Search results for ""Morgan Lawrence Publishing Services""

IT IS A SHOCK when any teenager is stricken by a life-threatening heart condition – even more so when it’s a professional sportsman with the world at his feet. Mark O’Brien had become one of Derby County’s youngest ever footballers at the age of 16 when his life was turned upside down. Facing heart surgery, the young Irishman’s career was severely threatened, yet he was one of the lucky ones. With no symptoms, his problem was discovered following a routine health check. Although his clock was already ticking towards inevitable further surgery, Mark defied a bleak prognosis to enjoy a successful career, notably with Nigel Clough’s Derby County and later Newport County. Mark wrote himself into Newport folklore with a last gasp goal to save his side from relegation from the Football League, and captained the side during their fantastic FA Cup run, before that clock finally ran down on his career as the world battled Covid. Yet Mark’s story has become even more inspirational. Now looking at the world through different eyes, he explains how he is defeating the demons of depression and anxiety to rebuild his life. Today he combines working in a pastoral role at Newport with media work and public speaking. Mark’s story is for supporters of life as well as football. His hope is that young people will take heart and hope from his compelling words.

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Shaun Teale's football story is one of rejection, perseverance, belief and, ultimately, success, as he reached the very top of the game. He was 24 when he finally became a professional footballer. He never took it for granted and made the most of every second of it. Here, There & Everywhere tells the story of Shaun's journey from the brutal world of non-league football in the eighties through to cup final glory in the nineties and beyond. During his spells with Southport, Weymouth, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Tranmere, Preston, Carlisle, Motherwell, Burscough and Northwich Victoria, Shaun played with and against some of the world's greatest players and was managed by some of the biggest names in football. Shaun tells his story the same way he played - honest, tough and wearing his heart on his sleeve. "He's here. He's there. He's every f**king where." He's Shaun Teale!

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Julian Joachim burst onto the scene in 1992 and quickly became one of the most exciting and sought-after young talents in English football. Few players make the immediate impact that Joachim did. In his debut season, he scored in a Wembley final, finished as runner up in Match of the Day's Goal of the Season, won an international trophy and saw off competition from Patrick Kluivert, Robbie Fowler and Clarence Seedorf to win Player of the Tournament award at the under 18 European Championships. Joachim's blistering pace and down to earth attitude made him a fans' favourite wherever he played. One of only a handful of players to score in England's top four divisions, the FA Cup, League Cup and the UEFA Cup, Joachim's journey took him from Leicester City to Darlington, via Aston Villa, Coventry City, Leeds United, Walsall and Boston United. You Must Be Joachim provides an honest account of Julian's life as a footballer; from the goals, the glamour and the glory, to a darker side of the game rarely discussed - dealing with bullying, handling the media and what it's really like for a footballer when they retire.

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Behind the Curtain of the Beautiful Game is a collection of short stories and interviews that take you on a journey through the game we love. Enjoy stories from iconic players, managers, and referees, each sharing unique insights from their time in the game as well as executives, pundits, writers broadcasters taking you beyond the pitch. Written by debut author Callum McFadden and featuring never-before-told stories from the likes of Martin O'Neill, Ron Atkinson, Les Ferdinand, Jeff Stelling, Martin Tyler, Norman Whiteside and others, Behind the Curtain of the Beautiful Game is a reminder of why we love football. All profits from this book will be donated to mental health charity 'Man On Inverclyde'.

