Football book with foreword by Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho up for award
Mark Halsey's autobiography "Added Time" - Credit: Photo supplied
With a foreword written by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and revelations on altercations with Manchester United’s former boss Alex Ferguson, a locally written book could score at an award ceremony.
Ian Ridley, St Albans author of 10 football books, has ghost-written Mark Halsey's "Added Time" - Credit: Photo supplied
Flamstead author Ian Ridley has ghost-written Mark Halsey’s autobiography Added Time which has been shortlisted for this month’s British Sports Book Awards.
Ian, 59, has written 10 football books including the number one best-selling Addicted with former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams.
Mark was the longest serving full-time professional referee in the English game, including 14 in the Premier League, until his retirement a year ago.
The book charts the story of Mark’s life growing up in Herts and his rise through the refereeing ranks as he blows the whistle on some of the biggest figures in football, including altercations with Alex Ferguson to earfuls from Wayne Rooney.
It also documents his battle with throat cancer and how he returned to referee at the top level against the odds after gruelling treatment, only to then face another struggle – this time with Premier League chiefs to get his book published.
Ian, a former chairman of St Albans City, said: “Mark had a vivid story that could not fail to appeal to a writer who believed that sports books had to be more than about sports – they had to be about life.”
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The foreword was written by Jose Mourinho, no stranger to controversy himself.
Added Time has been short-listed in the autobiography category at the British Sports Book Awards with the winners announced at a ceremony at Lord’s cricket ground tomorrow, May 21.
Mark and Ian will be talking about Added Time and other football issues on the eve of the World Cup along with former Premier League player Steve Claridge at the Flamstead Book Festival on Saturday, June 7.
For more details and to buy tickets go to www.flamsteadbookfestival.com
