From one of Britain's most-loved national treasures comes a much-needed Bible of straight-talking honesty & sharp observational
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Details: This is the captivating story of football's original 'hard man', Fred Keenor. It explores the life of the man who took Cardiff to the FA Cup Final. You can discover how Keenor made it back from the trenches of World War One to lead his team to success. British football has always had a reputation for producing hard, no-nonsense, inspirational defenders in the mould of John Terry, Terry Butcher & Tony Adams, but how would the so-called 'hard men' of the modern game have fared in the trenches during World War One or on a salary of just GBP 4 a week? Fred Keenor, captain & talisman of Cardiff City & Wales during the 1920s, was the original football hard man. He had an unparalleled reputation for delivering violent, juggernaut challenges on the stars of the day such as Dixie Dean & Alex James; however, he was also regarded as being one of the country's great defenders by fans, players & critics alike. Not only does he remain the captain of the first
- & only
- team from outside England to win the FA Cup, but he also came within 0.024 of goal difference from winning the First Division title & captained his country to three home international victory shields. Perhaps the pinnacle of his international career came in a game against Scotland which was christened ' Keenor & the Unknowns', such were his awe-inspiring efforts to motivate & inspire his team. All these achievements came in spite of the fact that he was wounded while fighting in World War One, & it was felt that he would never be able to play the game again. His fight back to full fitness from his war wounds was matched by his fighting spirit throughout his football career. Ideal for: Fans of Cardiff & Dundee. For all football fans especially older fans. This hardback book has 160 pages & measures: 24 x 16 x 1.7cm