In the second sentence of Sheepshanks’ new book he writes that the book is “not intended as an autobiography”. Which, is odd, because it clearly is one, and it isn’t a bad one, but there was a choice when writing it. Would he target the book to people who want to read the thoughts of a successful football administrator and businessman? Or would he target the (presumably larger) group of Ipswich Town fans who want a behind-the-scenes story of the rise and fall of the club during his tenure.
Slightly disappointingly to this reader he chose the former.
I learnt a lot about Sheepshanks’ family, and his early business life setting up successful food manufacturing companies with his brother. Clearly one of life’s natural networkers and leaders it was the good fortune of the Cobbold family to have him write to them giving a critique of the way the club was run, and he was astutely invited onto the board.
The section on his time at the club forms the second part of the book.
In a parallel narrative are his dealings with the various football administrators, when he took on various roles for them, and applied for others. It was clear however he was never fully embraced by many in the FA, and this comes across in the book.
Finally we learn about the development of St George’s Park which he led, as well as the final stage of his professional career as a coach/mentor to business leaders.
The sections on Ipswich are written about a club he loves, and he ran valiantly for many years. He was an insider, on the inside. The sections on the FA and the Football league were written with an outsiders eye. When he wanted to change things at Ipswich he did. When he wanted to change things in football more widely he was often frustrated.
Consequently the stories about the politics and administration of football are in some ways more interesting. More gossipy. More personal. More critical of the people around him. He is particularly scathing of the Football League TV rights negotiations, seemingly with good reason.
When discussing Ipswich however his dignity and loyalty to the club and its employees mean that there is almost nothing that comes out that is a shock. His discretion numbs the stories.
When Magilton was appointed manager the club had to consider a shortlist of three. Magilton, Nigel Pearson and an unnamed third candidate. Surely no harm can be done now releasing the name.
Even worse is his story about the reaction of some players following our relegation in 2002. After the final game away at Liverpool, when relegation was confirmed Holland, Venus, Hermann and Magilton got on the team bus clearly feeling dreadful. But another group of players got on “laughing and joking, as if they didn’t give a damn”. But these players are unnamed.
Many interesting stories remain. The managerial sackings. The purchase by Evans (someone with whom Sheepshanks is clearly less close, so he is much more forthcoming). The tale of the transfer of Baltacha is probably the highlight of the book. You are reminded quite was a strange place the Soviet Union was. I get the feeling however that many interesting stories remain untold.
Nevertheless I learned a lot about Sheepshanks and his life outside Ipswich Town. If you are a leader in business you might even consider employing him as a mentor/coach. If you are an Ipswich fan there will be enough here to entertain you, although if you are old enough to have lived through his years with the club you will be mostly reminded of events, rather than truly getting a view from the inside, which feels slightly like an opportunity missed. [Post edited 5 Jun 15:46]
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