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Books
published by the mightyleeds webmaster
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Billy
Bremner: 50 Defining Fixtures - July 2016
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That book was crammed into 176 pages and inevitably had to skimp
on some of the detail. In contrast, the Bremner book goes into much more lavish detail
as its subject matter is so tightly prescribed. In common with Amberley Publishing's other titles in the 50
Defining Fixtures series, this book provides a glorious retelling
of the fifty most important games in the career of an outstanding
football talent. Some have bemoaned the fact that this is a book by a United fan
for United fans and suggested that this means that 'objectivity
can sometimes go out of the window. He includes a chapter on Leeds’
7-0 demolition of Southampton in 1972 but there’s nothing about
their 7-0 League Cup defeat at West Ham in November 1966. Surely
such a defeat would be as career defining and character building
as a mighty win?' That's a bit of an unfair criticism because Tomlinson covers
Leeds' defeat at Stoke in February 1974 when their unbeaten run
came to an end, the controversial defeat to WBA in 1971 courtesy
of Ray Tinkler's perverse refereeing, and all the major failures,
the lost cup finals and semis. Clearly, Tomlinson is much more comfortable with having the room
to breathe that this project gives him and is far more comfortable
than he was with Leeds United: A History. Extract: 'I had the honour and pleasure of seeing Billy Bremner
play in the flesh, in his prime, as I caught the Leeds United
bug at nine years old - there's only a dim memory of the 1960s,
the first championship and THAT clash with Dave Mackay, but I
was there when the Whites faced treble disappointments in 1970,
the season when Bremner was elected Footballer of the Year. A
stereotypical Scot with his red hair, jutted-out chin and fierce
will-to-win, Bremner could start an argument in a telephone box;
small in stature he might have been but Bremner was a Colossus
among footballers, fearless, fearsome and ferocious. He took no
prisoners on the pitch but was the life and soul off it. He might
have been a nasty little piece of work but he was our nasty little
piece of work! 'The Leeds fans loved Wee Billy, and the club named him their greatest
player of all time in 2000. A statue of Bremner in characteristic arms
aloft pose fronts the club shop at Elland Road, a symbolic shrine and
gathering place for supporters of a club with which he is synonymous.
Bremner epitomised the best days of both Leeds United and Scotland … Elland
Road's golden years under Don Revie and the afternoon when Scotland slugged
it out with Brazil in the 1974 World Cup finals … halcyon days when football
was a man's game, you lived by the sword, died by the sword and enjoyed
a beer after the game with opponents you had spent 90 minutes kicking
the life out of. 'Bremner excited the passions, the good, the bad and the ugly,
of football followers, an irritating wasp of a player who never
gave an opponent a moment's peace, and one of the most gifted
and exquisite players of his generation.' This is a must-have for any fan of the 'Mighty Whites', Scottish
football or the game in the Sixties and Seventies. Get a copy at Amazon.
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