The Bottom Line
- An honest account of Lawrie's reign from all perspectives
- Interesting "behind the scenes" stories from the important people involved
- Fantastic colour photographs throughout the whole of Lawrie's reign
- Not the usual sanitised book written by a publicist
- Brunt had total access at all levels of Northern Ireland football during this period
- Bitty nature of quotes leads to no overall narrative flow to the story
- Brunt is hardly an independent voice when discussing Lawrie Sanchez
Description
- Published by Belfast based company Appletree Publishing (http://www.appletree.ie)
- Author Heather Jan Brunt worked as communications consultant to Sanchez and the IFA during his time as manager.
- Contains memories from the author, Lawrie Sanchez, his backroom staff, Northern Ireland players, fans and journalists
Guide Review - Lawrie Sanchez - The Northern Ireland Years by Heather Jan Brunt
You'll have read above how unimpressed I was by Lawrie Sanchez's appointment as Northern Ireland manager back in January 2004 but, as I'm all too quick to admit, by the time he decided that the lure of Premier League football in England was too much to turn down I had more than changed my mind. If I had been handed a copy of this book on Lawrie Sanchez's reign as Northern Ireland manager on the day he'd been appointed I'd have laughed at the ridiculous idea of a Northern Ireland side who had went two years without scoring a goal suddenly finding a world class goalscorer within their own ranks, never mind shooting up the FIFA rankings as nation after nation fell at the hands of the boys in green and their 14,000 crazy sidekicks in the dilapidated stands of Belfast's Windsor Park.
Reading through Heather Jan Brunt's book I couldn't help but get teary eyed thinking back to some of these glory nights (and some of the not so glorious ones!) with David Healy banging in goals for fun and Lawrie Sanchez directing operations and beating the likes of Spain and England. What Sanchez gave us (and what this book reminds us of) was hope. Under previous regimes we didn't have it but Lawrie gave us our dignity and our hope back and reading his words and those of his staff, the players, fans and journalists who contributed to this book I can't help but admire the man for having the power to bring smiles to so many people's faces.
Heather Jan's book runs chronologically from Lawrie's appointment, game by game, to his resignation and it gave me many a happy hour reading through it and remembering the feelings watching our wee country during those days brought to me, my friends and my family.
I've read better books but, in footballing terms, there are none that have rekindled so many happy memories and for that I am truly thankful.
