St David's Press – serie

One of the most colourful and controversial characters in Welsh rugby history, Mike 'Spikey' Watkins remains the only player since 1882 to captain Wales on his debut, and win. Discarded by Cardiff RFC and banned by the WRU after the infamous 'Hookers Night Out' incident in November 1978, Spikey, who had regularly played for the Wales B team and was understudy to Bobby Windsor, thought his chance of a prized Welsh cap has disappeared. In this brutally frank and hard-hitting autobiography, 'Spikey' Watkins, the loveable rogue of Welsh rugby, lifts the lid on his roller-coaster playing career and explains how he fought back against the 'blazer-brigade' he despised, returned to captain a hugely successful Newport team and finally got the call from the WRU, due to public pressure from the supporters who adored him, to captain his country to victory against Ireland in 1984.

This is the book that many Welsh football fans thought they'd never get to read; a tale of outstanding performances at home and away, qualification success and a FIFA Top Ten ranking, and the best thing is...it's all true! Zombie Nation Awakes tells the inside story of Wales' amazing journey to qualifying for the finals of Euro 2016 in France; the first time Wales has played in finals of a major tournament since 1958. Packed with passion, tinged with sadness, and written with great humour, Bryn Law's diary of the campaign perfectly describes the emotions of following the Welsh national football team; when years of despair vanished in a wave of glorious euphoria to the sounds of Zombie Nation. It will bring a tear to your eye and put a massive grin on your face. Game by game, and after an almost disastrous start in Andorra, Bryn's diary reflects the growing but guarded optimism of the players, the supporters and the Welsh nation, as he reported on the campaign for Sky Sports. His passion for Welsh football shines through on every page of Zombie Nation Awakes and fans of Welsh football will love it.

Euro 2016 will forever have a special place in the hearts and memories of Wales football supporters, especially the tens of thousands who travelled to France and filled the stadiums with song, joy and colour as they proudly took their place in the spectacular 'Red Wall'. Bryn Law, author of the acclaimed Zombie Nation Awakes, was one of those passionate fans who fulfilled a life-long dream of following the Wales national team to a major tournament and 'Don't Take Me Home' is his diary of that magical month that gripped the whole nation. From arranging time off work to organising travel, accommodation and the all-important match tickets - as well as trying to explain to his patient and long-suffering family that he couldn't be sure exactly when he'd be back - Bryn perfectly describes the steep, tricky and expensive learning-curve faced by thousands of Welsh fans as he criss-crossed France by plane, car, camper van, tram and bus, desperate not to miss a match whilst enjoying the company of his friends and fellow fans. In 'Don't Take Me Home' Welsh fans can relive every game of the Euro 2016 experience from a supporter's perspective.Everyone has their own favourite memory of the tournament and Bryn lovingly recalls every game on that joyful journey: from the amazing scenes in Bordeaux to the 'chin up' disappointment of Lens; the perfect performance in Toulouse to the Celtic party in Paris; and from the sheer euphoria of Lille to the pride and au revoir in Lyon. Bryn Law's emotional, humorous yet insightful diary explains why Welsh fans - whenever they are asked about their experiences at Euro 2016 - smile, wipe away a tear and say 'It was the best month of my life': 'Don't Take Me Home'.

One of the finest players football has ever seen, Alan Hudson is still revered at Chelsea, Stoke City, Arsenal and Seattle Sounders, and yet his professional success was dogged by injuries and enormous personal challenges. His love of the glitzy 'footballer lifestyle', dominated by hard-drinking and glamorous women, saw Alan descend into rampant alcoholism, depression, and frequent brushes with authority. Huddy - his official biography - reveals for the first time, the full story of the real Alan Hudson, the man behind the lurid newspaper headlines and booze-fuelled anecdotes. A straight-speaker who doesn't suffer fools gladly, he has as many enemies as close friends. Speak to either and you'll get a vastly differing perspective on just who the man is. Even his team-mates were evenly split; they either loved or loathed him. The one thing that couldn't be taken away from him, however, was his talent for the beautiful game. Some years after retiring from the sport he loved, Alan embarked on a new career in the media but, on December 15, 1997, he was the victim of a 'hit-and-run' car accident near his East London home and his 'life well-lived' changed forever.He sustained injuries that the medical profession thought would kill him. Huddy, lovingly written by his friend Jason Pettigrove, describes Alan's determined fight for life and how his single-mindedness enabled him, along with the brilliance of the NHS and the support of his closest family and friends, to recover from his horrendous injuries and rebuild his life. Alan Hudson's fascinating story is one that has never been fully told ...until now.

As a football-mad young boy growing up in rural Shropshire, within sight of the Welsh border, Dave Edwards dreamt of playing the game professionally and perhaps, one day, of wearing the red shirt of his father's homeland - Wales. Living My Dream is the frank and fascinating story of just what it took for Edwards to achieve his life's ambition, and describes how his dedication and commitment to the game he loves has enabled him to enjoy a successful 16-year career with over 400 club appearances for Shrewsbury, Luton, Wolves and Reading, spanning the top five English divisions from the Conference to the Premier League. Woven into the story of his club career, Living My Dream is also a behind-the-scenes account of Dave's brave recovery, after a serious injury in January 2016, to make the starting line-up in Wales' opening game at that summer's European Championships, and his magical month inside the Welsh camp when the team exceeded all expectations to reach the semi-finals. The first member of the Welsh squad to tell the inside story of life at the Euros, Edwards reveals how the players thrived within the camp's 'bubble' and forged an unbreakable team spirit, how Chris Coleman managed his squad with meticulous planning and inspirational leadership, and how the Together Stronger ethos was spurred on by the passion and pride of an entire nation.

One of the traditional powerhouses of Welsh first class rugby, Aberavon RFC has a long, proud and illustrious history, with 50 of its players being capped for Wales, the club winning many league titles and domestic cups, and - with Neath RFC - facing the might of South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Aberavon RFC is a great rugby club and this is its story.Fully illustrated and packed with photos and club memorabilia, The Wizards is a comprehensive history of the town's premier club, from the days when the men of Aberavon gathered on a farmer's field to challenge rivals from across south Wales, to the formation of the Afan Football Club in 1876 and its development into Aberavon RFC, and from the club finding a home at the Talbot Athletic Ground to the anniversary celebrations of the 2016-17 season.Aberavon RFC's fascinating 140-year story - lovingly written by renowned rugby historians Howard Evans and Phil Atkinson - traces the club's fortunes through its good times, its many challenges and, most importantly, through the personalities who've worn the famous black and red jersey, delighting the home supporters and putting fear into visiting teams. From the days of `One-Arm' Wilkins to `Warhorse' Jones, The Wizards recalls the great names such as Johnny Ring, Ned Jenkins, John Bevan, Clive Shell, Ray Giles, Billy Mainwaring, Max Wiltshire, `Om the Bomb', Allan Martin and Billy James, to current heroes `Buddah', Jamie Davies and Richard Morris, with a special place for the club's greatest supporter, the legendary and much missed Mrs Evelyn Mainwaring.

Little Wonder is the story of Brian Flynn, the stylish yet tenacious midfielder from Port Talbot who, in the 1970s and '80s, enjoyed a successful top flight playing career with Burnley and Leeds United - where is still held in great affection by fans of both clubs - before moving on to Cardiff City, Doncaster Rovers, Bury, Limerick and finally to Wrexham as player manager.Flynn also won 66 caps for Wales and played a pivotal role when the rejuvenated national team reached the quarter-finals of the 1976 European Championships and were denied a place at the 1978 World Cup by Joe Jordan's infamous 'hand of god' at Anfield.Lovingly crafted by Leon Barton, Little Wonder is also the story of Flynn's 12 years as a club manager with Wrexham where, with solid team-building and cup heroics, he left a legacy that was subsequently squandered, and his two-year spell at Swansea City when he saved the club from relegation from the Football League and whose immense contribution was subsequently built upon to stunning effect.It is Brian Flynn's managerial legacy to Welsh international football, however, that has won him the plaudits of fellow managers, former teammates, the players themselves, and the Welsh nation when, as intermediate team manager under John Toshack, Flynn identified, nurtured and developed the 'golden generation', a group of talented teenagers and Welsh 'Anglos' who went on to become, at Euro 2016, most successful Welsh team in 140 years. Brian Flynn may only stand at 5 foot and 4 inches, but this small man from the town of steel has made a giant contribution to football and Little Wonder is his story.

