Book reviews

Dan Herd explains that although he saved them from administration, chairman Ken Davy is not flavour of the month among Town fans

When around 100 Huddersfield Town fans gathered outside the Galpharm stadium to protest about chairman Ken Davy’s lack of investment in the team after the 3-2 home defeat by Yeovil on September 16, many outside observers were confused. After all, this is the man who, in July 2003, had taken the club out of administration, thus saving the Terriers from extinction. Since the takeover, Huddersfield Town have gone from League Two to the League One play-offs in three seasons – so what is there to protest about?

Read more…

As Obafemi Martins arrives on Tyneside one question still remains – how old is the Nigerian? Filippo Ricci reports

Before Newcastle’s UEFA Cup tie against Ventspils in August, Obafemi Martins was paraded in front of the crowd. Glenn Roeder was delighted with his £10 million signing from Internazionale – though he did face some slightly unwelcome questions regarding just how old the new man was. “We at Newcastle have never questioned his age. It is disrespectful to question his age, around the world we have a good reputation. He is 21, we know he is 21, we always have done, we have a talented young player.”

Read more…

Wearside has seen an unlikely football marriage, but Paul Doyle looks behind the headline spats to see how much Roy Keane and Niall Quinn have in common and assess their chances of survival

Niall Quinn often comes across as a Ronan Keating-type figure. There’s something earnest about the two Dubliners that denotes a craving to be perceived as nice guys. And there’s something essentially gormless in their demeanours that frequently suggests they’re both merely well meaning simpletons not to be taken seriously in the real, nasty world. So when Quinn first declared his intention to take over Sunderland, many in his homeland greeted the news with the same mixture of pity and amusement that they felt several years ago when Keating expressed an interest in becoming president of Ireland.

Read more…

With only one promotion left until the Football League beckons, St Albans City now have the money on board for required ground improvements. Steve Menary reports

To most non-League clubs, a marketing officer is an unaffordable luxury. John Gibson tends to agree. When Verry, a £100 million turnover construction firm owned by Gibson, opened a new office in St Albans four years ago, he decided that instead of hiring a marketing man he would buy the local team. “Their manager played for a pub team I ran. He said, ‘The club’s in real trouble, can you help?’ ” says Gibson. “I was going to get a marketing manager but decided to spend the £50,000 to £60,000 a year that would cost on a club.”

Read more…

Wayne Rooney releases his first autobiography but as Taylor Parkes reports it's little more than a book aimed at children

Monday morning, primary school. It’s time to write up what you did over the weekend. Everyone remembers the drill: “I went to the pub with my mum and dad. I had a coke and some crisps. It was good.”    

Read more…