Book Review – Theo Give Us A Ball by Theo Foley with Paul Foley
Oct 18th, 2018 by 'holic
I usually attempt to speed-read books for review so I can read and review over no more than a couple of days. I found that impossible as I got into Theo Foley’s autobiography. From very early on I found myself hearing the words leaping off the page in Theo’s unmistakeable lilt, so good a job has his son, Paul, done in writing them. I digested them over three nights and on the fourth I am ready to endorse it as an excellent book for football fans, and not just Gooners.
Follow Theo’s journey from playing in the streets of Dublin in wellington boots as a lad to playing for the famous Home Farm junior club in the city en route to a playing, coaching, and management career through all four divisions on this side of the Irish Sea. I missed his introduction over here at Exeter City (via Burnley) but I do remember the tough-tackling right back with a Northampton Town team who climbed from the fourth division to the first in five seasons (and sadly the return journey too).
Following a stint at Charlton Athletic where a dicky knee forced his retirement as a player Theo transitioned into the assistant manager at the Valley under Eddie Firmani before taking over as the boss when Firmani was sacked. When the same fate befell Theo he found himself a sought after coach again at Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, then Millwall for a reprise.
It was at Loftus Road that George Graham and Theo found themselves teaming up. When Stroller got his first management job at Millwall Theo warned him, well, let Theo take over the story.
“I just laughed and said, ‘They’ll eat you alive, George.’ To which he replied, ‘Well, I don’t know why you’re laughing because you’re coming with me!’ That was it, my interview and offer of a job all rolled into one and a partnership that lasted 10 years, with a fair few trophies, was born.”
The pair saved Millwall from relegation and went on to build a promotion winning side at the Den. George was being noticed and in 1986 he was appointed manager of The Arsenal so naturally he took his trusty lieutenant with him.
I could talk you through Theo’s Highbury years, but I do think you would be better off reading it for yourself. His recollections make for an engrossing read and certainly caused me to have one very late night. Read about the League Cup triumph of 1987 and that night at Anfield two years later from a man who saw them at first-hand.
Theo doesn’t pull any punches and some of the good old Irish cussing has slipped onto the pages but nothing I wouldn’t stop the grand’holics from reading. Football teams had a culture about them at all levels of the game and the off-field goings on get a mention and raise a smile or two.
Theo Give Us A Ball: A Life In Football is published by www.apexpublishing.co.uk and can be bought as a hardback from Amazon by clicking on the image below for under a tenner. Great value. There is also a Kindle version for a fiver less available on the same link.
Highly recommended for those of us old enough to have witnessed Theo’s playing days thanks to the great memory jerkers there. For the next generation if you were a London club supporter there are some fantastic memories (1989 cough!). Do yourself a favour and read the story of a real football man to whom we owe considerable gratitude. Thanks to Paul too for getting this off the ground in the end. I know it wasn’t easy.
32 Responses to “Book Review – Theo Give Us A Ball by Theo Foley with Paul Foley”
Arsenal News 24/7
Thanks Holic.
Theo was a radio pundit with LBC in the seventies and previewed all the upcoming London games. We had a large Irish contingent then which Theo loved and he was always tipping us to win. He was a fine foil to George and knew the odd swear word.
Might be on my Christmas list !
At that price it should be, TTG. Whisper it, I bought the Kindle version a while back.
The paperback will make a great Christmas present. ?
Taps screen.
Hello, anyone there?
Slopes off to the pub…
Present, but somnolent.
Can it be true? Is the bloody international break almost over?
Roll on Monday.
COYG
cba is a bit of a twat
Pangloss ,
He’s more of a twat than that ?
Presente, comandante.
The book sounds likeban excellent read about the Graham years, which I should know more about so it goes on my list. Thanks for the review.
Cheers H! Kindle edition safely ordered and looking forward to reading.
Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign chairman, now seeking sympathy for his gout. Probably incurred due to eating too much Russian caviar.
Note: the above was a dietary not a political comment.
Evening gents.
You’ll enjoy most of it for sure Esso. You might want to skip the chapter near the end when he and George get together again. ?
