"there has only ever been one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, and we killed him. I only missed a putt."
Pat Jennings Autobiography
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Pat Jennings, Harper Collins, 1984 ISBN 978-0586060773
Pat Jennings was arguably the best goalkeeper of his generation playing for Tottenham and Arsenal as well as gaining over 100 caps for Northern Ireland. However, his Tottenham career almost did not happen; Jennings was offered £38 per week but he refused sign because he wanted £40!
There is an excellent chapter on George Best, his Northern Ireland room-mate. He said of Best: “George Best built two reputations during his footballing career, one for his skill on the field and the other for his exploits off it. It seems that George was two different fellows and I have to admit, I only knew one of them.
There are two excellent chapters on the 1982 World Cup and Northern Ireland's exploits and in a book published in 1984, with hindsight, an amusing comment that he definitely would not be playing in the 1986 World Cup. He did!
There is nothing about faith in the book except a comment that Peter Knowles who gave up football because he became a Jehovah’s Witness might have been able to do more for the cause and image of JW's had he continued playing”.
The strength of the book is the insight into football in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and the inside story of Northern Ireland’s 1982 world Cup campaign.