The 1946 Indomitables made themselves the most memorable touring team in British rugby league history with their remarkable achievements in the face of unprecedented challenges.Published to mark the tour's 80th anniversary and lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs, The Indomitables - who were named after the aircraft carrier that transported the 26 rugby players to Australia - is the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the 1946 tour ever written.Crossing the world by boat - so soon after many of them had served during the Second World War - before travelling across Australia and New Zealand to play a gruelling itinerary of incredibly physical matches in front of sell-out crowds, made sporting legends of the 15 Englishmen and 11 Welshmen (including the captain, Gus Risman) and won the respect of both nations.These were The Indomitables - and this is their sensational story.

Bluebirds Reunited is the incredible story of the renaissance of Cardiff City: how a club in turmoil transformed its fortunes to win the unlikeliest of promotions, and how its loyal fans fell back in love with their beloved Bluebirds.Essential reading for every Cardiff City fan, Aled Blake, charts the Bluebirds' roller-coaster ride from the humiliating Premier League relegation in 2014 and the fierce protests from disillusioned supporters against the club's controversial rebranding, through a series of dismal seasons as the team struggled in the Championship, to the return to blue and the appointment of Neil Warnock.Featuring revealing fan insights and exclusive interviews with Warnock, Bluebirds Reunited tells the story of Cardiff City's rebirth from the fans' perspective and explains how a club, its fans and a city were reunited in an euphoric promotion back to the Premier League.

Olympic gold medallist Darren Campbell is one of Britain's most successful and popular athletes, yet the real story behind his success has not been made public, until now. Track Record, his long-awaited autobiography, reveals how a boy from painfully humble beginnings in Moss Side, Manchester, and who suffered bullying at school, was inspired by Carl Lewis at the 1984 Olympics to harness his athletic ability and break out of a cycle of misbehaviour and petty crime to enjoy huge success in sport, business and as a broadcaster.Despite his early promise as a young sprinter Darren explains how, totally disillusioned with the use of performance-enhancing drugs in athletics, he turned to football where he played at a semi-professional level for Cwmbran Town, Weymouth FC and was offered a contract at Plymouth Argyle. His realisation, however, that he could either continue to be a decent lower league footballer, or return to the track and become a world class sprinter, saw him link-up with coach Linford Christie and achieve great success, winning a host of gold, silver and bronze medals at major championships, including silver in the 200m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and gold in the 4 x 100m at the 2004 Athens OlympicsSpurred into finally telling his story after suffering a life-threatening condition in 2018, Track Record is the heart-warming and inspirational life-story of a talented, principled and determined man who overcame economic poverty and racial prejudice to triumph on the athletic tracks of the world.

'I, Steven Paul Fenwick, have a revelation to make that may surprise many readers. My first international representative rugby union honours were playing for England. There I was, in the line-up up for the English national anthem, in full regalia and the red rose on my chest representing England. I know this may come as a shock and it still feels as odd now as it did all those years ago, but bear with me, don't judge me quite yet!'An icon of Welsh rugby and one of the stars of the great Wales team of the 1970s, Steve Fenwick won three Triple Crowns, two Grand Slams and played in all four Tests of the 1977 Lions tour to New Zealand. He is also one of the very few members of that illustrious team to not have told his story, until now.Witty and engaging with a very dry sense of humour, Steve Fenwick's autobiography tells the story of the schoolboy from Nantgarw who became one of the most celebrated players in the rugby world, and his hilarious anecdotes and recollections of a glittering career during a golden age of Welsh rugby will delight and enthral readers in Wales and beyond.

