What is there to say? The Sun is saying we’re going for Andy Johnson, Frerik Stoor is still imminent, and isn’t it about time we heard something about Simunic?
Anyway. I’ve nearly finished Adrian Chiles’ “We don’t know what we’re doing”, which is his book about being a football supporter. I think it’s fairly safe to say that if you like Chiles you’ll like the book, if you don’t you won’t. It’s very… him.
And he’s a legit supporter (West Brom), that much is clear. He talks about the pessimism involved with these things, he knows that away crowds are generally more positive than home crowds, he gets it. There’s none of that awful Tim Lovejoy crap that we must accidentally come across from time to time. No, Chiles is very much for real, and it’s an interesting enough book because of that.
Good points: well for one thing he tells of a relegation season, of the hopes and fears associated with this, and how as the games count down the hope dwindles away. In this sense his story is our story pre-Reading last year; we got the happy ending. Reading this you can easily see our alternative route into the Championship, had a few things not gone our way. The book doesn’t so much contain insights as affirmations, observations that you can nod to, chuckle at, and say “yeah, I feel that too”. So that’s good and fun and nice to read. Also there’s a Zoltan Gera mention: “our gifted but under-performing Hungarian”… so, we’ll see what we get there.
Negatives: it does seem as though Chiles has realised he has to write a book, found some random fans who agree to talk to him because he’s famous, and woven their stories into the narrative. Which isn’t a bad thing – most of them are humourous, sad, touching, etc – but it can seem a little staged. This feels like the wrong word, but it all does get a bit repetitive. The book, which isn’t long, could’ve been half the length it is.
Otherwise a nice diverting read. I’m the sort who carries 3-4 books around with me so that I can read according to my mood, and I’ve found that this has been an excellent item to have, providing as it does some easy, familiar escapism about the problems with being a football supporter. So money well spent.
Nothing else to declare. Have you all ordered your Fulham Review? www.godsfoot.com to do so.
