British Expatriate Network

This made me laugh - I was looking through the Guardian's "The Knowledge" and they listed the sales for recent autobiographies -

http//football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,1930213,00.html

1) Gerrard by Steven Gerrard 76,459
2) My Story So Far by Wayne Rooney 36,973
3) Totally Frank by Frank Lampard 26,662
4) Rio My Story by Rio Ferdinand 7,651
5) My Defence by Ashley Cole 3,128.

£3,128?! What a pile of piss that is. I think it really shows the difference between what a fan actually thinks of a player, and what the media says about a player and how we supposedly think of them. Anyone bought one of these by the way?

No.

I read footballers' autobiographies from time to time but not until they've finished playing. It's more like a primary school report until then and a lot of the life lessons are still to be learned for most of those guys. I made an exception with the autobiography of Plymouth Argyle's captain as he's close to career end and had just captained the side to two championships in three years - and it was a present from someone back home.

I realise most are ghost written anyway. I've enjoyed Ian Rush's book and Tommy Tynan's "A Life in the Soccer Factory" was pretty good. Adeshell might even like it as he talks about John Aldridge for a bit whey they were Newport County's dynamic duo!

I only read Spurs books. The others are boring drivel.

I do read hooli books a lot. Just finished Top Boys and Terrace Legends, excellent reads, really gets you in the mood for a game.

personally I agree to a certain extent Moo, the best football books are written by fans, or people with passion for the game (or a rumble) Joe McGuinness's book on the miracle of Castro Di Sangro is a belter.

As is the not so well known Dave Espley epic, about Stockports promotion season of 1997.

However Dave Jones, the managers ramblings of the same season was such an error strewn ghost ridden abomination of events I read 3 chapters and burnt the rest.

My missus has bought the David Beckham books and Roy Keane's book.
Personally I consider those books to be more akin to Roy Of The Rovers comics wink