Product details
- ISBN 9781836802662
- Dimensions: 138 x 216mm
- Publication Date: 10 Aug 2026
- Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
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The Four Rons: A Journey Through West Midlands Football in the 1980s tells how the region’s big four clubs – Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers – slid into spectacular decline after starting the decade poised to challenge Merseyside and Manchester as the powerhouse of English football. It is a tale of colourful owners, managers and players set against the backdrop of a game in crisis, with plummeting attendances, rife hooliganism and the fortunes of its clubs mirroring a wider regional decline. Chock-full of unforgettable figures – from Ron Saunders and Ron Atkinson to the Bhatti brothers, Andy Gray and Steve Bull – this is the gripping story of a proud footballing heartland in freefall.
Bruce Talbot saw his first Birmingham City game in 1973 and witnessed the team’s decline first-hand during the 1980s. He has been a keen observer of West Midlands football ever since. A sportswriter for nearly 40 years, he has also worked in football media relations and is the author or co-author of seven books, including biographies of cricketers Ian Gould, Michael Yardy and Chris Adams.
