Product Description

In those far-off wintry days - well before the dawn of summer Super League - the lot of your average rugby league hooker was far from glamorous. More often than not, he would be feared for his beat-up looks, toughness of spirit and a mean streak that might have chilled the blood of Attila the Hun.

Although blessed with all of those earthy attributes and more, Kevin Ashcroft transcended that stereotype. In a career that featured spells with Rochdale, Dewsbury, Leigh, Warrington and Salford - not to mention Great Britain - he became not only one of the hardest players ever to grace a rugby league field, but one of the most skilful too. In so doing, he can now be seen as rugby league's first truly modern hooker.

In Last of the Dinosaurs, Kevin Ashcroft's long-time friend and admirer Maurice Bamford - himself a former Great Britain coach - charts the highs and lows of a fascinating, brutal and often controversial career. As a player, Kevin Ashcroft seldom pulled any punches and, upon retirement, his abrasive and passionate style proved equally successful when applied to coaching some of the biggest clubs in the game.

Awash with incident and anecdote, the title Last of the Dinosaurs is a tongue-in-cheek nod to Kevin's widespread reputation as a dyed-in-the-wool traditionalist where rugby league is concerned - a charge to which he freely admits with characteristic good humour. Certainly, he is the product of a time long gone. This book will ensure that Kevin Ashcroft's unique contribution to the thirteen-a-side code is never forgotten.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #351138 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages