I should have thought that some of your best contacts may be those that you have already interviewed (although I'm guessing that you've already pursued that avenue and don't want to pester them further)?
Thanks BCC. There are one or two quirky ones in there, Mark Bonner among them. When I was planning out the book, I was trying to think of a few key games that could be marked out as low points or turning points. One such game is the Rotherham home game in which Brabs and Mark Boner made their debuts, and obviously Mark scored the winner in his only game. I've always considered him the most important player in the club's history to have only played one game so I thought I'd get his memories of it. He's very big in the furniture industry now, if you're interested. With Joycey, he's a bit of a nightmare. Pretty much every player on that list has really embraced the project, and has been keen to help at the end with other contacts and the like. Sadly, no one has been able to get in touch with Joycey on my behalf - David Brown went to great lengths trying - and the Melbourne media team aren't answering emails.
Thanks Imperial Tiger. That has been the case, and the players interviewed have been terrific in helping me out that way. Sadly, one or two former players/managers just seem to drift off the radar. As I found out with Damien Delaney, all it seems to take is a couple of lost mobile phones and all contacts are rendered useless (luckily Crystal Palace have the friendliest and most helpful media team imaginable).
Yeah, Warren Joyce would be an almost crucial interview for such a book. When you do get to talk to him would you ask him just how close he came to being our manager for a second time? I remember hearing he backed off/changed his mind at the last minute. Look forward to the book.
Thanks Kempton. Warren and Jan are the only two left where I feel I need them to complete the book. I would imagine that if I can contact Warren - which hopefully I'll now be able to do with OLM's kind help - he'll be happy to speak to me. Jan, on the other hand, may not. To be fair, both Mark Hateley and Phil Parkinson couldn't have been more obliging, in spite of their struggles at City. If Warren says anything along those lines - and those in current footballing employment seem to be a little more guarded in what they say - I'll let you know.
Thanks C'mon ref. He is still as far as I'm aware. And if he's available I would happily speak to him. A couple of people have tried to contact him on my behalf but to no avail as yet. As OLM rightly points out, he has backed the Allams over the name change and other matters. That wouldn't necessarily stop me interviewing him though. I've tried to not let my personal opinions on the name change and the Allams have an impact on the book. I want it to be a celebration of an amazing decade, where the fan base was as united as it was ever likely to be and we could - for the most part - just sit back and enjoy some great players achieving history that we could never have imagined we'd see at the turn of the millennium. I'm stopping the book at the end of the 2009/10 season because if you go beyond that, things start to unravel a little, and I'd have to get involved in what the Allams have done at the club (good and bad). I figure if I so much as dabble in the Allam era at the club, I'm opening a can of worms, and I can't afford what would be substantial legal fees to cover that (just in making sure I didn't inadvertently libel anyone). But there will be a handful people featured in the book who've spoken out in favour of the name change, as however much I disagree with them on that I don't necessarily think it should define their entire time supporting or playing for City.
I contacted her on Twitter and she replied. But she seemed utterly confused by what I was asking. I'll try again when I'm close to getting all the key interviews done. I've tried to contact Stephen Malkmus too, to no avail.
Ken Houghton lives next door to my cousin in Anlaby, I can asked her so speak with him if you would like.
I was joking mate... but if you did get her - amazing! I was in a college class with the guy who later roadied for Pavement who, if popular opinion is to be believed, is the reason for Malkmus being a City fan. But I find that a bit weird, cos the lad himself definitely wasn’t a fan at college. Must’ve been a glory supporter.
Yeah, I'd read that he supported us because of some Hull people in his crew/being told that he should after a gig at the Adelphi. I'm not sure how seriously he takes it. I'm a big fan of random City fans (Don Robinson once made Sean Connery and his son, Jason, honorary City fans in the 80s when they were staying at the same hotel as the team - again, I doubt it's something that they maintain).
Good luck Richard I look forward to getting both my son and stepson copies. Perhaps you could follow on with another book covering the years 2010 - 2020. I'm sure there will be some quotes around somewhere
Thank you. There'll be a book in there at some point, undoubtedly, but it will need someone backed by a large publishing house to write it while all involved are still alive. I can't see someone writing independently - as I am - being able to manage it unless they are a libel lawyer or multi-millionaire.
