Overview

This is a true 'rags to riches' football story of a miner's son who fulfilled his dream to play for his country. This is a book with a message - rewards are earned from hard work and determination. The foreword written by Jimmy Greaves and contributions from Sir Bobby Charlton. This book follows the life of a young miner who was plucked from the mineshaft to find himself playing football in the Italian League a few years later. It is surely something that dreams were made of? However, this is exactly what happened to one such talented, working class lad from a small mining village in Shropshire in the late 1950's. With contributions from some legendary footballers such as Jimmy Greaves, Sir Bobby Charlton and Peter McParland, this biography illustrates the path taken by lad who rose from 'rags to riches' and which saw many twists and turns. Gerry Hitchens was an uncomplicated footballer with obvious natural talent and virtues. There have been more skillful players than Gerry, but footballers do not always have to have flair or skill but sometimes, natural ability, hard work and passion suffice, along with the will to learn and improve. However, Gerry had a bit extra to offer - the instinct to sniff out half chances and to score goals in abundance. These values continued to make him well liked and admired after his football career ended. He continued to play in charity games and it was a great sadness when he died prematurely in 1983, playing the game he loved in one of these matches.

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9781859837528

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As a life-long Aston Villa fan, Simon Goodyear's late father had watched with interest from the Holte End terraces, a 'raw' but strong and powerful footballing talent soon become an Aston Villa idol. Gerry Hitchens later played for England and became an 'idol' for thousands of Italian football fans. As an author himself, Goodyear's father always contemplated writing a book on this footballing 'great', his 'hero', Gerry Hitchens. He thought it would make a good read, but unfortunately, time prevailed, and sadly he didn't undertake the project. With the passing of his father in 2008, Goodyear felt inspired to fulfil his father's idea of writing a biography of Hitchens, a quiet man and great footballer. With the help of the Hitchens family, he has put together not only a biographical account of the story of Gerald Archibald Hitchens - player, husband and father - but a brief historical insight into football in Britain and Italy during the 1950's and 1960's.

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