Overview

A rare book which has a rugby and a football story to tell. The book gives a personal perspective by a major player on a key period for football in Wales. A topical account as Cardiff City have recently been promoted and then relegated from the Premier League, which gives great insight into the highs and lows of Cardiff F.C. from the inside.

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9781847717108

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Imagine these two contrasting scenarios: Cardiff City are in Division Two, battling bankruptcy and relegation in front of a 4,800 crowd in a dilapidated Ninian Park. Meanwhile, the Cardiff Blues are at the Millennium Stadium, meeting Toulouse in the European Rugby Super League in front of a 20,000 crowd and a global TV audience. The Blues are one of only two professional rugby teams in Wales taking part in worldwide competition dubbed Rugbys Packer Circus. Neither the nightmare nor the dream were realised but they came perilously and tantalisingly close to doing so. In the case of the former, the nightmare was only ten minutes from becoming fact. And the Packer-like situation was only days away from being realised. One connecting factor in both scenarios was Mike Hall. He was a director of Cardiff City Football Club and was central during the time that Cardiff City Stadium was built. He was also, of course, captain of Cardiff and Wales and a British and Irish Lions Test Player. Here, for the first time, the full true story behind the biggest changes in Welsh rugby and soccer is told, including an insight into the character of the charismatic Cardiff City club owner, Sam Hamman. The Mike Hall Story is also a first-hand account of the revolutionary transition from amateur to professional rugby. Mike Hall is not the first rugby player to have been part of both codes of football. Phil Bennett and Gareth Edwards could have been just as mesmeric with the round ball as they were with the oval ball. But Hall was also deeply involved in the politics of both codes. The book pays due tribute to Mike the fundraiser. Proceeds of the book will help provide care and research at Velindre Cancer Centre, and Jonathan Davies enlarges on this in his foreword. Hall does not shun the great debate regarding the merits or otherwise of rugby and soccer. He concedes that the balance has shifted from the former to the latter. In fact, he fears for the future of rugby but is confident about the future of soccer. Hamish Stuart sums it all up in his introduction: There may be ambiguity over whether rugby was better or worse off by avoiding the Packer Circus, but there is little doubt that Cardiff City has gone from strength to strength thanks to the new stadium. Lyn Ebenezer It is possible to use this review for promotional purposes, but the following acknowledgment should be included: A review from www.gwales.com, with the permission of the Welsh Books Council. Gellir defnyddio'r adolygiad hwn at bwrpas hybu, ond gofynnir i chi gynnwys y gydnabyddiaeth ganlynol: Adolygiad oddi ar www.gwales.com, trwy ganiatd Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. -- Welsh Books Council

Author Information

Major Mike Hall joined the Coldstream Guards as a boy drummer in 1960 at the age of fifteen years. After years of ceremonial duties and active service in the United Kingdom and overseas, he became the Senior Drum Major of the Regiment. Passionate about military music, Mike has written training manuals for the Army, co-authored the Drummers' Handbook, composed many musical scores culminating in the production of two CDs of Flute and Drum arrangements. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, Mike has been requested to give a series of lectures for student band masters at Kneller Hall on the subject of writing and arranging for Corps of Drums. In retirement, Mike continues to maintain strong links with The Corps of Drums Society in the role of Training Development Officer.

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