Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on June 26, 2010, 03:33:15 PM
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: dave.woodhall on June 26, 2010, 03:33:15 PM
Player autobiographies are usually done to a formula - young lad growing up, good at football, gets taken on by a league club, progresses through the youth set-up, reserves, makes the first team and on to greater glories. There's a few 'revealing insights' about the legendary figures they came across and sometimes a chance to put their side of a controversial story or two.
Or occasionally you come across one that takes a different approach and ends up being surprisingly readable - The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino and Left foot Forward by Garry Nelson, for example.
No prizes for guessing which direction this one takes. Young lad, good at football, gets taken on....... There's just one thing that makes it a bit different to the usual formulaic blandness - they're written about big star names. This book is about a player who's already been forgotten. He spent most of his career with big clubs, and had a fair bit of success, but will Forest, Spurs and Leeds fans remember his name now? Would we, if he hadn't been such a slimy, vile reptile?
Hodge's mark in history is to have been in the right place at the right time, once. He took part in the most infamous England game of all time and that, really, is it. Nothing he ever did was big enough to base a book around. He glosses over his Villa career, and tries to re-write history. In Hodgeworld there were no constant demands to move, he didn't boast about joining a big club when he finally skulked out of Villa Park, no gloating at leaving the sinking ship.
But maybe that was a different Hodge to the one I remember. According to The Man With, the Villa he played for has a Holt End, a Bodymore Heath training ground and a former player named Chris Nichol. Typos are one thing; such easily checkable errors show how careless and slipshod this tome is.
And it's not just Villa he shafted - there's one team in Sweden whose name Hodge can't remember but agreed to join, only to change his mind the day before he was due to sign for them. But they were based in a small town, so that's acceptable.
This book could be worth reading - if it was written with a spark of flair or originality. But there's nothing of the sort. Hodge talks about Brian Clough, but there's nothing new to be said on the subject. He was involved in two World Cup campaigns, and for all the insight he delivers they might as well have been pre-season friendlies.
Hodge, like many of his fellow players, seems to have drifted through football not realising how lucky he was or how interesting his story could have been. The Man with Maradona's Shirt could be re-titled Diary of a Nobody.
Orion books, £18.99.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Clampy on June 26, 2010, 03:53:16 PM
It'll be in Poundland by the end of the year.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Pete3206 on June 26, 2010, 03:59:38 PM
£18.99 is a bit pricey for toilet paper.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: TheSandman on June 26, 2010, 04:00:27 PM
I can picture Hodge scrambling Alan Partridge style trying to stop the remaining copies from being pulped.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Clampy on June 26, 2010, 04:03:14 PM
Quote from: "TheSandman"
I can picture Hodge scrambling Alan Partridge style trying to stop the remaining copies from being pulped.
Not before he tries to sell them in Moor Street Station, with the offer of a free torch.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: TheSandman on June 26, 2010, 04:08:43 PM
Judging by some of the errors his poof reader might be getting fired.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Legion on June 26, 2010, 04:38:21 PM
Yes. 'glaoting'?
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Legion on June 26, 2010, 04:40:45 PM
Quote from: "TheSandman"
Judging by some of the errors his poof reader might be getting fired.
As well as the copy-editor.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: eastie on June 26, 2010, 05:01:56 PM
His backpass against norwich still leaves me having nightmares even now-the atmosphere at that moment was unreal.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: ronshirt on June 26, 2010, 06:01:22 PM
Before the World Cup started he was on Radio 5 with Peter Reid, Terry Butcher and Terry Fenwick - all three ganged up on him for his behaviour at full-time.
Hodge claimed that he saw nothing wrong with the shirt swap because he was unaware of the handball. Butcher, Reid and Fenwick all pissed themselves at this explanation and also had trouble in believing Hodge's claim that he hadn't had the shirt valued.
If Hodge has a copy of the programme I can't see him playing it to his grandchildren.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Lucky Eddie on June 26, 2010, 07:00:42 PM
Scathing it maybe, but any plug for this book, ANY PLUG WHATSOEVER, is NOT ONLY HUGELY SURPRISING - IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVEABLE.
And; NO, WHERE THAT MAN IS CONCERNED I WILL NOT STOP SHOUTING!
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Legion on June 26, 2010, 07:02:18 PM
Copy and paste the review on Amazon.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Des Little on June 26, 2010, 07:36:49 PM
It's a shame that a man who played for England in a World Cup has to cite the fact that he has some horrible little cheat's shirt as his claim to fame.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Legion on June 26, 2010, 07:38:10 PM
Title: Re: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: maidstonevillain on June 27, 2010, 12:06:59 AM
Quote from: "dave.woodhall"
Player autobiographies are usually done to a formula - young lad growing up, good at football, gets taken on by a league club, progresses through the youth set-up, reserves, makes the first team and on to greater glories. There's a few 'revealing insights' about the legendary figures they came across and sometimes a chance to put their side of a controversial story or two.
Or occasionally you come across one that takes a different approach and ends up being surprisingly readable - The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino and Left foot Forward by Garry Nelson, for example.
No prizes for guessing which direction this one takes. Young lad, good at football, gets taken on....... There's just one thing that makes it a bit different to the usual formulaic blandness - they're written about big star names. This book is about a player who's already been forgotten. He spent most of his career with big clubs, and had a fair bit of success, but will Forest, Spurs and Leeds fans remember his name now? Would we, if he hadn't been such a slimy, vile reptile?
