FourFourTwo UK – September 2019

UPFROnT

FourFourTwo September 2019 21

Position of Trust

Andy Woodward

(Coronet, £17.99)

OOOOO

“It was all I ever wanted to

do,” writes Andy Woodward,

reflecting on his formative

years as a young footballer.

Upon meeting youth coach

Barry Bennell, Woodward’s

life dramatically changed.

He was part of Crewe’s

famed youth team, later

turning out for Bury and

Sheffield United. But this

isn’t really a book about

football; rather how Bennell

groomed and sexually

abused the young defender

over several years, before

entrenching himself further

into Woodward’s life by

marrying his sister Lynda.

Bennell’s systematic abuse

has cast a long shadow on

Woodward, and Position of

Trust lays bare the panic

attacks, flashbacks and trust

issues which have blighted

his life. In 2018, Bennell was

jailed for 31 years.

Woodward’s willingness to

tell his story has already been

a catalyst for other abuse

victims to speak out, and for

clubs to tighten up on

safeguarding. A brave and

harrowing read about the

devastating impact of abuse.

Jon Spurling

REQUIRED

READInG

Nickname

Manager

Look

Maddest

moment

at club

The

outcome

Credentials

before

arriving

Tufty, after a red

squirrel from

a road safety

campaign

Happy Harry Colin

MrPot

Hea

(Less Happy)

Harry

CHRIS

WILDER

HARRY

HASLAM

NEIL

WARNOCK

STEVE

BRUCE

DAVE

BASSETT

Moregrey

squirrelt

days

nager

“Has anyone

seen my

eyebrows?”

Nose like

a dog-leg par

five

Incandescent PE

teacher

Notable

signing

Phil Jagielka, 12

years after the

defender left

for Everton

Not Diego

Maradona

Paddy Kenny,

of course

Himself - he

made 11

appearances as

player-manager

Alan Cork, just

before he grew

a beard to

mark his

75th birthday

Half-cut end-

of-season

interviews: “I’ve

tried to nick the

mayor’s chain”

Almost signing

Diego Maradona

Battle of

Bramall Lane,

the most

Warnock

match ever

Trying to take

team off pitch

after Kanu’s

controversial

goal at Arsenal;

game replayed

Staging the

club’s Christmas

party in August

• their form
  always improved
  in winter

Relegated to

third tier - if only

he’d signed

Diego Maradona

Quit over lack of

funds and off-

field issues –

none of that to

worry about at

Newcastle...

Peak Warnock:

promoted,

relegated,

falls out with

Sean Bean

Promoted, then

relegated in

1993-94 – the

victims of

Everton’s great

escape

It’s rarely dull for managers of Sheffield United, from

Christmas parties in August to the search for Diego

Blades fan,

promotion

with almost

every club

he’d been at

Led Luton into

top division

Blades fan,

grittiest man in

all of Yorkshire

The next

Fergie

(probably)

Four promotions

with the

Crazy Gang

THE FOOTBALL GRID

Club back in top

flight; blasts

‘muppets from

Leeds’. “¿Que

es un muppet,

Salim?”

tato

ad

these

s

Bankman