Love of the Game by Ricky Hill
Ricky Hill grew up beneath the shadow of Wembley Stadium, where he sold programmes at England games as a boy. When he was seven, he was told by a teacher that only two in every hundred boys could possibly make it as a professional footballer. Ricky told her he would be one of the two. Ten years later, this gifted midfielder scored on his debut for Luton Town. Ricky stayed with Luton for 14 years, made 508 appearances and became a club legend. Emerging at a time when racism was rife, he was only the fourth black player to represent England. Later, as a coach, he had to fight to smash down barriers holding back black managers, and devised an equivalent of the NFL's 'Rooney Rule' to help BAME applicants secure senior coaching jobs in English football. While Ricky has won trophies and awards overseas, he has been overlooked in this country. In Love of the Game, he tells the shocking story behind his short spell in charge of Luton, and reveals just how much the football decision-makers in England have ignored him and other black coaches.
"Hill's story is a perfect example of how racism of a different kind, that which manifests itself in unconscious bias, still appears to exist.. Hill, who won three England caps under Bobby Robson, has not given up on a return to coaching even at the age of 62. This book stands as powerful advocacy for his cause." --Backpass magazine; "An excellent book, an easy read but not a comfortable one." --Verite Sport
Ricky Hill has collaborated with Adrian Durham to write his story. Adrian has been a presenter at talkSPORT Radio since it began in 2000, and has written two other books, Is He All That?: Great Footballing Myths Shattered and Judas?: The Story of Paul Cooke. He is a former Mail Online columnist.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781785318269 |
| ISBN 10 | 1785318268 |
| Title | Love of the Game |
| Author | Ricky Hill |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Pitch Publishing Ltd |
| Year published | 2021-03-15 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for British Sports Book Awards 2022 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |