Got Lee Crooks book [i"From Hull to Hell and back"[/i a few months ago but haven't got around to reading it yet. I'm reliably informed it's a good read though.

oh forgot about that one. Its a brilliant read. Whatever you think of Crooksie he tells it as it is.

I rarely read sporting autbiographies these days. They have a bad habit of just being a collection of memories of the "then I signed for [insert name of club] and then when I got there I remember [insert name of player or coach] said/did [insert vaguely amusing line or prank]. We beat [insert name of other club] in my first name. I scored a try and everything and my mum was really happy."

Sort of an extended version of "what I did in the school holidays" really. Plus, nowadays since almost everyone who has ever participated in any form of professional sport will have "written" at least one book, the competitive market creates a need to do more and more sensational kiss-and-tell rubbish about your former colleagues. Notably usually not naming the colleague involved. Raising obvious questions about whether it is, in fact, just some s**t you made up to sell books.

Normally order the books from the library. Don't feel so bad if the book turns out to be dull
Not read any sports biography that is a patch on Lance Armstrong's 'Not about the bike'

Did enjoy Newton though, and probably more that he is no longer with us.

I've heard differently, not that I've read it. I've heard he tells it how he thinks it is. EG, in one chapter he moans about how he was never taken seriously be the GB selectors and the in the very next chapter he states he got pished before a midweek tour match and didn't try very hard.

Bobbie Goulding's book is going to be awesome. Just you all wait and see...

Thanks for the replies. Don't think I'll have the chance to organise a curry before a week Saturday tad but thanks for the offer.

Have a go at Robbie Williams' , or Dale Winton's books . Interesting reading . Keef's is quite good in that it does give you quite an insight into where he came from , where it very nearly all went wrong , and that for a few close shaves (pun intended) we might never even have heard of him .
Love celeb books me . There are some very interesting ones out there .

Agree with that, a fantastic read.

I'm with El Diablo in that sporting auto-biographies tend to be repetitive drivel about games they've played in and little else to be honest. Brad Fittler's book being a case in point.

I have a copy of Lance Armstrong's book in my waiting list shelf. This I have bought because I feel there is a story more remarkable than mere sport in there and I am interested to read it. I will (and do) read sporting biographies if I suspect that they are truly interesting stories, not just about sport.

Doesn't always work. Freddie Flintoff's was zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. One of my favourites is "Hands of Stone: The life and legend of Roberto Duran" which I would recommend to anyone who likes boxing, and most people who don't.

I've never read and never owned a sporting biography/autobiography. Many sportsman are barely interesting doing the sport bit.

Senior's was OK but not as good as Barrie's or Newton's for me.

Sean Long's was dreadful, but at least the content seemed to match the individual.

Buderus' was pretty dull after the early parts.

In other sports I agree with the comment above that Flintoff's was awful. I did however find Matthew Hoggard, Graeme Swann and Marcus Trescothick's books to be interesting reads.

I read Tony Adam's and Vinnie's Jones' year ago and thought the first was excellent, the latter on a par (perhaps slightly better) with longs.

Peter Risdale's about Leeds United was interesting if slightly unbeliveable.

Former liverpool hardman tommy smith wrote a great autobiography. Well worth a read

One of the better rugby books I've read is John Bentley's - more colourful than the average sporting biog.