First up, may I recommend Gary Sutherland's "Hunting Grounds":

http://www.play.com/Books/Books/4-/3370157/Hunting-Grounds/Product.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Grounds-Gary-Sutherland/dp/1841585866/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198166624&sr=8-1

 

Its an excellent journey round all 42 Scottish fitba grounds in one season.  Detailing transport, pre-match venues for a pint, the quality of the pies at the ground, and a review of the performance of both the players and the fans.  He goes into some depth in his report for each ground.  Its rather witty too!

 

He obviously visits Pittodrie (2-2 cup game with Hibs last season), and also a Falkirk v Aberdeen SPL game where the away fans are praised.

I've got legs

 

That were severed from your feet.

Buddy of mine is loaning me Fergie's Biography sounds like a good read according to him.  Anyone else read it?

Buddy of mine is loaning me Fergie's Biography sounds like a good read according to him.  Anyone else read it?

 

Is it the one he did when he was at the Dons or the one he released about 10 years ago?

Buddy of mine is loaning me Fergie's Biography sounds like a good read according to him.  Anyone else read it?

 

Buddy of mine is loaning me Fergie's Biography sounds like a good read according to him.  Anyone else read it?

 

Managing My Life? Yeah, it's ok but if you want a different spin on Fergie then get The Boss: The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson by Michael Crick. He's a United fan but doesn't come across as the rabid gluepot as most of their fans do.  He's pretty insightful into the darker side of the man.

 

I just finished both The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Both are great but Never Let Me Go is an absolute must that I read in 2 nights.

 

 

 

 

Managing My Life? Yeah, it's ok but if you want a different spin on Fergie then get The Boss: The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson by Michael Crick. He's a United fan but doesn't come across as the rabid gluepot as most of their fans do.  He's pretty insightful into the darker side of the man.

 

Another good book on Fergie is "This is the One - The Uncut Story of a Football Genius", by Daniel Taylor.

 

Like the one Bilbo mentions (which i'll be buying), it's written by a guy who is a ManUtd fan but isn't scared to get stuck into him if needs be. Shows many sides of Fergie in it, and it is a really cracking read.

Managing My Life? Yeah, it's ok but if you want a different spin on Fergie then get The Boss: The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson by Michael Crick. He's a United fan but doesn't come across as the rabid gluepot as most of their fans do.  He's pretty insightful into the darker side of the man.

 

 

Another good book on Fergie is "This is the One - The Uncut Story of a Football Genius", by Daniel Taylor.

 

Like the one Bilbo mentions (which i'll be buying), it's written by a guy who is a ManUtd fan but isn't scared to get stuck into him if needs be. Shows many sides of Fergie in it, and it is a really cracking read.

 

I've read that too and whilst it seems to be similar material they use I could probably say Taylor is less dry than Crick. I finished by actually wondering if Crick was a United fan as the book is so devoid of passion.

 

 

Managing My Life? Yeah, it's ok but if you want a different spin on Fergie then get The Boss: The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson by Michael Crick. He's a United fan but doesn't come across as the rabid gluepot as most of their fans do.  He's pretty insightful into the darker side of the man.

 

I've read Crick's book and I thought it was an extremely well researched book and very fascinating.

 

 

 

 

I've read that too and whilst it seems to be similar material they use I could probably say Taylor is less dry than Crick. I finished by actually wondering if Crick was a United fan as the book is so devoid of passion.

 

 

 

Was Crick's over a similar timescale, as Taylor's was just over last season and the rather disasterous one before which kind of set up a rather convenient Jekyll/Hyde feeling to it?

 

 

Houston we have a problem.

 

Post edited.  

Was Crick's over a similar timescale, as Taylor's was just over last season and the rather disasterous one before which kind of set up a rather convenient Jekyll/Hyde feeling to it?

 

Crick's is over his whole life.

Yeah, Similar thread of criticisms in terms of Fergies supposed blindspots and personal failings though.

Michael Crick did a TV documentary a few years back that was extremely cynical.  He regaled the story of how Ferguson set about Neale Cooper in a pub one night.  By complete chance, I met Neale Cooper a couple of months later and got chatting with him and I brought this story up.  The truth of the story was considerably different to the version that Crick told.  There's no denying that Fergie has a dark side, but having heard this story from the horse's mouth as it were, I was inclined to give the Crick book a wide berth.

