Author:Stephen North,Paul Hodson
How would you feel if your football club was bought by a businessman who saw your ground as real estate? And what if your ground was demolished leaving you with nowhere to play next season?
Many fans believe that when Bill Archer, a Blackburn-based entrepreneur, bought Brighton and Hove Albion, he had no passion for the club or the game but rather saw an opportunity to make a profit. If so, he made the fatal mistake of misjudging football fans.
In July 1995, Brighton's local daily paper led its front page with the headline 'Seagulls Migrate', announcing that the Goldstone Ground was to be sold to a property developer for £7.4 million and that 'home' games were to be played at Portsmouth. All this without one word of consultation with the fans.
What followed was the biggest campaign in the history of football to save a club. Drawing on dozens of interviews with people directly involved - the fans, the FA, the players and the management - Build a Bonfire dramatically traces the progress of the two-year fight with the board: two years of despair, absurdity and solidarity.
In so doing, the book not only explores implications for other clubs, in a world where the battle lines between football and money are being drawn ever tighter, but also creates a picture of that strange and wonderful thing: the football fan.
And having lived through the crisis and listened to the fans, the authors can offer their Ten Essential Steps to Depose your Club Chairman, should the need arise . . .
It’s an inspiring, reflective read that’ll make you want to dust your trainers off
—— Andy McNicoll , Professional Social WorkAn outstanding read
—— Peter Sharkey , Eastern Daily PressEloquent... Lundy explores how and why humans feel drawn to the extreme risks and almost inevitable disasters that single-handedly sailing the Southern Ocean entails... A stirring narrative
—— New York TimesContains all the tension of a thriller
—— Independent[An] excellent book
—— Matt Dickinson , The TimesBarclay tells his story and in doing so describes the way the game has changed over the years. We see the famous temper in action, but also a more reflective, generous side
—— Colin Waters , HeraldA firm but fair biography of a footballing legend
—— GuardianDo we really need another biography of Sir Alex Ferguson?...the answer is unequivocally in the affirmative
—— Independent on SundayYou'll be hard-pressed to find a book that will tell you as much about the intimidating character and gives such a revealing insight into the legend of British football that is Sir Alex Ferguson
—— Football Fan CastBest Sports Biography of the Year
—— Metro