Читать книгу Mr Cleansheets - Adrian Deans - Страница 6

At the risk of carrying on like some dickhead on Oscar night, it is important that I acknowledge the contribution of certain individuals in the creation of this book.

First, I should thank my mother, who nagged and screeched at me to be a writer from my earliest days.

Secondly, I would like to thank Russ Radcliffe, who read the opening chapters and recommended I contact Ian Syson from Vulgar Press.

Thirdly, I would like to thank Ian for sharing my enthusiasm but forcing me to make the book a hell of a lot better before he would publish it. Thanks also to Talia Page for her editing. (It’s amazing what you can miss despite reading the manuscript over 200 times!)

I want to thank the Dartford Town Sewer Pigs. As Bill Shankly so famously said: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.” The DTSP would thoroughly endorse that sentiment and I genuinely doubt whether I’ve ever had a conversation with any of the Pigs over 40 years of friendship which didn’t touch on football. I wouldn’t be the person I am and couldn’t have written this book without them.

Staying with the porcine theme, I also want to thank the Guinea Pigs - the friends and colleagues who read drafts of the book, ventured opinions and encouraged me to keep going. They really are too numerous to list but I must thank Raftl, Pete, Steve, Brett, Ant, Nick, Roni, Charl, Woodsie, Paul Green and Bruce. Bruce reckons he’s read it over 30 times! (He also graces the front cover.) I also want to acknowledge the encouragement of those who helped to promote the book long before it was published. In particular Dave, Phil, Muth, Spit and Sam Raftl (who filmed the little sequences for the URLs), Jo, Sally, Dean Mobbs and all the other slam-dancing skinheads.

Special thanks to Michael Landsberry for his brilliant photoshop work on the cover.

Most of all, thanks to my gorgeous wife Karen who is my number one fan and does so much to create an atmosphere at home that enables me to work and be creative. This book would not exist without Kazzie being so wonderful.