Football And How To Survive It
£19.00£20.90 (-9%)
So, you fell into football by accident. You’ve played for Chelsea, Everton and your country at an international level. But what happens when you discover you’re in so deep that football has taken over your whole life?
In his brilliant new memoir, Pat Nevin takes us on a journey to the less glamorous side of football. From Tranmere to Kilmarnock, he plays some of the best football he’s ever played. Then, in an unprecedented twist of fate, finds himself both player and Chief Executive of Scottish First Division club Motherwell.
What follows is an entertaining and revealing tale of the side of football that you rarely see as Pat tries to keep the lid on simmering tensions between owner and the manager; travels in Lear jets one moment, but has to sell off half the team, the next. So much is madness, like being the manager’s boss, and his player at the same time; or discovering that the ground’s goalposts are higher on one side than on the other!
And with impossible challenges at every corner, such as learning that their son is autistic, and the club hurtling towards administration, Pat strives to walk the impossible line between player, parent and boss.
FOOTBALL AND HOW TO SURVIVE IT is a real one-off, uncovering the sport in all its complex, confusing and calamitous glory. Once you’ve read it, you may never look at the game in the same way again.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Monoray (1 Jun. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 352 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1800961138 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1800961135 |
| Dimensions | 15.6 x 3.8 x 23.6 cm |
by Steve maclaren
As a footy nut, I loved the inside view on how clubs are run, at smaller clubs as well as the bigger club. Nevin was always a player I looked out all the way through his career, as he spoke a lot sense and honesty and the book is a testament to this.
by Tracy Collier
Normally biographies of football players can be very wishy washy but this was the total opposite. A very good and open book especially regarding his time at Motherwell. Definitely a book to recommend for a football fan.
by Gus1906
Like the first book, the second is well written and expressed with candour. I unapologetically love Pat, and although wouldn’t do a ebay bid on a painting he did at primary school, he lives his life with principles . Which is both refreshing, and reassuring : particularly in modern football. The insight into financial operations into smaller clubs in the SPL was fascinating, and quite depressing. Although Pat is uncharacteristically quiet about the current situation at Chelsea, where money gushes like water and just represents the very worse things in football.
by Michael O’callaghan
Great insight to what goes on behind the scenes at clubs. Would love to see him on Chelsea’s board. But I wouldn’t think he’d need the stress. Best wishes to Pat for the future
by Lochwinnoch
Bought the Audible version of PN’s latest book and was looking forward to it. Disappointed because so much of it is just trite, self-justifying, ‘look how great I am’ drivel. Not helped by PN’s narration with its built-in contrived smile/snigger/laugh at the end of most sentences. Pat seems to feel he’s in some way extraordinary because he went to a second division university, enjoys indy music and has an eye for art. These achievements and characteristics are very common where I come from though being an above average professional footballer is not. He does make a good job of showing how shallow the world of professional football seems to be but doesn’t succeed in convincing me that his views in much outside football are worth listening to. Too much ego and Alan Partridge style ‘but I had the last laugh’ material for my liking. Fine if you’re a fan of any of the clubs he played for but just feels like the ramblings of any bog-standard retired footballer if you’re not.
by dondon
Well-meaning trawl through this footballer’s post-elite career with the likes of Tranmere and Motherwell. Unfortunately, behind an appearance of modesty, Nevin can be rather sanctimonious and self-serving in an engaging narrative of behind-the-scenes footie shenanigans, where a soap-opera of owners, managers and players try to keep the show on the road. Better than most football yarns, though – especially if you like Motherwell – and worth a look.
by T. O’Toole
I really enjoyed reading this , as a Tranmere fan , i was looking forward in particular to reading the first half of the book which deals with Pats time at TRFC. The second part, which deals with Pats time at Kilmarnock and in particular Motherwell, i found enthralling, and could not put the book down. What a story! Brilliantly written, and a real eye opener, football fans no matter who they support will enjoy this.
by Colin James
A superb book, it is so well written by Pat. Biographies are not usually page turners but this particular one is. Pat shows an intelligent method of describing his time in football, it is objective with some objectivity especially around his family life which, shows the soul of the man. The Scottish footballing chapters centred around Kilmarnock and especially as CEO and player at Motherwell should show other ex footballers how to write their biographies, passion brutal honesty objective thinking and some humour. I have read many biographies from those who played the beautiful game but this is book is in a different league.