Spencer Vignes
Active member
- Oct 4, 2012
- 168
Greetings all,
Just to say that you are all invited to the launch of my new book Lost In France on Friday 18 November. The only catch, for those of you resident in God's own county, is it's in my adoptive home of Cardiff (at Octavo's book shop on West Bute Street, down the Bay, from 6pm).
Now obviously that doesn't prevent you from crossing the Severn Bridge, but I appreciate it's probably a bit out of your way. I've never done anything like this before, but a combination of the publisher and the shop saying 'Go on, do it!' twisted my arm. And now, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to it.
Lost In France, as some of you know, is my biography on the former Welsh goalkeeper Leigh Roose who was killed fighting at the Battle of the Somme. Leigh was an amazing fellow, and football's first proper superstar, so I'm also treating this as a party in his name on the 100th anniversary of his death in the most horrible of circumstances. I'd be honoured if you'd come and raise a glass to the great man with me, and share a couple of hours with some like-minded folk. I've copied and pasted the text from the book's press release below, just to give you a taste of what Leigh & the book is all about.
For those of you on here based in South Wales, and for those of you who aren't but fancy a bit of a jolly, I hope to see you there.
Spencer
'In 1914 one of Britain's most famous sportsmen went off to play his part in the First World War. Like millions of others, he would die. Unlike millions of others, nobody knew how or where. Until now.
Lost in France is the true story of Leigh Roose: playboy, scholar, soldier and the finest goalkeeper of his generation, a Welsh international who became a hero on the terraces at several clubs including Stoke City, Sunderland, Everton and Arsenal. It's also the tale of how one man became caught up in a global catastrophe – one that would cost him his life, his identity and his rightful place as one of football's all-time legends.
Roose was football's first household name, adored by women as well as men, a man so good at his position on the field of play that the Football Association made one of the most significant rule changes in the game's history just to keep him in check. Small wonder that when the Daily Mail put together a World XI to take on another planet, Leigh's was the first name on its team sheet.
Lost In France lifts the lid on Roose’s colourful life and tragic death, including:
• How Leigh, a middle-class university graduate in a working-class game, became the best goalkeeper in the world – and is now regarded as a ‘Year Zero’ figure by many of his modern- day contemporaries, including fellow Welshman and Evertonian Neville Southall.
• His reputation as a womaniser, music hall star Marie Lloyd being just one of Leigh’s many female conquests.
• The fiery temper and extravagant lifestyle which brought Leigh, an amateur player in an increasingly professional era, into regular conflict with the game’s lawmakers.
• How Leigh came to be listed – falsely – as ‘missing, presumed dead’ at Gallipoli in 1915.
• His bravery at the Battle of the Somme where Leigh was decorated with the Military Medal.
• The circumstances surrounding his death at the Somme in October 1916, and why a simple spelling mistake prevented his family from finding out how or where he had died for almost 90 years.
• The long and ultimately successful campaign by the author together with Leigh’s family, football historians and supporters to correct the spelling of Leigh’s name on the Thiepval Memorial in France, dedicated to the missing of World War One.
Just to say that you are all invited to the launch of my new book Lost In France on Friday 18 November. The only catch, for those of you resident in God's own county, is it's in my adoptive home of Cardiff (at Octavo's book shop on West Bute Street, down the Bay, from 6pm).
Now obviously that doesn't prevent you from crossing the Severn Bridge, but I appreciate it's probably a bit out of your way. I've never done anything like this before, but a combination of the publisher and the shop saying 'Go on, do it!' twisted my arm. And now, I have to say, I'm really looking forward to it.
Lost In France, as some of you know, is my biography on the former Welsh goalkeeper Leigh Roose who was killed fighting at the Battle of the Somme. Leigh was an amazing fellow, and football's first proper superstar, so I'm also treating this as a party in his name on the 100th anniversary of his death in the most horrible of circumstances. I'd be honoured if you'd come and raise a glass to the great man with me, and share a couple of hours with some like-minded folk. I've copied and pasted the text from the book's press release below, just to give you a taste of what Leigh & the book is all about.
For those of you on here based in South Wales, and for those of you who aren't but fancy a bit of a jolly, I hope to see you there.
Spencer
'In 1914 one of Britain's most famous sportsmen went off to play his part in the First World War. Like millions of others, he would die. Unlike millions of others, nobody knew how or where. Until now.
Lost in France is the true story of Leigh Roose: playboy, scholar, soldier and the finest goalkeeper of his generation, a Welsh international who became a hero on the terraces at several clubs including Stoke City, Sunderland, Everton and Arsenal. It's also the tale of how one man became caught up in a global catastrophe – one that would cost him his life, his identity and his rightful place as one of football's all-time legends.
Roose was football's first household name, adored by women as well as men, a man so good at his position on the field of play that the Football Association made one of the most significant rule changes in the game's history just to keep him in check. Small wonder that when the Daily Mail put together a World XI to take on another planet, Leigh's was the first name on its team sheet.
Lost In France lifts the lid on Roose’s colourful life and tragic death, including:
• How Leigh, a middle-class university graduate in a working-class game, became the best goalkeeper in the world – and is now regarded as a ‘Year Zero’ figure by many of his modern- day contemporaries, including fellow Welshman and Evertonian Neville Southall.
• His reputation as a womaniser, music hall star Marie Lloyd being just one of Leigh’s many female conquests.
• The fiery temper and extravagant lifestyle which brought Leigh, an amateur player in an increasingly professional era, into regular conflict with the game’s lawmakers.
• How Leigh came to be listed – falsely – as ‘missing, presumed dead’ at Gallipoli in 1915.
• His bravery at the Battle of the Somme where Leigh was decorated with the Military Medal.
• The circumstances surrounding his death at the Somme in October 1916, and why a simple spelling mistake prevented his family from finding out how or where he had died for almost 90 years.
• The long and ultimately successful campaign by the author together with Leigh’s family, football historians and supporters to correct the spelling of Leigh’s name on the Thiepval Memorial in France, dedicated to the missing of World War One.
City Books are always fantastic and well worth sounding out, especially at this particularly poignant time of year. Very best of luck, a tale of a very brave - and fvckit yeah! COLOURFUL! - man very well worth recording on paper for posterity. Respect.
