Fearless. Competitive. Controversial. Three words that sum up the football career of Alan Mullery. Hispassion for football is matched by a stream ofanecdotes about the playersthat have filled his professional life, includingBobby Moore, Pele, Johnny Haynes,Jimmy Greaves and George Best.Here, for the first time,Mullery lets the readerinto the secrets he has previously kept hidden:the shame of being sent off for England;thetrue story behind England's 1970 World Cup quarter-final defeat; how he sold one thousand Cup final tickets on the black market; the bitterness behind the cheers of Spurs' 1972 UEFA Cup victory and the naked blonde in the hotel.
In addition, he relates from the heart his darkest moments, brought on by stiffling financial pressure, and how he had to look deep within himself to come through the other end.
Alan Mullery MBE made his Fulham debut at 17. He signed for Spurs in 1964 and captained them to FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup successes. He won35 England caps and played in the 1970 World Cup finals in Mexico, scoringin the classic quarter-final match against West Germany.A final spell at Fulham featured acup run to Wembley, alongsideBobby Moore. 'Mullers' then became a manager, notably with Brighton where he steered them to two promotions in five years, plus Charlton, Crystal Palace and QPR before joining Sky Sports as a successful TV pundit.
'A lively, pacy read, it's a shame that more ex-player's memoirs aren't like this'