Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #149692 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Synopsis
'War doesn't start at nine in the morning and finish at five at night...As the war progressed I soon learned there was no time, dates or even an outside world, it was just an existence.'- Phil Stant's story is miles away from your usual footballer's rags-to-riches tale. He might have grown up like many sixties lads - idolising George Best and dreaming of playing at Wembley - but his life before professional football included bomb disposal, manoeuvres in the dark and seeing front-line action in the Falklands.Throughout his school days, Stant dreamed of gracing the pitch and hearing thousands of fans cheer his name. As his thoughts turned to an army career, however, he endured rigorous training and was soon engaged in combat and military exercises. Part of the task force that sailed to regain the Falkland Islands, Phil witnessed the defining moment in the conflict - the sinking of the Sir Galahad. He never gave up his love for football, and swapped the thrill and excitement of the battleground for the pitch, playing for a string of teams, including Notts County, Reading, Fulham, Brighton and Lincoln City.Phil writes about his extraordinary life from the days of 'jumpers for goalposts' to living in the barracks and his time on the frontline, onto the pitch and from the sidelines.

Including an account of his return to the Falklands on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the conflict and with candid anecdotes told in Phil's frank style, this is a must-read with something for everyone.

Customer Reviews

Very impressed
Having read many appallingly written (is "appallingly" a word?) autobiographies of top class players and managers (Cloughie, Bobby Robson, Pele), it was a surprise to read an autobiography of a lower division player who not only eschewed a ghost writer (are you listening Rooney?), but actually writes an entertaining, moving and well written account.

Although I only bought it on the back of his time with Cardiff City, the tales he tells of his time growing up, serving his country, representing his clubs (and beating up team mates and opponents) are well written in a very straight forward, honest and entertaining way. He admits his own failings and cock ups, and lets you into the life of a journeyman footballer in a way I've never seen before.

Obviously this book will appeal mostly to fans of the (many) clubs Stanty played for, but it's well worth the entry fee, and is one of the best football books I've read. Made me proud to be a fan of the club that started the "Who needs Cantona? We've got Stantona" chant.

A genuine football legend
I've been lucky enough to work with Phil Stant at one of the clubs mentioned in this book, and know that what you get here is absolutely typical Stanty. He doesn't do anything by halves, and is one of the true legends of the game. Reading the book you can almost hear him recounting the various anecdotes in that rich Bolton accent. This isn't your typical bland ghost-written football "auto"biography, it's the genuine article, warts, tattoos and all, with everything recalled with a refreshing honesty that you just don't get from your average footballer.

Then again, you could never call Stanty an average player, could you? I'd have him up with Tommy Tynan and Steve Bull as the greatest lower league goalscorers, and I know I'm not alone in that.

Fantastic!
As someone who grew up watching Cardiff City in the early 1990s, the name of Phil Stant conjours up many happy memories. 'Stanty' added so much to our team in the all too brief time he was at Ninian Park, proving himself as a high-quality goalscorer and extremely hard-working player. Fans of the Bluebirds took him to their hearts, and he became a firm favourite. Unfortunately, his spell wasn't that long - Rick Wright, then owner of the club, made sure of that. When Stant arrived, I knew that he'd been around a number of lower division clubs, and that he had an army background. Reading this book filled in lots of extra details, plus a whole lot more. Stant the writer is very like Stant the footballer - he knows just what he wants to say, is always entertaining, and lets nothing stand in the way of achieving his aims. His written style is rough and ready; no flowery language here, but straightforward, honest and strong opinions, with expletives aplenty. Nonetheless, Stant's is a fascinating tale - his accounts of his army days are revealing and disturbing, particularly his record of his feelings during the Falklands War. The football stories are fantastic - good humour abounds, with lots of flashes of temper, and plenty of goals. I was thrilled to find this book, and it rekindled many memories of Ninian Park, Stanty and the rest of the 'double' team! Great stuff.