Steve Death - new book

[Mid Sussex Royal]

A book is being published on Deathie covering his life and career at West Ham and Reading; I'd imagine this will be a must for fans of a certain age.

There is a book launch in the Mad Stad hotel bar before the Peterborough game and there will be some of the contributors there; Stuart Morgan, Tommy Youlden, Martin Hicks, Mark White, Steve Hetzke and Wayne oxf*rd.

The book can be pre ordered now on Amazon.

Mods please move if team page not appropriate.

[Sutekh]

A book is being published on Deathie covering his life and career at West Ham and Reading; I'd imagine this will be a must for fans of a certain age.

There is a book launch in the Mad Stad hotel bar before the Peterborough game and there will be some of the contributors there; Stuart Morgan, Tommy Youlden, Martin Hicks, Mark White, Steve Hetzke and Wayne oxf*rd.

The book can be pre ordered now on Amazon.

Mods please move if team page not appropriate.

Called Tiny Keeper, author is Alan Hester

[RoyalBlue]

Alan Hester is an international author and trainer in leadership, management and personal development.

So I wonder what prompted him to write this book?

[Crusader Royal]

I thought Roger Titford was the only person allowed to write RFC books ?

[Sutekh]

Loved the old keeper jerseys, all clubs had the same green tops (unless playing Plymouth presumably), so much better than the ludicrous over the top paint shop explosions, that keepers often get picked on for, that we’ve seen so many of since the mid 80s.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

I thought Roger Titford was the only person allowed to write RFC books ?

I guess its about Steve though so ok. Some Oasis guy wrote the Robin Friday book.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Loved the old keeper jerseys, all clubs had the same green tops (unless playing Plymouth presumably), so much better than the ludicrous over the top paint shop explosions, that keepers often get picked on for, that we’ve seen so many of since the mid 80s.

Agree - great front cover, taken from the game against Manchester United in the pre season Watney Cup in 1970, must have been just after Steve signed permanently.

Its a fairly sizeable book, over 250 pages, so should be a great read. Also might get some insight over Steve leaving which was rumoured to be around the club selling a flat he lived in rather than footballing reasons.

[The Cap]

The man who smoked like a trooper and pulled off some unbelievable saves. Was sat talking to his daughter, Alex, a while back, prior to one of her dad's anniversaries. A nice girl who I'm sure her dad would be proud of.

[Crusader Royal]

I thought Roger Titford was the only person allowed to write RFC books ?

I guess its about Steve though so ok. Some Oasis guy wrote the Robin Friday book.

Wasn’t the Friday book mostly a cut and paste from the local papers ?
I still think the definitive book on Robin is yet to be written. Needs to be from a Reading perspective .
I have a free afternoon, might put something together myself…..

[grey_squirrel]

Deathy was definitely one of my favourite players of the era.

I remember loads about him. How he used to nonchalantly lean up against the post when we were attacking. His range at goal kicks wasn’t the best especially against the wind. His style of drop-kicking was unique at the time. One of the best penalty savers of all time.

His name was actually De’Arth wasn’t it but I seem to remember him quoted as saying “Feck that. Death will do”!

Be nice to see Tommy “v-sign the Southbank” Youlden, Steve “big ‘un” Hetzke, Mark ‘Chalkie’ White and Martin ‘Oooof!’ Hicks again. Ahhh. Those where the days!

[traff]

Still watched games from the South Bank after he retired.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Loved the old keeper jerseys, all clubs had the same green tops (unless playing Plymouth presumably), so much better than the ludicrous over the top paint shop explosions, that keepers often get picked on for, that we’ve seen so many of since the mid 80s.

agree

Those day-glo 'high-lighter' ones being the worse (lols at Marshall, Cardiffs keeper of the day sporting it)

Will be making the purchase of said book, another one of my childhood heroes that I had the good fortune to see.....and the name "DEATH" was the icing on that proverbial cake.

Some great RFC books out there (if you can hunt them out), I am coming to the end of reading one of them published by 'one of our own' ....thanx Elrey

[Carnabyswhiskers]

Anyone remember the game at Gillingham to which Steve refused to travel with the team, was talked around by the EP's David Dibben (he of the 70s glasses, 70s haircut) and got a lift in David's car to the game? I've forgotten what it was that he was upset about, but from what has been said about him I doubt it was money.

[Sutekh]

Anyone remember the game at Gillingham to which Steve refused to travel with the team, was talked around by the EP's David Dibben (he of the 70s glasses, 70s haircut) and got a lift in David's car to the game? I've forgotten what it was that he was upset about, but from what has been said about him I doubt it was money.

Think he was in dispute with club over payment of wages at the time so it would have been about money but not necessarily for bad reasons. Anyway, I’m sure someone on here knows the full story.

[royals6719]

Re: missed game. I remember him refusing to play against Swindon and Colin Court played in goal. Only game Ive been to where both goalies scored own goals

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Re: missed game. I remember him refusing to play against Swindon and Colin Court played in goal. Only game Ive been to where both goalies scored own goals

He left the club (had contract cancelled) soon after that Swindon game. Pretty sure it was to do with the club selling the flat he lived in.

[Dirk Gently]

Anyone remember the game at Gillingham to which Steve refused to travel with the team, was talked around by the EP's David Dibben (he of the 70s glasses, 70s haircut) and got a lift in David's car to the game? I've forgotten what it was that he was upset about, but from what has been said about him I doubt it was money.

Think he was in dispute with club over payment of wages at the time so it would have been about money but not necessarily for bad reasons. Anyway, I’m sure someone on here knows the full story.

I seem to remember it was something about the flat he was living in - the flat was owned by the football club and there was some dispute about rent or charges or something like that. I'm not sure I understood the details even then, or that they were properly made public, let alone 40+ years later.

[RoyalBlue]

Anyone remember the game at Gillingham to which Steve refused to travel with the team, was talked around by the EP's David Dibben (he of the 70s glasses, 70s haircut) and got a lift in David's car to the game? I've forgotten what it was that he was upset about, but from what has been said about him I doubt it was money.

I thought that was the 'flat incident'. It's covered off in one of the many Reading FC-related books that I have. I just have to try to remember which one!

I was wrong! According to the font of all knowledge re Reading FC - David 'Washing Machine Water' Downs, in his book 'Biscuits and Royals' , it was a dispute over wages. Modestly, David Dibben doesn't appear to mention the incident in his own book covering that era.

The flat argument was what led to him being allowed time off sick and then never playing for us again.

[RoyalBlue]

I thought Roger Titford was the only person allowed to write RFC books ?

I guess its about Steve though so ok. Some Oasis guy wrote the Robin Friday book.

Wasn’t the Friday book mostly a cut and paste from the local papers ?
I still think the definitive book on Robin is yet to be written. Needs to be from a Reading perspective .
I have a free afternoon, might put something together myself…..

To be fair, whilst the Friday book does obviously have a lot from the papers at the time, it also features interviews with and memories from his playing contemporaries as well as Sheila Friday and others who knew him well.

[RoyalBlue]

Whilst trawling through my books to find 'flatgate', I found something else I had forgotten about.

Apparently Steve Death remembered nothing at all of the game in which his record clean sheet run came to an end with a Stewart Henderson own goal. Apparently he was concussed in a collision immediately before the ball crossed the line. However, typically he played on for the remainder of the game (wouldn't happen nowadays thank goodness) but couldn't remember a thing about it.