Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #72479 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-31
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Synopsis
This is the extraordinary life story of Stan Ternent, one of the most outrageous managers in professional football. Celebrated for achieving a series of promotions on shoestring budgets, he has coached some of football's biggest names, including Ian Wright, Vinnie Jones, Dennis Wise and Gazza. Stan's outspoken attitude and uncompromising behaviour have been legendary within football circles for years. So have his punch-ups. Now, for the first time, the current Burnley manager - called "one of the greatest characters in the game" by the Scot who manages Man United - reveals his amazing exploits from four decades as a football icon.

Customer Reviews

An entertaining read
Stan Ternent is a lower division football manager. He was a lower division player. For many, that is exactly what football is all about - warts and all. No Sky TV, no superstars no constant media hype. This is a book about more failures than the occasional success. It is a book about struggle, about human nature, about reality. It has the stench of linament and the clunk of studs on a concrete dressing room floor oozing from every pore. It is also disarmingly funny at times (my own personal favourite anecdote is the landlady and the roast chicken story). Ternent comes across as both likeable and loathsome at the same time which is, we are led to believe, a trait of his, judging by most peoples' reactions to him over the years. He is nothing, however, if not refreshingly honest about the game of football in general and indeed, about himself. He is a big enough man to own up to his many mistakes and personal shortcomings in public via this book. How many others in football would do that ? I'd wager none. There are times, though, when you just shake your head and think "why Stan, why ?" when you read yet another tale of the famous Ternent lost temper !

If you want a biography along the lines of "then we had to play away at Barnsley. We drew 2-2. Then we beat Southend at home 3-0... blah blah blah" then do not buy this book. If you want to get beaneath the surface of our big, grubby foul-mouthed monster of a game, then buy it.

STAN THE MAN
SUPERB BOOK FULL OF LAUGHS AND SADNESS FROM ONE OF BURNLEY BEST MANAGERS A LEGEND AND AND WILL ALWAYS BE A CLARET

Stan is very much the man
I brought the book after Stan had become the new Gillingham manger to see what he was like and it was a fasinating read i was gripped from start to finish. What he achevied on small budgets is amazing he goes in and sorts out the teams and gets rid of the deadwood. The book is very funny and honest as he goes into details of confrontations he has had with players. When he took over at the Gills i wasn't sure but when read his book i found pallarells with Burnly where when he took over they were struggling in the second division he got them to just missing out on a playoff spot 2 in the first division. i would thougly recommend this book, he is a great manager and has started to turn the Gills around in the 7 games he has been here.