‘The Absolute Record: The Players’ is selling fast and many thanks for all of the very positive feedback I have received on it so far.
If you haven’t seen the book it is something of a monster: 400 large format pages. Basically, the book is an A to Z of every player to ever play a peacetime competitive match for Sunderland. When I started out on this book pretty much exactly two years ago I envisaged it as a reference book where supporters could look things up, settle disputes and put the book back on the shelf until it was next needed. However, in the process of writing it so many stories were unearthed that I began to realise that in fact that despite its enormous size the book is actually one to read cover to cover.
“I am absolutely loving ‘The Absolute Record: The Players’ says Bill Hern, the joint-author of the impressive ‘Football’s Black Pioneers’ “I ‘treat’ myself to six or so pages each morning. I particularly like the quirkier facts and details of what they did after retiring from football.”
Over 330 new players have represented Sunderland since the publication of ‘All the Lads’ over 20 years ago. As well as all of these players being profiled in detail all of the players originally featured in ‘All the Lads’ have had totally new biographies created and where appropriate things have been corrected.
‘The Absolute Record: The Players’ is available now in the club shop, via safc.com/store (Click on the accessories tab) and from all good bookshops. It’s an expensive book at £30 but given its size and the amount of information in it I hope you think it is well worth it.
Also worth a read is Martin O’Neill’s new autobiography, ‘On Days Like These. My Life in Football.’ As a character Martin was one of the most interesting and rounded I’ve ever known at the club. An erudite student of almost everything, Martin has had a fabulous career both as a player and as a manager. The chapter on Sunderland rattles through the ‘Party with Marty’ at Jewison Bennette pace but is revealing, amusing and well worth a read.
