Ashby Times book review

"It will be by Saturday when ex 5-a-side boss WAG's his tale of footie prowess in public for £2"

By Nick Hudson

SATURDAY sees the start of a new Premier League season - minus the wantaway Man United star Ronaldo, of course.

But there's a guy behind the bar at the Bowling Green pub in Ashby who swears he is famous.

And after this weekend, Mark Monk might be.

For alongside the beer pumps at the friendly hostelry, you'll find 36-year-old barman Mark and his new book.

Former local amateur footballer Mark releases his first book There's a Light That Never Goes Out to coincide with the start of the Premiership - and on the 15th anniversary of arguably his greatest triumph.

In 1993, Monk led the unfashionable and unfancied Bowling Green FC of Ashby to glory in the tough Hood Park five-a-side Division Two.

He was just 21 when he managed the side.

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, his 44-page 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 gesture to his striking teachers.

He also recalls his debut for the BGFC in 1986 - at the age of 14 - wearing a kit "borrowed" from a rival public house, the humliation of finishing bottom of the South Derbyshire League in 1987/88 and his controversial 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 said.

He also recalls in the book a brief spell coaching a wayard youth football team and laments: "Even Molly Badham would have struggled to tame this lot."

Priced at £2.00 (£2.50 by mail order to include postage costs), this is an expose packed with footballing cliches, anecdotes and a billion miles away from the world of over-paid, 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 Tm Clark.

The book will also be on sale behind the bar at the Bowling Green.

Father-of-four Mark, who has just finished a law-degree, says he has so far and printed 30 copies of the new book.

He admits there are no trophy-winning pictures in the book "as he did not expect to win the title".

he added: "And we did not have mobile phones and digital cameras to take pictures in those days".

He's hoping for a sell-out on Saturday - without a WAG in sight.