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| "For any West Ham fan this is pure gold dust" By Dave Evans (Recorder Group Newspapers w/e December 8, 2007) WEST HAM have had just 11 managers in their illustrious and chequered history, but my word what an incredible bunch of characters they have been. There is the one who committed suicide just three days after being sacked; the one who never revealed why he had been relieved of his duties; another who suffered a brain haemorrhage after a match; and another usurped by his number two as if they were in some great Shakespearian tragedy! Tony McDonald's simply stunning book West Ham United: The Managers chronicles the life and times of every man to have sat in the Upton Park hot seat. He has interviewed just about everyone you can think of who has a connection with the managers, including relatives of the groundbreaking Syd King and the innovative Charlie Paynter. There are revelations aplenty in this book too. The story of the West Ham team who fixed a match in a betting scam; the manager who failed to turn up for a game; what Billy Bonds thinks of Harry Redknapp - for any West Ham fan this is pure gold dust. McDonald is keen to share his opinions as well as his encyclopaedic knowledge of the club he loves. No friend of Alan Pardew, his interview with the former boss is a candid and revealing one, and in the end, he even shows a modicum of respect for the now Charlton manager. Glenn Roeder describes his return to Upton Park with Newcastle with some interesting revelations about that day, as well as the full story of his horrific brush with death. Everything is in this book, everyone who matters is in this book and for that reason alone it is an essential read for any West Ham fan. At £20 it may be considered a little expensive, but with pictures galore as well as all the information you ever wanted, it is a Christmas present that could leave you sitting in silence in the corner transfixed for the whole of the festive season. McDonald's heart-warming and emotional tributes to the late great pair Ron Greenwood and John Lyall, makes you proud to be a fan of a club that has produced such giants of the game. It may also make you feel frustrated at some of the antics of the board. Their treatment of Billy Bonds and Bobby Moore; the infamous and doomed 'Bond Scheme', their unforgivable dismissal of Lyall. From Syd King to Alan Curbishley, everyone is in this book. This is what being a West Ham fan is all about. Alvin Martin's View Alvin Martin is unique in that he is the only past or present West Ham United player to have served under five of the 11 full-time managers featured in this book, including Ron Greenwood who coached him when he first joined the Hammers as an apprentice. A West Ham United legend, centre-half Alvin made 595 first team appearances for the Hammers and gained 17 full England caps between 1978 and 1996. He is now a respected radio pundit for TalkSPORT. This is what Alvin Martin said about West Ham United: The Managers: "In all the years I've been associated with West Ham, this is the only book I've picked up that has given me a genuine insight into what really happened during my 21 years at the club. Much of what I read came as a surprise to me. "The book covers many issues that were clouded in mystery when I was there, so to read the comments and views of my fellow professionals - fascinating and revealing quotes from the horse's mouth, if you like - was something that I found very enlightening. A lot of the time players don't divulge that sort of thing - the modern footballer usually responds to probing questions with a straight bat - but it was nice to read how other people viewed so many different aspects of the managers and how they went about their job. "This book covers everything that happened at West Ham in a factual, knowledgeable and revealing way. "I gave a copy to my dad and he loved it. Like me, he couldn't put it down." WHAT OTHER MEDIA REVIEWERS AND READERS HAVE SAID... The measure of a book about a club of West Ham's size and history is that it tells the reader things he or she did not know. West Ham is one of only eight clubs who have never played outside the top two divisions. West Ham are a big club because of that. So to see their history explained through the eyes of the managers who have been graced with running a footballing, East End, institution, is a clever and all-consuming way into a subject that many have tried to explain. We are West Ham. We are not Spurs, Millwall, Manchester United, we are a club who have served the nation and produced great young players. To see our history explained through the eyes of John Lyall, Ron Greenwood, Harry Redknapp, Billy Bonds and Alan Curbishley - real West Ham people - has been a genuine pleasure. And by an author who has had access to the heart of the club and never betrayed that faith. Sometimes things brought tears to my eyes, as only West Ham fans will understand when reading The Managers. We are important, we are proud, and this tremendous book is the best West Ham read I have ever had. Come on you Irons... Paul Walker, Press Association I thought I would write to let you know how much I enjoyed reading West Ham United: The Managers.I read it from cover to cover in one sitting. I thought it was a fantastic read, and a real eye-opener! As a Hammers fan who was disappointed to see Alan Pardew leave the club, reading the inside info on his reign has given me a new perspective! I must admit, I found the chapter on John Lyall to be very moving. I started supporting West Ham United as a five-year-old, in 1973, so I didn't really see Ron Greenwood as a manager ‘first hand'. But I thought John Lyall was the greatest West Ham manager of my time, without question. Thanks again for a fantastic book, which gave me great enjoyment. I am sure I will read it over