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February 2022. David Mackinnon fell down a flight of stairs and the injuries he sustained almost cost him his life. During his recovery, David reflected on his life and reconciled some of the episodes from his football career that still weighed heavy on his mind. The result is Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles, the incredible story of Glasgow-born David Donaldson Mackinnon. Beginning his career with Arsenal, David spent four years at Highbury where he was taken under the wing of the legendary Alan Ball. After spells at Dundee and Partick Thistle, Mackinnon eventually fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing for his boyhood heroes Glasgow Rangers for four years, making almost two hundred appearances, before a knee injury forced him to revert to part-time football. But David’s story doesn’t end there. He netted the decisive penalty kick when Kilmarnock won promotion to the First Division in 1990 and, after hanging up his boots Mackinnon embarked on a successful business career before returning to football, taking on executive roles with Clyde, Kilmarnock, Dundee, Hamilton Academical, and Greenock Morton. In the latter role, Mackinnon was a key protagonist in the voting fiasco that controversially ended the Scottish football season during the COVID 19 pandemic. Open, honest, and insightful, Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles reveals the challenges Mackinnon has faced during his eventful career in football and business and the often-brutal impact these have had on his physical and mental health and well-being. Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles isn’t simply a football book. It’s a memoir that will raise awareness of the trials and tribulations footballers face, while also giving a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the business side of the game. Mackinnon’s story, told with refreshing sincerity, is a must-read for all fans of the beautiful game.

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From Pascal Gross's fantastic brace at Old Trafford and an unbelievable 5-2 victory over Leicester City, to a 6-0 demolition of Wolves, the 2022-23 campaign is quite possibly Brighton's best ever season. After a fantastic start to the Premier League campaign, Graham Potter left the Seagulls to join Chelsea leaving fans concerned. Enter Roberto De Zerbi. De Zerbi's first win came in a 4-1 thrashing of . . . that's right, Chelsea! Anyone who was at the AMEX that day will never forgot the incredible atmosphere produced by the Brighton faithful. Fast forward a few months and the Seagulls were walking out at Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final. A month later, Brighton had qualified for Europe for the first time in their 122-year history. Tony Noble, a lifelong Brighton fan and season ticket holder, has written The Seagulls Greatest Ever Season, a match-by match account of this amazing campaign. Written with passion, honesty and humour, Tony recalls Alexis Mac Allister's stellar performances during a year in which he became a World champion; Lewis Dunk's inspirational on-pitch leadership; Kauro Mitoma's wizardry down the left-hand side; the emergence of exciting young talent Evan Ferguson, and much more. The Seagulls Greatest Ever Season allows the reader to relive the games, the goals and the glory in what was - the greatest ever season.

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In May 2001, ten strangers entered the Big Brother house where their every move would be watched by millions of people. In the days before social media, reality TV was still in its infancy and the nation was gripped. Penny Ellis, a 33-year-old English teacher from London, had been chosen from over 250,000 applications to be one of the contestants on Big Brother 2. Little did she know that when she exited the Big Brother house, her life would never be the same again. Meet Me at the Mirror is a remarkable insight into the life of a reality TV star, taking you on Penny's journey from her accidental audition for Big Brother, through her days in the house, to the unprecedented fallout from her infamous towel-dropping incident which ultimately cost Penny her job. From obscurity to infamy, via the tabloid press, Penny candidly describes her battles to find another teaching job, her struggles with mental health, and how her strong Christian faith finally enabled her to rebuild her life.

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On the 11th May 1991, Leicester City beat Oxford United to avoid relegation to the third tier of English football. Off the field, the crumbling Main Stand did not meet the requirements of theTaylor Report and the Club was leaking money, something needed to change! And something did change! The appointments of Brian Little as the Team Manager, and Barrie Pierpoint as the Club’s first Director of Marketing was the catalyst to one of the most remarkable transformations in English football history. Over the next nine years, Leicester City established themselves as a top Premier League side, won major honours, competed in Europe for the first time in almost thirty years and the loyal Blue Army enjoyed seven trips to Wembley. Off the field, City became market leaders for innovation; Fox Leisure, Family Night Football and the birth of Filbert Fox were some of the initiatives that Barrie and his progressive team introduced. The construction of the state-of-the-art Carling Stand and flotation on the Stock Exchange provided the Club with a much needed injection of cash. Featuring contributions from over forty people, from directors, staff, fans and journalists to corporate clients, team managers and players, including Steve Walsh, Emile Heskey, Simon Grayson, Gary Mills and Tony Cottee – this book chronicles the journey of a struggling football club to one of the best teams in England, told by those who were there and were pivotal to the Club’s success. In full colour, including photographs throughout, this book will take you on a nostalgic trip through a glorious period in Leicester City’s history.

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