Bobby Moore to Thierry Henry, a girl’s own story
Bobby Moore to Thierry Henry, a girl’s own story as it’s very much the female football fan’s story of a life-long love affair with the beautiful game. The idea of the book is that everyone remembers their first World Cup – they remember who played, who scored, who their heroes were – but they also remember where they watched the games, who they watched them with, what they did afterwards (did they go out and play in the garden or on the street with their friends?), they will even be able to tell you what they had for tea! Then if you press them a little they will remember their next World Cup and the next one after that... and those memories are so vivid and precious, because it’s like being in love. So, I’ve taken all the World Cups of my life – starting in 1970 when aged 10 and growing up in Dublin, I fell in love with Bobby Moore and decided to become a football commentator when I grew up – all the way up to 2010 in South Africa, by which time I was quite a bit older (!), living in England and running my own business. It is the journey of my life – through school and university, law school, love, relationships, marriage, break-up, happiness and heartbreak – taken in snapshots every four years, set against the background of each World Cup. Just a girl’s own story.
When did your passion for football begin?
When I was ten – I grew up in Ireland and everyone in the family loved football. World Cups were an excuse for every mum, dad, uncle, auntie, cousin and granny that could feasibly be squeezed into one room with a TV, to get together and watch football matches. I didn’t get to see live football in England until I was about seventeen and I was surprised to find it was less of a family occasion and more of a father and son thing. It was never that way in Ireland or I think in a lot of other European countries.
You work as a lawyer – so how did writing make its way to the forefront of your life?
I’ve always loved to write, but you’re right, it’s quite a balancing act! The law brings in the money and the writing has been my hobby until now. But so many people liked this book (even the ones with little interest in football) and encouraged me to try to publish it, that I thought why not?
Please tell us about developing the idea with your nephew Elliot.
Yes, Elliot is my footie-watching buddy, and has been since he was tiny. We were taking a train journey together and reminiscing about World Cups – just a 14-year-old boy and his auntie – and it struck me as quite funny that he had such vivid memories too of watching the matches: He would say things like “You were sitting here, and Dad was there, and April was in town with her friends, and Ronaldo scored and then we had pizza for tea, and I played football afterwards with you and my uncles...” but they were quite different from my own memories. And I thought I have to write all of this down, because it’s about family and treasured memories and those great World Cup moments that stay with you for a lifetime.
What does your nephew think of the book?
I was quite nervous about sharing it with him initially, in case he didn’t like it. But a friend of mine who is a big footie fan read each chapter and kept saying, “More please!” so once each chapter was approved, I let Elliot read it. I’ve dedicated the book to him and I think he quite likes the idea of being immortalised!
How can people who aren't fans of football enjoy the book?
I think football fans will get the most out of it – because they will understand the humour, the references to the football gods, World Cup wall charts, how life can never live up to the thrill of watching Maradona. But my friends, male and female, football-loving or not, have kindly said they’ve found it very funny, and have related to the stories of growing up, falling in and out of love, leaving home to work abroad, and how I replaced my ex-husband with Thierry Henry and a cat.
What is next for you?
I have been working on some fictional stories, which I’m really enjoying, and I will continue to write about football on my blog - The Thinking Woman’s Football Blog.