England 'Til I Die, a new book written by England fans about following the national team home and abroad, is now on sale from TWTD’s shop. Like the Ipswich ‘Til I Die book in the same series, which is in the running for a national award, the new book captures the funny, the absurd, the emotional, the peculiar, the shocking and unbelievable that is part and parcel of being a diehard England fan.
It contains tales of unwavering dedication and loyalty, of personal sacrifice and emotional trauma, entwined with stories highlighting superb camaraderie, intense excitement and proud patriotism. Wives and jobs have been lost, bank balances left in ruins and countless sickies thrown - just to be there, to cheer on the Three Lions.
Edited by David Lane, it is, in many ways, a celebration of the madness that afflicts every football fan, but taken to the limit. Take the bloke with the longest ever run of consecutive England matches who saved a female fan’s life as she hurtled down a ravine on top of Mount Fuji - and ended up marrying her.
Or the elderly brothers proud of having been pick-pocketed in nearly every European capital and who used to collect horse manure to pay for their wartime match tickets.
Or even the patriotic Brummie who had the choice of seeing every England game in France 98 or saving his marriage. Quelle surprise, he chose ‘le football’, and when his missus left admitted, "It took me a whole six weeks to get over her”.
England 'Til I Die, which is published by Legends Publishing, is available from TWTD’s shop here, where the Town book in the series, Ipswich ‘Til I Die is also still on sale.
Ipswich ‘Til I Die, featuring a foreword written by Sir Bobby Robson shortly before his death last year, is amongst the contenders for the 2009/10 People’s Book Prize in the non-fiction section, having carried off the monthly award for October 2009.
To cast your vote and help the book, which raises funds for the club’s Community Trust and other organisations, win, click here.