Paul McGrath book scoop's Top Award

**Block G Raptor** · 21/11/2006, 8:56 AM

http://www.villagemagazine.ie/articl...ud=18&aid=3275
Paul McGrath's Autobiography "Back From The Brink" has won the inaugural william hill Irish sports Book of the year award
has anyone read it?

**Superhoops** · 21/11/2006, 1:10 PM

Originally Posted by Block G Raptor

http://www.villagemagazine.ie/articl...ud=18&aid=3275
Paul McGrath's Autobiography "Back From The Brink" has won the inaugural william hill Irish sports Book of the year award
has anyone read it?

Bought it Saturday and am about half way through. It is a really good read. McGrath's story, much of which has been well documented before, has the best brought out of it by the superb writing style of Vincent Hogan. But I'm biased because IMHO, McGrath was Ireland's greatest player and Hogan is, by far, Ireland's greatest sports writer.

**beautifulrock** · 21/11/2006, 8:43 PM

must buy it tomorrow, will give some feedback when finished if anyone interested

**cheifo** · 22/11/2006, 1:55 PM

Yeh would appreciate that BR, cant decide whether to spend the time reading it because altough I love the fella I was wondering was there much new stuff in there.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 22/11/2006, 1:59 PM

Awful pun in thread title.

**strangeirish** · 22/11/2006, 2:55 PM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

Awful pun in thread title.

How many scoops did he win?
*I know, not in good taste*

Paul McGrath=Legend!

**Jerry The Saint** · 23/11/2006, 6:41 PM

Originally Posted by cheifo

Yeh would appreciate that BR, cant decide whether to spend the time reading it because altough I love the fella I was wondering was there much new stuff in there.

An awful lot of new (and shocking) stuff in the book. Amazing how much stuff the press kept quiet back then and, more surprisingly, how much they never even got wind of.

I remember deliberately not getting the book Cathal Dervan brought out because I knew it wouldn't tell the full story - would be interesting to see a comparison from someone who's read both.

**beautifulrock** · 23/11/2006, 6:58 PM

Originally Posted by cheifo

Yeh would appreciate that BR, cant decide whether to spend the time reading it because altough I love the fella I was wondering was there much new stuff in there.

I am well over half way through and its well worth getting. I agree with Jerry a fair bit of new stuff. Will give the final review by the weekend

**el punter** · 23/11/2006, 10:51 PM

Not much of an award to be Irish Sports book of the year is it? The real William Hill award is prestigious, but this is a wimpy watered down version from the looks of things.

**Superhoops** · 24/11/2006, 7:21 PM

Originally Posted by el punter

Not much of an award to be Irish Sports book of the year is it?......

Lest we should ever throw off the shackles of bedgrudery!

**Billsthoughts** · 27/11/2006, 1:13 PM

Originally Posted by Superhoops

Hogan is, by far, Ireland's greatest sports writer.

do you think so?
I think hogan is an awful writer. He seems to have spawned a load of copy cats who manage the amazing feat of actually being worse. one of the reasons I and a lot of people I know(well just me mate really) wouldnt buy the book initially was cause hogan wrote it.

**OwlsFan** · 27/11/2006, 3:20 PM

I think we know why you don't like Hogan and it's more his opinion on a particular unmentionable topic that irks you I suspect.

I like Hogan. He was in our family home many years ago and he interviewed my brother for the Indo I think it was and got him good publicity. The brother is/was a racing driver and he helped him on the way with the article. I know this doesn't necessarily make him a good writer but I have a lot of time for him as a consequence.

There must have been a conspiracy of silence on McGrath's problems in the media, since little of it got out. Nowadays, it would be on the back of every Daily Tit in the country.

**John83** · 27/11/2006, 3:32 PM

Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge

Awful pun in thread title.

I'm more concerned with the mindboggling stupidity behind that apostrophie in "scoop's".

Congratulations to McGrath. I really must get hold of a copy. He seems to have done something unfortunately unusual - (co-)written a genuinely interesting football book.

**Billsthoughts** · 27/11/2006, 4:00 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

I think we know why you don't like Hogan and it's more his opinion on a particular unmentionable topic that irks you I suspect.

If you are talking bout Keane/Macarthy/saipan/Our 9-11 then you are wrong. I couldnt even tell ya who Hogan supported in that whole thing. I just think he is a poor writer with loads of awful descriptive prose. Having said that he seemed to have kept it to a minumim with the Magrath book and would deffo recommend it to anyone having read it.

**Superhoops** · 27/11/2006, 8:34 PM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

If you are talking bout Keane/Macarthy/saipan/Our 9-11 then you are wrong. I couldnt even tell ya who Hogan supported in that whole thing. I just think he is a poor writer with loads of awful descriptive prose. Having said that he seemed to have kept it to a minumim with the Magrath book and would deffo recommend it to anyone having read it.

Hogan is a writer not a reporter. It is this 'descriptive prose' that stands him out from other sports writers. He has been around too long, won too many awards and held in too high a regard by his profession to be classed as a 'bad writer'. His style has certainly stood the test of time and I for one enjoy reading his features regardless of the subject.

Paul McGrath sums it up brilliantly in the first paragraph of the book when he thanks all who contributed to the compilation of this book, 'particularly Vincent Hogan who I believe has managed to bring wonderful shape and clarity to a story that has, up to now, been largely muddied'.

Top man Vincent!

**Jerry The Saint** · 27/11/2006, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

Having said that he seemed to have kept it to a minumim with the Magrath book and would deffo recommend it to anyone having read it.

Agree with this. He really allows McGrath's voice to come through and keeps the annoying aspects of his newspaper work out of it.

Hogan also wrote a very good biography on Nicky English some years ago.

**aidz1** · 28/11/2006, 10:07 AM

seen the book in easons yesterday...
defintley a must have for me this christmas...i dont usually go for the football autobiography nonsense, but this one should be good from the legend himself...
anyone know when its due out on paperback??

**Billsthoughts** · 28/11/2006, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by John83

I'm more concerned with the mindboggling stupidity behind that apostrophie in "scoop's".

I would be more concerned that it bothers you.

Originally Posted by Superhoops

It is this 'descriptive prose' that stands him out from other sports writers. He has been around too long, won too many awards and held in too high a regard by his profession to be classed as a 'bad writer'. His style has certainly stood the test of time and I for one enjoy reading his features regardless of the subject.
Top man Vincent!

I dont agree and am sure there are others who dont either. seem to remember him getting into various spats with other "writers" a while back and he was reduced to calling Humphries "fat". hardly rapier like wit? his flowery prose in his newspaper columns is woeful.

Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

Agree with this. He really allows McGrath's voice to come through and keeps the annoying aspects of his newspaper work out of it.
Hogan also wrote a very good biography on Nicky English some years ago.

Yeah this is deffo the case. credit were credit is due he wrote a great book.

**onenilgameover** · 14/12/2006, 3:49 AM

been reading through a bit of it...its alot different to his previous one...the black pearl....thats fecking disney compared to the...''going completely mad and having yisser legs stick together cos ye haven't moved in so long...'' lark in the new one...