Mick Rathbone – författare

The searingly honest and unputdownable sequel to the award-winning The Smell of Football, balancing laugh-out-loud moments with darker periods of difficult self-reflection.In this engrossing and moving memoir, Mick ‘Baz’ Rathbone picks up from where his highly acclaimed debut tome left off:We follow him from his shock departure from his role as head of medical at Everton in 2010, to finally finding the internal peace and self-worth he has searched for all his life, some ten years and ten teams later, on a paradise island in the CaribbeanHe takes us on a hilarious, yet thought-provoking journey through the international team’s setup via the biggest club in the world and many other famous football clubs along the waySkilfully told, in the same self-deprecating way as the original, there are great stories involving such football luminaries as David Moyes, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton and the late, great Ray Clemence to name but a fewWith revealing insights into the world of professional football, Mick highlights how the game has changed since he left school in 1975, as a wide-eyed 16-year-old, to join his beloved hometown club, Birmingham CityAt its heart, this is a book about doubt and lack of direction and an ageing man searching for his rightful place at the football table, increasingly filled by younger and more academically qualified protagonists, fear of the future and the fear of growing old. Mick’s story will resonate with all football fans, and especially those of a certain age – from any walk of life – who are fighting to stay relevant.

The third and final part of the highly acclaimed The Smell of Football trilogy, bringing to life the day-to-day running of a professional football club.Mick ‘Baz’ Rathbone concludes his riveting football memoir with a 100-day diary starting in the early 2024/25 season. Once again, he brings us a unique insight into the world of professional football, this time through his role as a physio:Written with humour and candour, the book demonstrates that incredibly fine line between winning and losing – the width of a goalpost or a referee’s decision – and the diametrically opposed emotions they bringTakes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions from the mundane yet fascinating day-to-day happenings of the medical team at a famous old League Two club, to the utter despair of a relentless losing streak and the pressure that comes with itSee the internal world of a professional football club through the eyes of the physioLearn about Mick’s role and responsibility, and the pressure on him to provide the manager with the strongest team possible, week in and week out, as the demand for results increases exponentially across the seasonThis book is for diehard fans who support their team unconditionally. It will show them just how much the players and officials really do care, and just how painful and emotionally draining defeat is. It is an honest account that draws on the author’s incredible 50 years in professional sport.