Michael Crick did a TV documentary a few years back that was extremely cynical.  He regaled the story of how Ferguson set about Neale Cooper in a pub one night.  By complete chance, I met Neale Cooper a couple of months later and got chatting with him and I brought this story up.  The truth of the story was considerably different to the version that Crick told.  There's no denying that Fergie has a dark side, but having heard this story from the horse's mouth as it were, I was inclined to give the Crick book a wide berth.

 

Is that the one that Cooper was in a bar drinking coke and the story got back to Fergie...?

 

Fergie obviously has a dark side to him... look at how he ostricised guys like Black, Leighton, Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy throughout his career. Although he didn't necessarily do it through the papers, everyone knew why they weren't playing... the good thing about Taylor's book is that it tells you how the press room reacts to him, how he can manipulate folk  as well as giving you the bits that weren't suitable for the papers or the TV.

Is that the one that Cooper was in a bar drinking coke and the story got back to Fergie...?

 

Fergie obviously has a dark side to him... look at how he ostricised guys like Black, Leighton, Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy throughout his career. Although he didn't necessarily do it through the papers, everyone knew why they weren't playing... the good thing about Taylor's book is that it tells you how the press room reacts to him, how he can manipulate folk  as well as giving you the bits that weren't suitable for the papers or the TV.

 

The very same, yes.

 

The players you mentioned though, did any of them go on to bigger and better things?  Ostracised or not, Fergie made them the players they were and they all got too big for their boots.  There's no amount of Fergie-bashing that can take that fact away, and for me that's the bottom line.

The very same, yes.

 

The players you mentioned though, did any of them go on to bigger and better things?  Ostracised or not, Fergie made them the players they were and they all got too big for their boots.  There's no amount of Fergie-bashing that can take that fact away, and for me that's the bottom line.

 

I wasn't saying they went anywhere to do better things or otherwise. I was saying they were big name players who he took exception to almost publicly.  Fergie bashing? me? i'd hardly think so.

I think Stam, Beckham and Van Nistelrooy went to two of the biggest Clubs in the world. Certainly more successful in European Cup wins anyway.

 

No amount of misty eyed Man U romanticism can deny that.

 

I have just been going through the GD Manor library and have been reading some of the novels that have been lying around. The usual war,espionage stuff that I a enjoy.

 

Frederick Forsyth - The Devil's Alternative.

 

Well paced, good story, the usual sort of Forsyth formula but I found it entertaining and I would recommend it if you enjoy a good Cold War espionage novel.

Just finished a couple books by colin bateman. A kind of irish carl hiassen/brookmyre tpe. very good and very funny especially the dan starkey novels

 

also finished two by gianrico carofiglio, lawyer/crime type books, excellently written and based in bari.

 

Also have to recommend Stone Junction by Jim Dodge absolutley superb, a must read for everyone.

I think Stam, Beckham and Van Nistelrooy went to two of the biggest Clubs in the world. Certainly more successful in European Cup wins anyway.

 

No amount of misty eyed Man U romanticism can deny that.

 

 

Really?

Remind me how many European Cups Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy won when they left Manchester Utd.

 

BB - I was talking about Crick bashing Fergie, not you, wind yer neck in!

Really?

Remind me how many European Cups Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy won when they left Manchester Utd.

 

BB - I was talking about Crick bashing Fergie, not you, wind yer neck in!

 

D'oh!

Really?

Remind me how many European Cups Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy won when they left Manchester Utd.

 

BB - I was talking about Crick bashing Fergie, not you, wind yer neck in!

 

Remind me how many European Cups Manchester Utd won after Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy left .

Remind me how many European Cups Manchester Utd won after Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy left .

 

Remind me how many league titles Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy won after they left Manchester Utd?

Remind me how many league titles Stam, Beckham and van Nistelrooy won after they left Manchester Utd?

 

They have all won one.

 

United won 2 since they all departed (last season included) and would probably have won more with these 3 in the team. Man U's worst period in the last 20 years pretty much happened when these 3 left.