A talented yet ferocious player, and one of the acknowledged 'bad-boys' of rugby, Mark Jones' on-field brutality was a direct consequence of the off-field torment he suffered with a debilitating stammer. In Fighting to Speak, his revealing and uplifting autobiography, Jones explains how his frustration with his stutter led to a self-loathing and the internalising of an explosive hate that only playing rugby could release - with his unfortunate opponents often on the receiving end of his rage.Sent off six times and banned for over 33 weeks for violent conduct during his career, the dual-code Wales international and Great Britain RL forward was desperately unhappy and detested the thuggish reputation he'd created. After one exceptionally ugly incident, when he broke another player's eye socket, Jones realised that in order to defeat his demons and control his bad behaviour he needed help to conquer his stammer. Mark Jones fought and won the hardest battle of his life with a steely determination and has now found the inner peace and dignity he'd longed for as a young man. He has decided to tell his story in order to seek redemption for his violent past on the rugby field, and to help others overcome their stammers.

John Devereux burst into rugby's big-time as a 19-year-old student when he terrorised a Cardiff team packed with Lions and Wales stars for his South Glam Institute side in a Welsh Cup tie.His powerful piston-pump hand-off saw him nicknamed the 'Dalek' and two months later, in January 1986, he was making his Wales debut against England.He was one of the stars of the 1987 union World Cup as Wales finished third, the nation's highest ever position in the tournament, and appeared for the British and Irish Lions before being lured to rugby league by a big-money offer exceeding GBP350,000.Devereux was a huge hit for Widnes, playing 185 games and scoring 120 tries, and Manly Sea Eagles in Australia, and became a dual-code international - scoring six tries in eight games for Great Britain, and three tries in 12 games for Wales RL. He was also the last Wales union international to appear in a RL World Cup final when he lined up for Great Britain against Australia at Wembley in 1993. Held in the highest regard by former teammates and opponents alike, John Devereux is revered by followers of rugby league and rugby union and, in his official biography, Devs, tells the fascinating story of his life in rugby.

Offloading - Tackling My Truth is the powerful and deeply personal memoir of former Wales and Lions rugby international Dafydd James, who poignantly and courageously reveals the human cost of achieving success in an elite sport that demanded everything.Capped 48 times for Wales, and in all three Lions Tests on the 2001 tour of Australia, Dafydd enjoyed a highly distinguished 15-year playing career with three Welsh regions - Celtic Warriors, Scarlets and Cardiff Blues - and five first-class clubs - Bridgend, Pontypridd, Llanelli, Harlequins and Sale - during which he scored 129 tries and played in two Rugby World Cups.At its heart, this is a very emotional story told with striking honesty, in which Dafydd provides a fascinating insider's view of professional rugby's early years and his immense pride at playing for Wales, but also discloses how the heavy mental toll of chasing greatness resulted in perpetual self-doubt and deep psychological insecurities that changed his life.

Herbert Victor ‘Chalkie’ White revolutionised rugby, transformed the Leicester Tigers into the most successful club in England and was widely considered the best head coach England never had.   This long-awaited first biography of Leicester’s legendary player and coach, written by former Tigers forward, Martin Whitcombe, provides a fascinating insight into the life and career of a true  rugby visionary who inspired numerous future England and Lions internationals as well as generations of rugby coaches.  Comprehensively researched – based on over 80 interviews with Chalkie’s family and friends, his former players, pupils, fellow coaches and rugby administrators – this heavily illustrated biography is packed with insightful anecdotes and stories from those whose lives were influenced by the non-nonsense, focussed, yet genial Cumbrian who regularly reminded his players: “Let  others tell you how good you are. I’ll tell you how to be better.”

When Pelé Broke Our Hearts is the definitive and bestselling story of  Wales's remarkable 1958 World Cup campaign. Now republished in an updated and expanded third edition, Mario Risoli’s highly acclaimed book contains additional material from the  players and their families and many more photographs and illustrations from the qualifying campaign and tournament.An incredible tale that features the Munich Air Disaster, a bizarre   qualification as representatives of FIFA’s Middle East/Asia group, and hilariously haphazard preparations, Wales battled through to a quarter-final against Brazil. But without the injured John Charles - the world’s most valuable player who’d been mercilessly targeted by Hungary in the previous game - the team were beaten 1-0 by the first World Cup goal scored by a 17-year-old Pelé.Heartbreaking yet uplifting, emotional and entertaining, When Pelé Broke Our Hearts chronicles a truly astonishing story that continues to be loved by fans of ‘the beautiful game’.