Hodge's mark in history is to have been in the right place at the right time, once. He took part in the most infamous England game of all time and that, really, is it. Nothing he ever did was big enough to base a book around. He glosses over his Villa career, and tries to re-write history. In Hodgeworld there were no constant demands to move, he didn't boast about joining a big club when he finally skulked out of Villa Park, no gloating at leaving the sinking ship.
But maybe that was a different Hodge to the one I remember. According to The Man With, the Villa he played for has a Holt End, a Bodymore Heath training ground and a former player named Chris Nichol. Typos are one thing; such easily checkable errors show how careless and slipshod this tome is.
And it's not just Villa he shafted - there's one team in Sweden whose name Hodge can't remember but agreed to join, only to change his mind the day before he was due to sign for them. But they were based in a small town, so that's acceptable.
This book could be worth reading - if it was written with a spark of flair or originality. But there's nothing of the sort. Hodge talks about Brian Clough, but there's nothing new to be said on the subject. He was involved in two World Cup campaigns, and for all the insight he delivers they might as well have been pre-season friendlies.
Hodge, like many of his fellow players, seems to have drifted through football not realising how lucky he was or how interesting his story could have been. The Man with Maradona's Shirt could be re-titled Diary of a Nobody.
Orion books, £18.99.
Quite possibly, the best book review I have read in a long time.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Hazz on June 27, 2010, 01:20:31 AM
Quote from: "Lucky Eddie"
Scathing it maybe, but any plug for this book, ANY PLUG WHATSOEVER, is NOT ONLY HUGELY SURPRISING - IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNFORGIVEABLE.
And; NO, WHERE THAT MAN IS CONCERNED I WILL NOT STOP SHOUTING!
True. Like posting in a topic and bumping it to the top of the forum? ;)
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Drummond on June 27, 2010, 10:37:05 AM
Quote from: "clampy"
It'll be in Poundland by the end of the year.
Ten for a pound, ten for a pound.
He's clearly trying to set up a Hodge-Fund with this.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: TopDeck113 on June 27, 2010, 11:09:36 AM
Quote from: "Legion"
Copy and paste the review on Amazon.
Forward to When Saturday Comes too. Home of the scathing book review (http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/145/29/)
Although a certain Damon Green was a touch kinder with this one (http://www.wsc.co.uk/content/view/5340/28/).
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: VillaZogmariner on June 27, 2010, 11:13:04 AM
Without clicking on the WSC link - it's the Lovetwat one isn't it?
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: TopDeck113 on June 27, 2010, 12:35:20 PM
Quote from: "VillaSubmariner"
Without clicking on the WSC link - it's the Lovetwat one isn't it?
Too obvious, I know.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: dave.woodhall on June 27, 2010, 04:16:47 PM
Quote from: "TopDeck113"
Quote from: "VillaSubmariner"
Without clicking on the WSC link - it's the Lovetwat one isn't it?
Too obvious, I know.
"the best review of anything, ever"
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: PaulTheVillan on June 27, 2010, 06:05:21 PM
EVER!
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: TheSandman on June 27, 2010, 07:06:59 PM
I wonder if Barry got Mueller's shirt today?
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on June 27, 2010, 07:09:19 PM
I would rather read the unabridged version of "Attemps to establish professional football in the Small Heath and Bordesley Green region of Birmingham from the 1880s to the present day" than anything by that bastard Hodge.
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Des Little on June 27, 2010, 10:36:09 PM
Quote from: "TheSandman"
I wonder if Barry got Mueller's shirt today?
Or the lino's
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: eric woolban woolban on June 27, 2010, 10:44:34 PM
Quote from: "TheSandman"
I wonder if Barry got Mueller's shirt today?
He wouldn't have been able to catch him, or any other German for that matter.
Title: Re: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: joe_c on June 27, 2010, 10:49:38 PM
Quote from: "dave.woodhall"
He took part in the most infamous England game of all time
A surprise inclusion in Capello's starting line-up this afternoon?
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: Simon Ward on June 28, 2010, 10:10:41 AM
Quote from: "TheSandman"
I wonder if Barry got Mueller's shirt today?
Never got near him!
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: 5ft811st2 Durham on June 28, 2010, 07:02:46 PM
It pains me to say it but Hodge comes over quite well when interviewed these days and seems quite likeable.
He was a hate figure for me when I was 19 and rightly so.
I suppose I still hate the Hodge of 86/87 (just imagining a photo of the little runt in the Henson shirt makes my hackles rise) but not the Hodge of 2010.
"To err is human, to forgive divine"
Title: Book Review - The Man with Maradona's Shirt
Post by: richard moore on June 28, 2010, 07:33:36 PM
Great comment from the Lovejoy review:
"I was once dragged onto Soccer AM by some mates. We were 'fans of the week', and apparently we were only going on to wind Lovejoy up. In the bar after the show, one of our group approached Lovejoy and asked him at what point he had switched allegiance from Watford (who he apparently used to support) to Chelsea.
His reply, and I quote, was delightful: "Shut the f**k up, you c**t."
As arrogant and self-delusional a man as I've ever met in my life"