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Hero and Villain: A Year in the Life of Paul Merson
 
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Hero and Villain: A Year in the Life of Paul Merson (Paperback)

by Paul Merson (Author), Ian Ridley (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollinsWillow; New Ed edition (4 Sep 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0002188961
  • ISBN-13: 978-0002188968
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 245,494 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Synopsis

Paul Merson's career reached its peak as he gained selection for Glenn Hoddle's England squad for the 1998 World Cup. Four years had elapsed since he openly admitted his alcoholism and addictions to gambling and drugs, and France 98 heralded the start of an incident-packed year for the former Highbury hero. His insider's view of the England camp makes interesting reading: consoling an angry Gazza; the ribbing of Hoddle; witnessing the dropping of David Beckham and the rise of Michael Owen; and taking part in the epic match against Argentina. And the road to Euro 2000 is proving to be a bumpier ride than many experts had forecast. On the domestic scene, Merson highlights his unique relationship with Gazza, the angst over his departure from Middlesborough, and behind the scenes at his new team, Aston Villa.

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Son of Rock Bottom, 13 May 2003
By Hugh Thomas (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Merson's second volume of autobiography is in diary form but none the less readable for it. We find him still wrestling with the same problems, shuttle running from Alcoholics Anonymous to Naroctics Anonymous to Gamblers Anonymous between suffering a marriage breakup and fitting in the occasional bit of football with the Villa. No wonder he's the player most likely to burst into tears at a press conference; well, second to Gazza maybe. There's insight to be found here into the latter's problems, although team mate Stan Collymore seems to have left Merson rather cold by comparison. Football moves so fast that Merson and boss Gregory are both now long gone from Villa Park, but one hears in the papers that Paul is still suffering the occasional relapse into bad habits. One fears for what will become of him on retirement from Portsmouth. He wants a managerial or coaching position, which would potentially give him the goal he needs to channel his obsessive personality into, but what club is going to take a risk like that with his track record?
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Put in the shade by his captain's effort, 29 April 2003
By Mr. A. C. Gilbert "thegilb" (Chatel sur Rolle, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Despite having the same co-author, Paul Merson's autobiography suffers both in format and in content in comparison with Tony Adams' Addicted.
The book is written as a diary, in which Merson moves from the World Cup to his spells at Middlesboro and Aston Villa. All three have the scent of failure attached to them, and there is very little allusion to his glory days at Highbury, days in which the seeds of his various addictions were sown. This makes for a rather drab backcloth to the essential subject of the book - Merson's tormented, desperate and not always successful struggle to break away from needing some kind of high to help him cope with life outside the confines of a training pitch or a football stadium.
There are many similarities between what he lives through and what happened to Tony Adams. Whether this experience is restricted to players coming through Arsenal's youth system in the 1980's I don't know, but a pattern emerges of the emptiness of the life of a dedicated footballer during the long periods of time off, be they mid-week or off-season. And for young men drilled with a will to win and nurtured on the highs of scoring, winning and beating others, the temptation to seek short-term thrills at the races or in the bottom of a bottle seems for some to be overpowering.
Merson's book also suffers in comparison because you sense that there is less depth of character in him than in Adams. There's a sense of passing from the autobiography of a man to that of a small boy, tearful, scared and suffering the rejection of his wife.
The book finishes in a kind of no-man's land as Villa finish the season with a dreadful run of form. I only hope for his sake that, after guiding Portsmouth to promotion this season, Merson is well back on the road to recovery, and that if he were to add another chapter or two to his book, we could trace the development of a more mature, confident and rounded person.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Mersons demons fully slayed in great book, 31 Oct 2000
By A Customer
The story about Paul Merson's many demons is certainly well documented but now fully behind him, however, the influencial Villa man has chosen to tell his side of a remarkable story. Merson recounts the last,two often turbulent years, in the turbulent life of a great footballer. His story travels from World Cups to Wembley, via drinking and betting relapses and transfers, recounting his constant battle with his addictions along the way. Merson's story is written in diary form and thus offers us a good background to life as a top professional footballer, away from the prying eyes of the press. His honesty regarding Glenn Hoddle's tutorship during the World cup, and his initial problems concerning his relationship with Villa boss John Gregory, also of note are his rather candid views of team mate Stan Collymore and his own demons. Merson is certainly one of the more honest players in his views of his life and the game itself, such views are outlined throughout this book. Merson's story comes bang up to date with an inside story of his series of influencial performances for his club and his decision to retire from playing for his country, it gives an in depth account of the last ever Wembley FA Cup final. After reading about Merson's life ,through Merson's eyes, I certainly have even more respect for the Holte End hero.

Review by Mark Stanford

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The limitations are my own
Having just read Tony Adams "Addicted", I was interested to find out more about the Merse, of whom I am a big fan. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Chubworth

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it from cover-to-cover
Paul needs to dispose of his Editor. He incorrectly refers to Lea Marston Hotel & Leisure Complex in the book as 'Lea Marsden'. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Helen McGregor

5.0 out of 5 stars CLASS
This book was well addictive! Once i picked it up I couldnt put it down, its soo absorbing. Even if you arent a Villa fan, or even a football fan there's a very high chance you'll... Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2001

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