FOOTBALLERS' WIVES. By Shelley Webb

I love this book. I love the fluent exhilarating writing style of the author/Editor, 'Mme' Shelley as we'll describe her in Africa here. So I admit that I'm African to the core, normally review mainly African books; but then again I've read much more 'Eurocentric' books over the years compared to African ones.

From inception one discerns that the author here is exceedingly proficient (and yes, we Africans love the flowery adjectival style, never mind the snooty pundits!). As a long time lover of football, I somewhat knew about the football career of Neil Webb decades ago, but very little about his then-wife, Shelley. But one can see immediately that she is a talented professional writer (juxtaposed with the other contributors here). So one can raise a smile when one reads: ..."I was awarded a first-class Honours degree in English and History..."

And there are other plusses: Shelley not only loved football, but also admired Glenn Hoddle in her youth - like yours truly (could any player control the ball like Hoddle and spray those gorgeous passes all over the park...?). Shelley is a knock out beauty too, so why should a reader not admire her?

But enough of the digressions (another African weakness!). Ah well, let us just add that the author, despite being well educated and savvy, is not ashamed of her love for football. As she writes here: " the literati have become the soccerity ...as writers realise that no longer are you treated as a social degenerate if you admit to a love of football "

Shelley, like most of the other women who contribute to this book, is anxious to point out that she was no gold digger... Actually, the bulk of the ladies here apparently met their partners when the guys were still struggling. A few samples here, starting with Shelley's: "I was earning more working on a Saturday at Boots than he (Neil) was as an apprentice..."

Suzi Walker, who married ex-Spurs keeper Ian Walker: "(When I met Ian) he did not even have a car. I was always lending him money and my car. If we went out to dinner I paid...". Suzi in this book comes across as quite sensitive, which is understandable under the circumstances.

And what about the stunning Suzy Barnes who married the great black player, John Barnes? She writes: "When I first knew him (John) he wasn't a catch... he was not earning a tremendous amount of money in the early days...". Suzy refers to Barnes' superb goal against Brazil in 1984; but here in Africa, Barnes is mainly remembered for brilliantly creating Lineker's goal against Argentina at the 1986 World Cup.

Of course this book would inspire a popular TV series in England with other spin-offs commensurate with the western world. But the impression this book gives is essentially that wives or partners of football stars are human like every other ... human; susceptible to the vagaries of the men in their lives and the trajectory of their careers. 

 Malome Eric