There’s still a copy of The End in my local charidee shop, autographed by a mysterious person… if anyone knows of an ex player who used to sign all his autographs UP THE GUNNERS! it may help narrow it down. I can;t make head nor tail of it.
Transcript of interesting Q & A with our new MD and Head of football over on Sky sports .
I think we are in very safe hands.
Sounds a good read, H. I’ll add it to the wish list.
Laptop screen dead so low profile even lower until Apple work a miracle.
Isn’t one of the regulars here an admirer of
Johnny Haynes?
Been going through some stuff in my mum’s
attic and found an old programme from 1969
– 20 seasons of Johnny Haynes – featuring
games between 2 all London XIs and another
between Fulham past and present XIs.
I’d be happy to save it from the bonfire and
forward it on to someone (coughs) from that
era if it’s wanted.
Things seem to be not too bad on the
injury front, only Sokratis a possible
doubt from the internationals and
Danny, Mesut and AMN fit for selection.
Be interesting to see if UE changes the
starting XI after a 5-1 away win.
He doesn’t seem to have had any difficulty
in mastering the straight bat to any
questions at the pressers. Motivation at
every moment etcetc is a good stock answer
and UE wields it well.
I would love to know how the self sustaining model is going to deliver anything more than domestic cups and 3rd or 4th in the league at best. Obviously they have to talk about winning the league and so forth but it isn’t very likely unless Stan takes a different approach to funding better quality players now and again. Not that that is very likely. And no one wants us to be like City and Chelsea as in expensive fur coat but no knickers.
Proper football returns with 1-1 at the bus stop with half an hour to go.
Four points dropped would be a welcome result, and Mike Dean still has 30 minutes to dole out some red cards.
Mourinho gets kicked in the balls in the last minute of the match as Chelsea draw level 2-2. Just the result we want.
Real Madrid lose again and drop to 5th.
Wonder if they’ve got Arsene’s number.
Reiss Nelson with a brace for Hoffenheim
Sounds like a good read.
When we were in our last years at school, a mate and I used to travel up to London Colney quite regularly to watch the youth team play matches.
Theo Foley, George Graham and Frank McLintock were there together more often than not, watching the new prospects.
One of them, Laurie Redmile, use to board with my friend’s family. In the afternoons, after training or playing, some of the Arsenal lads and other apprentices from a variety of other London clubs, would get together and play games for fun in our local park, which the pair of us would join in with. Despite being asked which clubs we were signed up to and our County status, our talents somehow went undiscovered !
Different times.
Reis Nelson seems to be going from strength to strength in Germany. The other lad at Dortmund is getting the hype, but our young loanee is applying himsrlf well.
I hope he continues to work hard, get game time and come back and push for a place in the starting 11.
Nelson has scored four goals in four games and is in red hot form. The start has been great but maintaining that form is going to be difficult with raised expectations putting enormous pressure on him. His manager is known to support young players and that should help Nelson who is already being compared to Gnabry. Arsenal have a great prospect on hand and hope he takes his chances with both hands.
“Nelson ….. taking chances with both hands” has a certain irony to it ?
Absolutely Trev!
And I thought it was Wellington who was the most dangerous with his boots on.
Monday night football after an interlull is a bloody travesty.
More so than Monday night football would be at any other time.
Boring boring Interull
I’m watching a group of Spuds dig out a West Ham fan about their match yesterday. Urggggh.
The book looks interesting H. He’s not a player I remember or know much about. Maybe time to change that.
Returning to the subject of the admirable Nelson ( I know ), it seems he scored the first and second of the three goals in HoffenheiM’S Victory over Nuremberg.
Why, we wonder, – oh yes we do ! (apparently Christmas is not far away) – did Nuremberg fall away like that, having been 1-0 up ?
Do they have have enough players to sustain their efforts over a full 90 munutes ? After all, when they are scouting for new talent, how many players are likely to want to turn up to the Nuremberg Trials …..?
Just wondering ….. ?
He’s here all week…
Just be warned, Trev, they had special trials for doctors at Nuremburg.
They did indeed, Ned, and the humour rightly ends there on that subject.
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