I thought I’d write a book review to keep us somewhat Fulham-related during the international break. It may or may not be a regular feature, depending on just how popular it proves to be.
I should start with a couple of disclaimers. First, I’ve loved some of the previous efforts from Ashwater Press. For someone not fortunate enough to watch the Maestro in person, the book on Johnny Haynes was almost an education. Second, the Adams promotion season remains one of my favourites. The football had an almost golden quality because I was young but it was the first season in a long while when the Whites were well and truly on the up.
What makes the book particularly special are the excellent photos from Ken Coton. Anyone regular programme reader from back then will recall that Ken rarely missed a goal, poking his camera into the net on more than one ocassion. The action shots brought games to live again even if you’d been there and are infinitely more striking than the terribly bland pictures that seem to pass for coverage these days. Reproduced in colour from the programme and other sources, there are several for each game so you get to marvel again at some of the heroes from that most memorable of years: there are countless expertly poached goals from Mick Conroy, the celebratory pose of Terry Angus and, one of my favourites, the moment Darren Freeman won the game at Exeter with his very first Fulham goal. It’s full of wonderful memories and hours can easily sail by as you flick through the pages.
Martin Plumb’s prose retells the story concisely but crisply. It doesn’t skimp over any of the detail and there are informative pen-pics about the squad towards the back, with some new information on where they are now. It’s no surpise the book has proved popular and I’d thoroughly recommend a copy. The next one off the shelves tells the story of our Cup run to Wembley in 1975 – that sounds like another must-read.
The Micky Adams promotion season, 1996-97, is by Ken Coton and Martin Plumb and published by Ashwater Press, price £16.95. Click here for ordering information.
