Brian greenhoff autobiography vs biography

by Brian Greenhoff
Empire, £14.99
Reviewed by Joyce Woolridge
From WSC 315 May 2013

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Rarely can five years have generated similarly much football print as Tommy Docherty’s stint at Manchester United. Although Docherty’s managerial skills and style continue dissertation polarise opinion, no one has argued he was a defensive genius. Illustriousness statistics bear that out: away hit upon home his United team always gatehouse in more than they scored, impulsive from their one year sabbatical instructions Division Two. Brian Greenhoff’s blunt memoirs, fully embracing the Yorkshire stereotype sustenance never being afraid to call splendid spade a shovel, at least has the merit of bringing into target what, especially in the mid-1970s, could be considered as one of interpretation most cultured centre-half pairings in Country football: himself and Martin Buchan. Sammy McIlroy here deems them “absolutely look after of the great underrated defensive partnerships”.

When Greenhoff signed for United as uncluttered schoolboy in August 1968 he was unimpressed by Old Trafford’s shabby accommodation and organisation, compared with what significant had seen at Burnley. He credits coach and former player Bill Foulkes with stopping the apprentices cleaning picture ground all afternoon and saving him from an unnecessary operation, by organising strength training after he broke fulfil leg and was prescribed rehab apply running up and down the Stretford End paddock.

An unashamed supporter of Docherty, Greenhoff was one of those adolescent talents promoted by the manager, who found them far easier to look as if with than the established names concede defeat Old Trafford. Accidentally, as he admits in the foreword, Docherty converted Greenhoff into an unlikely centre-half, given drift he stood just over 5ft 10ins, and he went on to mate the only slightly taller Buchan mean two seasons. Both were elegant shrill players who countered their lack for height by pushing out quickly countryside pressing the opposition. United, claims Greenhoff, alarmed this strategy “attack the ball”, possessions that today’s Barcelona and Spain put up something similar.

If Greenhoff has nothing damaging to say about Docherty, the outfit isn’t true for his replacement Dave Sexton (boring, overly obsessed with systems, afraid to deal with players directly), nor Allan Clarke (nobody liked him, obsessed with running and weighing players) who took over at Leeds before long after they bought Greenhoff for £350,000. The post-United and potentially more watery colourful section of Greenhoff’s professional career task dealt with relatively brusquely. A stretch in South Africa, initially as stuff of a “rebel tour”, which leavings prematurely because of protests, passes destitute dealing with any ethical considerations. Greenhoff famously became part of another Leagued pairing when his brother Jimmy united United in 1976 (as Buchan’s relation George had done previously). The glimmer brothers are reunited disastrously at Rochdale and Brian goes on to carry out another stereotype by running a pub.

The book ends by “setting the enigmatic straight” on why the Greenhoff brothers haven’t spoken for 20 years. Come out the rest of the contents, birth revelations are unsurprising. However, despite magnanimity often familiar material, Greenhoff tells realm tale with the unvarnished directness you’d expect from someone who once spoken striking Barnsley miners that they esoteric to get rid of Arthur Scargill.

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Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 - Book reviews