{"product_id":"9781472296566","title":"Hammer Time : Me, West Ham, and a Passion for the Shirt","description":"\u003ch3\u003eAuthor:  Dicks, Julian \u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ch4\u003eUnclassified\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003ch5\u003ePublished on 8 June 2023 by Headline Publishing Group (Headline Book Publishing) in the United Kingdom.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHardback | 320 pages, 20 colour photos\u003cbr\u003e162 x 242 x 31 | 558g\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h5\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'pulls no punches' The Sun'full of eventful tales from the past' Daily Mail'punchy, earthy ... entertaining stories that capture football in an era long before sanitised PR and Instagram self-promotion' The IndependentFrom West Ham's cult hero, Julian Dicks, a hugely entertaining romp through football and the East End of the  Eighties and Nineties.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Cult figure' is a term hardly used in football these days: where have they all gone? In the sterile and corporate modern game, is there room for the mercurial midfielder or the tough-tackling defender or the pot-bellied goal poacher? Rewind two or three decades and British professional football was stuffed to the gunnels with these 'one-offs': players with bags of talent, yes, but also lorryloads of personality and a hugely relatable quality which meant they'd all be playing Sunday morning park football if they hadn't become professionals. No media training, no filter, no 5% body fat, no cryotherapy chambers, and no quiet nights in with a curly kale salad and a glass of carrot juice.  Meet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player and undoubtedly one of the greatest cult figures to play for West Ham United.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHammer Time is Dicks' hugely entertaining romp through his career with West Ham, shot through with all the great anecdotes of life as a pro back then, and peppered with all the marvellous characters who crossed his path in those halcyon days. It evokes memories of intimidating away crowds, muddy pitches, no-nonsense tackling, card schools on the bus, big nights out after matches, and the special camaraderie that was forged between players of that era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHammer Time is also an open love letter to the unique character and atmosphere of West Ham United and East London, conjuring up - with great warmth and nostalgia - a fast disappearing world of strong working-class communities, proper East End boozers and those iconic pie and mash shops.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HUNTS BOOKSHOP LTD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44109088162032,"sku":"9781472296566","price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0514\/8635\/9739\/files\/9781472296566_ed2811a7-bfea-4514-80bb-8c868a4c10d2.jpg?v=1713529540","url":"https:\/\/huntsbookshop.pro\/products\/9781472296566","provider":"Hunt's Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}