Product Description

The official autobiography of Chelsea and Scotland legend Charlie Cooke

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14045 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-06
• Binding: Paperback
• 331 pages

Synopsis
Before Joe Cole, Dennis Wise and Frank Leboeuf were 'Here, There and Every ******* Where', there was Charlie Cooke. He arrived at Chelsea in 1966 as a replacement for club favourite Terry Venables and promptly delighted the fans with his superb ball skills, searing runs and perceptive crosses. Most spectacular of all was his magical body swerve that triggered a collective mega-decibel sigh from the Shed. They called him 'the Magician', 'the Maestro' and 'the Wizard', or just 'Charlie, Charlie, Charlie Cooke'. Cooke became a pivotal member of the mercurial Chelsea side of the late 1960s and '70s, playing alongside the likes of Peter Bonetti, Alan Hudson and Peter Osgood.The epic two-match 1970 FA Cup final against arch-enemies Leeds remains to this day one of the most-watched television events ever in the United Kingdom. Like many of the era, Cooke finished his career in America, where he played with and against the likes of George Best and Pele. But unlike most of the other British players, Cooke stayed on in the USA, helping the country to develop as a footballing nation. "The Bonnie Prince" is an insightful, exciting and entertaining account of a special footballer, once seen never forgotten.

About the Author
Although he has now retired from football, Charlie Cooke is still committed to the game and lives and works in America, where he is a director of the world-famous Coerver® Coaching.

Martin Knight is the author of London Calling and the novel Common People as well as co-author of autobiographies of George Best, Peter Osgood and Dave Mackay.

Customer Reviews

Interesting insights from one of Chelsea's best ever players.
A much better than usual football autobiography. A must for Chelsea fans old and new. Charlie Cooke brings an interesting insight into the rise of one of Scotland's best ever players through the ranks of Scottish football to the heights of the English league and European competition. What I particularly liked was that Cooke gives so much of himself and doesn't just rely on dressing room cliches. Of course all the 60's laddishness and tales of the Kings Road excess and the Chelsea boys drinking habits are in there but, as he did as a player, Cooke strives for a eloquence, a different take on life as a footballer. He succeeds as he did on the pitch all those years ago at providing us with another angle on football in those heady days. Cooke also gives British people a very interesting insight into football Stateside - surely a sleeping giant in football terms. I enjoyed it and recommend it to any interested football fan.