Spurs Odyssey is proud to recommend the book detailed below about Ron Reynolds, which gives a detailed impression about life for professional footballers in a bygone age. At the same time, as the festive season approaches (Yes it does!), why not have a careful look at what else is on offer for a different gift solution for Spurs fans. Click on the picture of the plate shown in the left hand column for details of an exclusive "Double" plate. Perhaps you would like to own or buy a framed share in THFC PLC. Just see the link below. Finally, why not check out the Amazon link, and see just how cheap the latest autobiography by Jimmy Greaves is!
The Life of a 1950s' Footballer - RON REYNOLDS
Dave Bowler and David Reynolds
Published 28th August
HB 0 7528 999 4 • £16.99
Ron Reynolds’ career as a goalkeeper spanned 20 years, he played 291 League games for 3 professional clubs, and for most of the 1950s played for Spurs, alongside his friend and tactical confidant, Danny Blanchflower. When Ron Reynolds died in 1999, his family discovered a meticulously kept archive of his professional career – cupboards, shoeboxes and carrier bags full of notebooks, programmes, ticket stubs, press cuttings, photographs, souvenirs from foreign tours and Reynolds’ own match reports of all his games.
Reynolds had gathered a fascinating collection of memorabilia providing a rare insight into the world of the 1950s footballer. It was the era of the maximum wage, a time when players could not leave their club without the express say-so of their bosses, employers had a ‘serfs and masters mentality’, which was famously described as ‘soccer slavery’ by Jimmy Hill. Reynolds, a formidable representative of the PFA (Professional Footballers Association), spoke out against the many of the injustices of the system. His strength of character made him a natural champion of employee’s rights, but this sense of purpose was also ideal in his career as a goalkeeper.
In this beautifully illustrated biography Dave Bowler (who interviewed Ron Reynolds extensively for other books) combines a fascinating account of Reynolds’ life with interviews with contemporaries and those still in the game.
Dave Bowler is the author of several critically acclaimed sporting biographies.
Dave Reynolds is Ron Reynolds' son. He dabbled in professional football during the 1960s, and though now a financial consultant his passion for the game has never diminished. both authors are available for interview
For further information please contact Angela McMahon at Orion on
020 7520 4469 or angela.mcmahon@orionbooks.co.uk
· Details of an exhibition of Reynolds Memorabilia can be found here
