The Boy on the Shed:A remarkable sporting memoir with a foreword by Alan Shearer: Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year
£10.70£12.30 (-13%)
Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year
Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award
The Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year
The Times Sports Book of the Year
Telegraph Football Book of the Year
‘Ferris’s wonderful memoir represents a twin triumph. He has endured every kind of setback in life but has invariably reinvented himself; and his writing is a pure pleasure.’ The Sunday Times
‘Enough depth and humanity to make your average football autobiography look like a Ladybird book.’ Telegraph
‘A masterpiece of the genre’ Brian McNally
‘Football memoirs rarely produce great literature but Ferris’s The Boy on the Shed is a glistening exception.’ Guardian
‘Fascinating and stylishly told.’ David Walsh, The Sunday Times
The Boy on the Shed is a story of love and fate. At 16, Paul Ferris becomes Newcastle United’s youngest-ever first-teamer. Like many a tricky winger from Northern Ireland, he is hailed as ‘the new George Best’.
As a player and later a physio and member of the Magpies’ managerial team, Paul’s career acquaints him not only with Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Bobby Robson, Ruud Gullit, Paul Gascoigne and Alan Shearer but also with injury, insecurity and disappointment.
Yet this autobiography is more than a tale of the vagaries of sporting fortune. It begins during ‘The Troubles’ in a working-class Catholic family in the Protestant town of Lisburn, near Belfast. After a childhood scarred by his mother’s illness and sectarian hatred, Paul meets the love of his life, his future wife Geraldine.
Talented and carefree on the pitch, shy and anxious off it, he earns a tilt at stardom. His first spell at Newcastle turns sour, as does his return as a physio, although obtaining a Masters degree shows him what he could achieve away from football.
When Paul qualifies as a barrister, a career in Law beckons. Instead, a craving to prove himself in the game draws him back to St James’ Park as part of Shearer’s management triumvirate – with unfortunate consequences.
Written with brutal candour, dark humour and consummate style, The Boy on the Shed is a riveting and moving account of a life less ordinary.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Hodder Paperbacks (10 Jan. 2019) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 320 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1473666740 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1473666740 |
| Dimensions | 12.95 x 2.22 x 19.69 cm |
by Richard
Paul Ferris writes from the heart, a wonderful book
Reading as a a Newcastle United fan is one thing but the other insights are stunning
by Edmund Young
Nice book to read and well presented.
by sallyhall
Bought the book for my sons they really enjoyed reading it
by Mark Cooper
An excellently written book of achievement in adversity, despair and high achievement again. An excellent read.
by Jamie C.
A journey full of emotion. I felt every word and rode the books rollercoaster. Don’t think I’ve ever read a book so fast!
by ian stones
Firstly I’m not Newcastle supporter, but was told it was worth a read. I have to say, reading it in two sittings it was up there with the very best that I’ve read.
Following the life of a young boy during the troubles of Ireland then his football career, the heartache of his sporting life being turned upside down was heartfelt. More than once I shed a tear for Paul’s love for his mother, then read stories from his football life that made me laugh. I would recommend this book to anyone. Penned in his own words Beautifully.
by Special K
Alan Shearer recommended this book, so I bought it more out of curiosity as I could vaguely remember Paul from his playing days. Honest, insightful and shows how football really has to sort itself out. People like Paul should be running the show and charlatans buying football clubs and then getting clueless people to run them is a recipe for disaster.
by Amazon Customer
It’s an absolutely must. Nufc fans will love it it brought back so many memories please read it it’s a must