on his injured back. After what seemed ages Igor appeared, as handsome as ever and with his personality (some would say ego) filling the room. He was the man. He was charming, courteous and despite all his anger over the result, he posed for photographs with us all. For the Croatian girls it was a day to remember forever. And for me too. Then, to top it all, Igor and Asa went on to star in the Croatia side that came third in the 1998 World Cup in France.
Elaine Dean
Making The Grade – A Right Royle Review
“I read the book from cover to cover in one night and smiled all the way through. It is a must for any Blue, and gives a great insight into the pain and disappointment that comes in even greater doses than the glory. In fact I might just read it again!”
Joe Royle
From humble beginnings to, well… humble endings. This is a story of football’s wannabes, nearly men and might have beens – and there are a lot more of them than the David Beckhams, Wayne Rooneys and Steven Gerrards of this world. For thousands of football-mad kids over the years, who stood on the starting line in the race to become professional footballers alongside future internationals and household names, their story wasn’t quite the same.
The bookshop shelves are full of biographies and auto-biographies of the great players of the present and the past who graced our national sport at its pinnacle. But what of the young hopefuls who only got a toe onto the first rung of the football ladder and managed merely a worms-eye view of the beautiful game? Theirs is the forgotten story that is never heard, but is equally relevant because, just as the stars of the game emerged from the same working class roots to portray the glamour and fulfilment of their dreams, the kids who didn’t make the grade provide a very different picture. However, their story contains just as much bravery, honest toil, commitment, joy and heartache.
This book harks back to 1969/70, a very different era; an era before multi million pound transfer deals and contracts. Before the advent of the Premier League, Sky Sports and billionaire club owners. It looks back to a more innocent time when it felt as if football clubs and their stars still belonged to the fans instead of being at the mercy of players’ agents and foreign takeovers.
This is an account of my brief experience as one of the young hopefuls at Everton Football Club during that era, but it could just as well be about any kid who started off with the footballing world at their feet, but just like the vast majority of other fledgling professional players, ended up with the weight of the world on their shoulders. This is a football story first and foremost, but as any ex-pro or apprentice pro of a certain age will tell you, actually making the grade in those days was about a lot more than just playing football.
Making the grade then was just as much to do with coping with the minutiae of the ‘upstairs, downstairs’ life as a young footballer and the unexpected challenges, disappointments and knock about humour you were subjected to and the help, compassion and support, often from the most unlikely of sources, which enabled you to survive.
Stan Osborne
CLICK HERE AND GET 25% OFF THIS CRACKING EVERTON BOOK PLUS A PRESSIE OFF YOUR CHRISTMAS LIST! NOW £9.99 FOR A LIMITED PERIOD.
Dublin Geordie Book Signing With Eddie Kelly & Dave Seager
Geordie Armstrong Book Launches With Double Legends
Dave Seager’s new book, Geordie Armstrong On The Wing, was launched today with a well-attended signing ahead of the Gunners’ home game with Hull City at The Emirates.
Double-winning icons – Frank McLintock, Eddie Kelly and John Radford – signed copies of the book, whilst the author and the Armstrong family mixed with fans who had come to the stadium early to respect one of the club’s favourite sons.
Further signing events will take place in the coming weeks – with Liam Brady and Bob Wilson agreeing to support the publication and a very special team mate.
More details will follow.