Showing results by publisher "QUEST from W. F. Howes Ltd" in Sports History

My Story in Black and White is the fascinating story of Newcastle United's head physio, Derek Wright, and his time at the club from the early 1980s to 2022. Growing up on a tough council estate in a County Durham mining town, Derek's footballing ability was discovered by Arsenal, who signed him as an apprentice at 16. Injury ended his playing career but he remained in football, becoming the youngest physio in the Football League at Malcolm Macdonald's Fulham.

Before agents and TV mega-rights ushered in multi-millionaire players, footballers’ wages were capped, with even the game's biggest names earning barely more than a plumber or electrician. Footballing legends shared a bond of borderline penury with the crowds they entertained on Saturday afternoons, on pitches that were far away from the pristine lawns of the modern era. Instead of the sports cars driven by today's top players, the stars of yesteryear travelled to matches on public transport and returned to homes as modest as those of their supporters.