• IT IS A SHOCK when any teenager is stricken by a life-threatening heart condition – even more so when it’s a professional sportsman with the world at his feet. Mark O’Brien had become one of Derby County’s youngest ever footballers at the age of 16 when his life was turned upside down. Facing heart surgery, the young Irishman’s career was severely threatened, yet he was one of the lucky ones. With no symptoms, his problem was discovered following a routine health check. Although his clock was already ticking towards inevitable further surgery, Mark defied a bleak prognosis to enjoy a successful career, notably with Nigel Clough’s Derby County and later Newport County. Mark wrote himself into Newport folklore with a last gasp goal to save his side from relegation from the Football League, and captained the side during their fantastic FA Cup run, before that clock finally ran down on his career as the world battled Covid. Yet Mark’s story has become even more inspirational. Now looking at the world through different eyes, he explains how he is defeating the demons of depression and anxiety to rebuild his life. Today he combines working in a pastoral role at Newport with media work and public speaking. Mark’s story is for supporters of life as well as football. His hope is that young people will take heart and hope from his compelling words.
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    Copies will be signed by Bobby Release date 19/04/24 and available to pre-order now. Bobby Russell had the world at his feet as a rising star with Glasgow's famous youth team, Possil YM, the same club that gave Kenny Dalglish his start in the game. An ill-fated move to Sunderland, however, had him questioning if he ever wanted to play the game again, until Possil's legendary coach, Bobby Dinnie, helped him get his life back on track. What happened next would be more believable if it had come out of the pages of Roy of the Rovers! Within two years of being told he wasn't big enough or good enough by Sunderland, Bobby worked his way back into football via a Glasgow pub team, a Juvenile team and, finally, Shettleston Juniors, where he played just one season, helping them to league and cup success. During that season, Bobby was scouted by his boyhood club, Glasgow Rangers and provisionally signed while still with Shettleston. The very next season he went straight into the Rangers first team and was a huge part of them winning the domestic treble of League, League Cup and Scottish Cup. Bobby went on to have a long and successful career at Rangers and Motherwell and, as you'll read in this book, was recognised by those he played with and was managed by as one of the game's good guys. Could it happen today? Of course not. It was remarkable it happened back then! This is Bobby Russell's unique story of a great football career that almost never happened!
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    Behind the Curtain of the Beautiful Game A collection of short stories taking you closer to the characters and the charm of football across the globe By Callum McFadden Synopsis
    Behind the Curtain of the Beautiful Game is a collection of short stories and interviews that take you on a journey through the game we love.
    Enjoy stories from iconic players, managers, and referees, each sharing unique insights from their time in the game as well as executives, pundits, writers broadcasters taking you beyond the pitch.
    Written by debut author Callum McFadden and featuring never-before-told stories from the likes of Martin O’Neill, Ron Atkinson, Les Ferdinand, Jeff Stelling, Martin Tyler, Norman Whiteside and others, Behind the Curtain of the Beautiful Game is a reminder of why we love football.
    All profits from this book will be donated to mental health charity ‘Man On Inverclyde’.
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    What do you remember about Leicester City during the nineties? “Minding My Own Football Business” by Barrie Pierpoint, Leicester City’s first Chief Executive, chronicles the Club’s journey, on and off the pitch, from the brink of relegation to the Third Division to the heady heights of the Premier League. But this isn’t just Barrie’s story – there were hundreds of people responsible for City’s remarkable success. This book features contributions from over forty people, from directors, staff, fans and journalists to corporate clients, team managers and players, including Steve Walsh, Emile Heskey, Simon Grayson, Gary Mills and Tony Cottee. Find out: • What Pontus Kamark said to Juninho during the 1997 League Cup Final • How close Leicester City were to building a new stadium at Bede Island South • Which striker Emile Heskey looked up to in his early days as a professional • Which City player waved a loaded gun at his teammates and more . . . FOREWORD BY CITY LEGEND STEVE WALSH

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