Paul Canoville ...

[just]

I'm two thirds the way through the book at the moment. Interesting read. I always rated Canners as a player and have particularly fond memories of him because I was one of the lucky ones at Hillsborough that night.

Incidentally, I'd give a testicle to know who the Chelsea team-mate was who called him a "black c**t" and attacked him with a golf club. Any old timer who has that information and knows the name, feel free to PM me.

 

[geezer]

Incidentally, I'd give a testicle to know who the Chelsea team-mate was who called him a "black c**t" and attacked him with a golf club. Any old timer who has that information and knows the name, feel free to PM me.

I believe that's in Loz's next quiz so in about a week you might well know the answer

 

[Backbiter]

I have just returned from a relaxing two wek holiday and decided to bring this "book" for company. (as well as the wife)I have to say I think he was and possibly still is a prize twat. Yes he had a hard time and yes it seems he might well be off the drugs and contributing something to society, I have doubts that it will last.

The thing that annoyed me most about his story was that he blamed all his mistakes and problems on other people and any good that was done he done it all himself. He stole, he took drugs, he hit his partner and had 11 children with 10 different ladies. On the final point he stated he was very aware of the problem at the time of HIV and aids and he never slept with a woman without protection until he had a long and steady relationship. Well to have that many kids in such a short time his idea of a long and steady relationship must be a week or ten days.

The man's life was nothing but trouble and blamming someone else for it.

If you do purchase the book do yourself a favour and only read the final chapter, otherwise, like me, the memory of a Chelsea hero running away from the Wednesday goal, fist clenched in celebration, will fade and fade quickly

I won't argue with too much of that, but I found his story fascinating. I agree that some of his behaviour was pretty shocking, and the stories about some of his break-ups were pathetic in that he seemed unwilling to do anything at all to ever salvage the relationships. What seemed like fairly minor disagreements or even throwaway remarks seemed to signal the end of things, even though there were little kids involved.

He is pretty honest about his descent into addiction, and describes his battles with cancer in moving style (Rik Glanvill does a great job of 'ghosting' the book in my view), and it is very enlightening to read about how he dealt with the shocking abuse he got from the fans early in his career. I know it hurt him incredibly deeply but at the time he appeared to cope with it amazingly well - he seemed able to shut it out and concentrate on his game, which must have taken real strength of character.

The golf-club story is very interesting - as Canners says, it's scandalous that the perpetrator was allowed to travel back with the team when he wasn't, as punishment for his retaliation.