Author:Pete May
West Ham are back in the Premiership and, to celebrate, Pete May reflects on a lifetime of supporting the Irons. It's all here in Hammers in the Heart, from a full account of West Ham's triumph against Preston in the Coca-Cola Championship play-off final at Cardiff on 30 May 2005 to his early recollections of Bobby Moore, high-leg DM boots in the North Bank, Billy Bonds' pirate chic, obscene humour in the Chicken Run, Trevor Brooking's sideburns, the FA Cup triumphs of 1975 and 1980, promotions, relegations and sides invariably 'down to the bare bones'.
With the dark humour necessary to be a Hammers fan, Pete May recalls Frank McAvennie's Neighbours mullet; Paolo Di Canio's walk-off against Bradford; 'Two Bob' Florin Raducioiu, who preferred shopping in Harvey Nichols to playing for West Ham; Iain Dowie's legendary own goal at Stockport; homeboy Joey Beauchamp; John Hartson attempting to kick off Eyal Berkovic's head in training; beating Bury 10-0 and signing their centre-half; chants of 'We want a new back four!' and relegation with the most talented side ever to go down; and, of course, the sublime skills of Brooking, Devonshire and Di Canio.
You'll laugh, you'll wince, you'll probably need a cup of Rosie Lea in Ken's Café after reading Hammers in the Heart, an epic tale of dreams that didn't always fade and die.
Michael Calvin charts the evolution of the sports’ scouts from chaotic beginnings to Moneyball-inspired analysis, and is enough to make you pay close attention when you next pass a kids’ kickabout in the park
—— Shortlist‘Calvin’s book is excellent, a highly readable insight into the slog and grind of assessing talent.’
—— Tottenham On My MindOne of the ‘50 Best Sports Books Ever Written
In The Nowhere Men, Mike Calvin somehow manages to make the job of football scout sound like the most romantic existence imaginable. It also sounds bleak and deeply lonely. It is a fascinating insight into an often misunderstood and under-represented part of the sport, revealing the hours, dedication and struggles of men who love football and don’t know what they’d do without it.
A magnificent book, full of extraordinary characters and beautifully told
—— Rob Bagchi , GuardianThere’s a strong contender for the William Hill Sports Book Prize in Michael Calvin’s The Nowhere Men, a book revealing the hidden lives of football scouts.
—— The BooksellerThoroughly recommended reading. Terrific
—— John Cross , Daily MirrorThe Nowhere Men by Michael Calvin is a book you have to read
—— Tony Evans , The TimesI commend to you The Nowhere Men by Michael Calvin – brilliant book, great journalism
—— Ian Herbert , The IndependentA hugely insightful read
—— FourFourTwo MagazineTop sports writer Michael Calvin lifts the lid on the talent scouts
—— Sunday ExpressIt's superb, one of the best of the year. One of those books where you learn something every couple of pages.
—— Iain Macintosh , co-author of Football Manager Stole My LifeA must-read for all soccer fans
—— ChoiceLucidly researched
—— David Miller , The OldieThe unlikely true story of two US ex-pros who travelled to Rwanda with visions of creating Africa’s first world-beating professional cycling team
—— Simon Usborne , IndependentThis book is an entertaining account taking in everyone from stage winners and former yellow jerseys who couldn’t hang on, to a breakaway leader who stopped for a bottle of wine and then took a wrong turn, to a doper whose drug cocktail backfired
—— Bike RadarWe know the winners of the Tour de France, but Lanterne Rouge tells the forgotten, often inspirational and occasionally absurd stories of the last-placed rider
—— Miss Dinky
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