Alan Mullery: The Autobiography

Alan Mullery with Tony Norman, Headline, £18.99

As a Tottenham and Fulham player, Alan Mullery had a reputation for being tough and uncompromising. As a manager, most successfully at Brighton, such an approach often made him appear a divisive figure.

His autobiography reveals the "bouncebackability" factor that enabled him to overcome not only the numerous lows in his career, but to retain a high-profile media career as a Sky Sports pundit. Unlike many of his contemporaries, his excellent memory for the smallest detail enables his book to rise above the mundane.

Former Spurs boss Bill Nicholson emerges as cold and aloof in his dealings with Mullery as he neared the end of his playing career, and Mullery backs up Leo McKinstry's excellent reappraisal of Sir Alf Ramsey by revealing a more passionate and protective side to the former England boss than was seen at the time.

After becoming the first England player to be dismissed in an international, for retaliating to a foul by a Yugoslavia player, Mullery literally hid in fear from Ramsey in the bath. Ramsey unexpectedly dragged the player up by the hair and informed him, "I'm glad somebody decided to give those bastards a taste of their own medicine."

After initial success on the south coast, Mullery's managerial career fell into rapid decline, as he was forced to endure the machinations of QPR's tyrannical chairman Jim Gregory, grim times at Charlton's decaying Valley and the fact that Palace fans refused to accept him as Terry Venables's replacement.

At times, Mullery glosses over his shortcomings and shifts the blame to others, but he is commendably honest when he confesses that in the midst of financial strife during the mid-'80s, he seriously contemplated suicide.

A lively, pacy read. It's a shame that more ex-footballers' memoirs aren't like this.