Former local amateur footballer Mark Monk releases his first book: "There's a light that never goes out" on the fifteenth anniversary of arguably his greatest triumph.

The book was launched on Saturday August 16th, to coincide with the start of the new Premier League season.

In 1993, Monk led the unfashionable and unfancied BGFC of Ashby (BGFC) to glory in the tough Hood Park 5-a-side Division 2. A decade and half later, he blows the dressing room door wide open revealing a candid account of the characters and antics that went on during that memorable season.

However, the book goes way beyond his finest hour. Monk recalls his days as a "chubby cherub" playing football in the mean-streets of Shepshed, as a defiant, rebellious gesture to his striking teachers.

He also recalls his debut for the BGFC in 1986, wearing a kit "borrowed" from a rival public house, the humiliation of finishing bottom in the South Derbyshire league in 1987/88 and his controversial 1989 transfer to the now defunct Ibstock Dynamoes for the princely sum of two pints of lager and a packet of Pork Scratchings.

He pays tribute to the fine players that have worn the BGFC with distinction and disdain. "They played for kicks - literally!" - he also recalls a brief spell coaching a wayward, youth football team and laments "Even Molly Badham would have struggled to tame this lot".

Priced at just £2.00 (£2.50 by mail order to include postage costs), this is an expose packed with football cliches, anecdotes and a billion miles away from the world of overpaid, pampered Premiership footballers, WAGs and flash cars. This really is totally original, jumpers-for-goalposts, one-man-and-his-dog stuff and includes an endorsement from Mark's close friend and popular Radio Ashby DJ Tim Clark.

Please see www.myspace.com/bgashby for online ordering details.

Or pop down to the BGFC and the kind, obliging staff (hahaha!) will happily take two quid off you for a copy!