Tales From The Boot Camps
'Claridge is not just a character...it's his utter inability to take football, or life, even remotely seriously which makes his book so entertaining' TOTAL SPORT
'Ranks among the best football books of recent years' DAILY TELEGRAPH
The biography of Steve Claridge, as much a story of a Midlands cult hero as a vivid portrait of life in the lower divisions of English football.
Away from the glamour and wall-to-wall coverage of the Premiership lies the reality, for the majority of fans and players, of British football. From Claridge's early days with non-league Weymouth, to the Premiership with Leicester, and back to First-Division Portsmouth, TALES FROM THE BOOT CAMPS spans the lows of irregular salary payments and training sessions on dog-fouled carparks at Aldershot, and the highs of the last-minute win in a First Division play-off at Wembley, and on to the Premiership. Controversial, itinerant, but popular wherever he has played, Claridge also talks frankly about his addiction to gambling. Part biography, part autobiography, it is full of insight and dry wit, a unique portrait of British football.
Ian Ridley is a football columnist with the OBSERVER and a scriptwriter. He has written five books, including ADDICTED, the bestselling autobiography of Tony Adams.
Steve Claridge is currently a pundit for various football shows on the BBC. He is a former footballer, having played for numerous clubs, including Leicester and Portsmouth.