Award-winning author & freelance in the words trade. Music, tennis, biographer of soccer pioneers Leigh Roose & George Robledo, writer of @trainsongscentral.bsky.social book. Visit http://www.spencervignes.co.uk/ to find out more.
Spencer Vignes
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The Damned United is on BBC1 tonight. I wasn't sold on the book but enjoyed the film, even if it played fast & loose with the real story of how Brian Clough & Peter Taylor came to be at Brighton & Hove Albion, something I sought to put right in my 2018 book 'Bloody Southerners'.
And so the curtain comes down on my twenty-second season as a feature writer for the Brighton & Hove Albion match day programme. It's a tangible memory of attending a football game, is a printed programme. Get them while you can, because one day they'll be consigned to history.
To quote John McEnroe, 'You cannot be serious!' Yes, yours truly has another book out. Welcome to the world 'The Wimbledon Anthology: Tales, Trivia, Facts and Figures from the World's Oldest Tennis Tournament', available from today & published by Pitch Publishing
On this day in 1953 George Robledo, the first overseas star of English football, made his debut for Colo-Colo after returning to Chile from Newcastle United, scoring twice in a 4-0 win over Ferrobadminton at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago (pictured here, centre, prior to kick).
"I still think it was more than eight minutes but, hey, it was a great feeling to be putting on an England shirt." - Peter Ward, who received his England legacy cap on 6 June, recalls his brief solitary international appearance as a substitute versus Australia on 31 May 1980.
Still searching for that ideal Father's Day present?
Then look no further, especially if books happen to be his bag.
Signed & dedicated copies available.
For further info & contact details visit spencervignes.co.uk or direct message me.
My piece in today's Daily Express about Ray Wilson, so often the forgotten member of England's World Cup winning side of 1966, who went on to become an undertaker in his home town of Huddersfield. High time this man's contribution to sport, and life, came in from the cold.
Get this - Newcastle United's George Robledo was the first overseas registered, foreign-born player from an English club to play at a FIFA World Cup finals (for Chile, at Brazil 1950).
Read 'Postcards From Santiago', my book about George's remarkable life, to find out more.
Of the 279 players who competed at the FIFA 1950 World Cup in Brazil, only one played for a club based outside his own country.
That man was George Robledo of Chile, and that club was Newcastle United.
Even better, there's now a book out about him!
"Wimbledon is the only major that feels like it did 100 years ago." - Chris Evert, taken from my new book 'The Wimbledon Anthology', out now & published by Pitch.
