Product Description

In his early days, John Hartson was nearly kicked out of football when his gambling addiction got the better of him. Then he found himself as tabloid fodder when he made the back pages for all the wrong reasons. While in 1998 he was notoriously filmed kicking Eyal Berkovic in the head in a training ground fracas. But, despite these problems, he was determined to make the most of his talents. He reveals the managers who saved his career, when fitness scares threatened to bring it all to a close. Finally, at Celtic he had the regular opportunity to show the skill and goalscoring talent that made him such a terrace hero in his earlier days at clubs such as Arsenal, West Ham and Wimbledon. In a world where interesting characters now seem as rare as Chelsea defeats, Hartson's autobiography is undoubtedly one that will stand out as a lively and entertaining read to be enjoyed by football fans whatever their allegiance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #269128 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

About the Author
John Hartson began his football career at Luton, and after spells at Arsenal, West Ham, Wimbledon and Coventry, he eventually signed for Celtic in the summer of 2001 for a fee of 6 million. He moved to West Brom in the summer of 2006. He has won 51 caps for Wales.

Customer Reviews

It's a hard life
I've always liked Big John, but this book is a disappointing read with very few really interesting bits. Yes, you get the tales of John's scrapes with his mates, his time at his various football clubs, and even the details of the breakdown of his marriage. But the nagging feeling I got from reading the book was that of a whining footballer who has enjoyed more experiences and luxuries than most of the fans who pay good money to go and see him week in week out and yet he still comes across as someone who's been hard done by. It's a hard life...

Disappointing
I - like Hartson - am a Swansea Jack and proud of it. How difficult it is then, to admit, that this is a very quickly put together project with very little care to final details, produced to make money. Period.
The least a reader can expect is that any author has had the final draft of any book proof-read. There are some glaring statistical mistakes herein which any proof-checker would have noticed and Hartson has no excuse for even getting the name of a fellow international wrong - Its Simon DaviEs !
Hartson comes across as a nice bloke and the photograph section is pleasant. Footy autobiogs are rarely the stuff of legends, but we should expect a level of quality of sorts and this comes some way short.

A bit disappointing
Must admit being a Celtic fan and liking Big Bad John I was a bit disappointed with the book as I think it was put together in a bit of a rush and could have been a lot better. Good to see how he kept fighting even though failing those medicals could have potentially ended his career and so glad that he joined us instead of the Gers! Could have added a bit more insight but it passed the time!