and over again in years to come. Up the Hammers! Nicholas C Carson , Paignton, Devon The book is a comprehensive and authoritative guide to the men who have steered the club's fortunes over the years. This labour of love is packed with dand rarely-seen photographs, and contributions from many of the managers themselves, as well as a host of former players. Simon Hayes, The Wharf newspaper This excellent book is surely a must-have for Hammers fans David Powter, Editor Winger magazine An excellent account of every West Ham manager in the club's history. A revealing insight into their personality and man-management skills, their strengths, weaknesses and dreams. Having been a West Ham supporter for 50 years, I could once again experience the rollercoaster ride of things that I remembered and had forgotten. A very thoughtful and well-written book with some excellent photographs. Well done, Tony McDonald, a great read. Bob, Canvey Island Without doubt this is one of the best books I have read on West Ham and I think I own every one that has been published. Due to the sheer volume of interviews and research that has gone into producing this book, you get an in-depth view into the psyche of the managers both from their perspective and that of the players who played for them. Plus you also get the thoughts of the legend that is Steve Bacon, who was very close to the likes of John Lyall and Lou Macari. It is also very interesting to read the observations and thoughts of Tony McDonald, who worked for the club during the tenure of the managers from John Lyall onwards. Some of the stories he tells are new to me and, frankly, changed my opinion on one of our managers in particular (I will let you read the book to decide who that might have been!). Some non-fiction books can be a bit on the heavy-going side but to be totally honest, this one kept me interested from page one. The section on Alan Curbishley gives you a real insight into his thoughts of how he intends to build the club up and also how optimistic he is about the future - given the time. If you didn't get this for Christmas, then buy yourself a copy or stick it on your birthday list. Jon Vinton (aka Noj), Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset I thoroughly recommend this book to all Hammers fans. It is compelling reading as Tony McDonald reveals the inside stories from his many interviews with the managers. Controversy and hard-hitting comments are in plentiful supply. The club has only had 11 managers in its entire history but you will be enthralled to read about chirpy Cockney Harry Redknapp, the fans' hero Billy Bonds, the great John Lyall and, finally, what present manager Alan Curbishley has to say about his first rollercoaster season. A superb read and one that all West Ham supporters will enjoy. John Northcutt, Chelmsford, Essex (author of West Ham United: The Complete Record and The Definitive West Ham United FC) I am halfway through your excellent book and must congratulate you. I, like many Irons fans, possess most WHU books that have been published and I can honestly say yours is one of the best (if not the best) I've read. With regard to the unknown player on page 24, it is young Harry Medhurst. He was the first WHU goalie I saw in action. Actually, I have an idea that the other player next to Ted Fenton is not Ernie Gregory, but Dickie Walker, but I'm not 100 per cent on that. Incidentally, in your chapter on Charlie Paynter, you state that he played for Old Castle Swifts. As that club folded in March 1895 Charlie would have only been 15-years old and there is no contemporary evidence either. Charlie played for a team called Victoria Swifts in 1897, who were taken over by South West Ham (not West Ham South) in 1900. (I had a book published in 2005 called Iron in the Blood, regarding the five years history of Thames Ironworks FC, and I confirmed the above from more than one source.) Sorry to rabbit on but, once again, thanks for a splendid book. John Powles (author of Iron in the Blood) In West Ham United: The Managers, author Tony McDonald - a self-declared long-suffering Hammers fans whose father Terry played for the club in the late 50s - chronicles each manager's reign of office and exclusively interviews all of the living Hammers' managers of past and present. This excellent publication also features the views and memories of the families of some of the managers as well as revealing accounts from a host of ex-players and staff, who knew the people at the top better than most. A compelling read, it is a must for any Hammers fans whilst supporters of other clubs will find this a fascinating insight into life in the manager's hot seat. Paul Hiscock, Rainham, Essex (this review appeared in the Southend Evening Echo, Brentwood Gazette and Essex Enquirer newspapers in February 2008) West Ham United: The Managers, makes compulsive reading and no self-respecting Hammers fan should be without a copy on his/her bookshelf. Extensive and exhaustive research has always been the hallmark of Tony's previous books and this is no exception. It contains riveting stories and revelations - many of them previously unknown - about the 11 men who have been in charge at Upton Park throughout the club's long history. As one would expect, the author has made the best possible use of his numerous contacts - both past and present - at the Boleyn Ground, but it is the interviews with some of the managers' closest relatives that gives this publication a highly personal perspective and, at times, an almost unique poignancy. The West Ham fans who purchase this book - and there will be many - should prepare themselves for some late-night reading, because it is virtually impossible to put it down from the first compelling chapter to the book's conclusion. Terry Roper, Ilford, Essex. |
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