Champion boxer and world renowned trainer, Merthyr’s Eddie Thomas is a legend of the sport and this is the first biography of the man who is still loved and revered in his home town. Born into poverty in Merthyr Tydfil, Thomas began working as a miner but became an boxing sensation, winning the Welsh (1948), British (1949), Empire and European (1951) welterweight championships. Now the number one contender for the world championship, Thomas was denied a shot at title holder Sugar Ray Robinson, due to boxing politics.After retirement in 1954, Thomas established the Dowlais Boxing Club and became a celebrated and highly successful trainer and manager who guided local boy Howard Winstone (1968, featherweight) and Scotsman Ken Buchanan (1970, lightweight) to world championships.The first British manager to have two world champions, Swansea’s Colin Jones (welterweight), already an  Olympic gold medal winner, almost made it an      astonishing three world crowns for Thomas but drew one world title fight and lost another on a split-decision in 1983.

When Pele Broke Our Hearts is the definitive story of the Welsh team's remarkable 1958 World Cup campaign, the first and only time Wales has qualified for football's premier tournament. This new edition features a new preface from Nicky Wire of the Manic Street Preachers

This volume highlights the importance of the Bay Ports of both Cardiff and Penarth docks during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Volume One illustrated Bay Maidens and vessels that visited the ports and which can still be seen and visited. Now, in this second volume, Alan Thorne provides details of vessels and voyages of mixed fortunes, and lists further Bay Maidens, including many built in the Bay Ports, some of which are still sailing and that includes one launched as long ago as 1879. "The Sail of Cardiff Bay: Volume Two" describes 120 commercial vessels and provides details of the shipbuilders and shipyards, plus dimensions, rigs and tonnages. The book also contains an Afterword on Andrew Andersen, the Master Boat Builder from Penarth.

Wales fell in love with rugby over 100 years ago, and this national affair with the game remains as intense and intoxicating today as it was in the late 1800s, when tens of thousands of passionate and expectant supporters would make their way to the Arms Park to see Wales play the best teams in the world and to enjoy the famous match-day atmosphere in Cardiff's bustling town centre. The Welsh obsession for rugby was already evident in 1899 when supporters 'packed' Cardiff's Westgate Street 'from wall to wall' for a Triple Crown decider against Ireland, and an advocate of soccer in Cardiff commented in 1901: 'to carry one of those funny round balls through the streets meant running the gauntlet of curious onlookers'. Rugby was undoubtedly the sporting heartbeat of Cardiff with over 230 clubs in 1895; but how did this obsession with rugby grip Cardiff and the industrial towns of south Wales, and why did the Welsh quickly become 'this rugby spellbound people'? In this new, expanded and heavily illustrated paperback edition, Gwyn Prescott draws on previously unused sources to provide a fresh and fascinating insight into the origins and early years of the game in Cardiff.He outlines how its citizens of all backgrounds, its many distinct districts, and its commercial and religious interests took rugby to their hearts through the growth of clubs, competitions and the establishment of the famous Arms Park as the focal point of rugby in Wales. The Birth of Rugby in Cardiff and Wales is the essential guide to the importance of rugby in Cardiff and to the significance of Cardiff to the development of Welsh rugby in the nineteenth century.

Seemingly cursed by decades of perpetual near-misses and gut-wrenching tragedy, Together Stronger is the definitive story of an incredible decade when a golden generation of talented young players were identified and capped by John Toshack and Brian Flynn, developed into an effective and confident team by Gary Speed and, in incredibly difficult circumstances, united in an intensely close-knit and well-drilled squad by Chris Coleman to create the most successful qualification campaign in Welsh football history.With exclusive behind-the-scenes insights from many of Wales' key players including Chris Gunter, Neil Taylor, Joe Ledley and captain Ashley Williams - as well as the revealing and candid thoughts of Wales managers John Toshack and Chris Coleman - the award-winning journalist Chris Wathan has written the inside story of how a golden generation emerged to tell the greatest tale Welsh football has ever told.