Craig Bellamy: GoodFella by Craig Bellamy

by Craig Bellamy

CRAIG BELLAMY is one of those footballers you can’t ignore. If he plays for your team, you love him. If he doesn’t . . .Everyone thinks they know Bellamy. Pace and passion. A handful for defenders. Scoring goals and winding up opponents. Winning friends – and making enemies.Blessed with a natural talent, he has enjoyed a colourful career at a host of top clubs. The proud Welshman is one of the top ten appearance makers for his country. But his rise to the top of the game wasn’t easy. It could have all been so different.He came from a loving family but temptations lay in his way. Follow the crowd or follow a dream? Join your mates in a gang on the streets or try to make it as a pro? It was a choice between the two.Bellamy chose football and became a rebel with a cause. He quickly climbed the ladder and shared dressing rooms with some of the biggest stars in football – from Ryan Giggs to Steven Gerrard. His burning desire to succeed made him a winner on the pitch, but that same passion also got him into trouble. There were famous bust-ups with John Arne Riise and Alan Shearer, not to mention rows with Graeme Souness, Rafa Benitez and Roberto Mancini.Away from the spotlight, there is a different side to Bellamy. His earnings from this book will be going to the Craig Bellamy Foundation, a charity which offers children in Sierra Leone the chance to fulfill their sporting potential. He is a devoted Dad and was heartbroken at the tragic and shocking death of his close friend Gary Speed.Craig GoodFella uncovers the real man behind the player and reveals the untold stories of a life inside football’s fast lane.Like Bellamy himself, it doesn’t hold back.

Genres: Football, Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Sports

Hardcover

First published June 3, 2013

Reviews

[Gareth Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, if frustrating, biography of the footballer Craig Bellamy. Best bits were the stories about Bobby Gould’s tenure as manager of wales.

[Marion Tucker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite looking forward to reading this autobiography as I liked Bellamy when he played for Liverpool.
It was interesting reading about his experiences at other clubs, however it was during the chapter about his first spell at Liverpool that I began to get a bit fed up at his habit of ''losing it'' and doing something stupid. He never seemed to learn from his mistakes during most of his career.
I know he is by no means the only footballer who this has happened to and the game itself may very well play a part with the larges amounts of money and celebrity involved.
It is very sad that it seems to have taken the tragic death of Gary Speed and also the breakdown of his marriage and subsequent divorce for him to take a good look at himself and get some help. It's obvious that he feels that help worked and it will be interesting to see him in the Premier League with Cardiff next season.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read the autobiography of the colourful footballer Craig Bellamy and was actually surprised by some of it. Yes it is full of the controversial stories that have followed his career but it also shows another side of him that he keeps well hidden from press and football fans alike. He is a self confessed loose cannon and his short temper has got him into many a pickle but there is also another side to his character. He started a football academy in Sierra Leone where he has spent over a million pound trying to help less fortunate. A very good read and shows that there is more to his character than we perhaps thought.

[Nathan Adam Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

I will admit that being a Welshman I have a certain amount of bias towards Craig as a fellow welshman. Having read this book you will feel his passion for the game and for winning. I have no doubt that some people will dislike him for some of his onfield run in with authority but if you look at every team that plays the game you will see the same and those players never got the same treatment as Craig. He's not afraid to say what he thinks when it needs to be said and I can relate to that 100%.Also I am glad that he has highlighted some of the strategies used by clubs to move players on, not every player wants to move, some do, some are forced out and if people cannot see that they need to open their eyes. Well done Craig great read.

[Jack Youd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very much an enjoyable book. I have always been a fan of Bellamy due to his days at Liverpool and being Welsh. Reading this I felt the disappointment he felt throughout his career and personally I feel the quality of player should have more to show for. He speaks with real honesty at each decisive moment in his career and you can sense the true regret he feels at certain points. Great read.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very honest book. Finishes at the end of the 2012-13 season when Cardiff city get promoted, he left Liverpool (2nd time) when dalglish was sacked.
He started seeing Steve Peters (Chimp Paradox) who Ronnie O’Sullivan sees, who has helped him with mental health issues.
Was a workaholic during his earlier career to the detriment of his marriage. Good book, I don’t mind Bellamy despite the stick he gets from most people.

[Dave B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book. A very troubled man, who seems to have the ability to start an argument in an empty room. Interesting tales from his perspective and certainly better than most autobiographies. Unfortunately I happen to know some of the side of the perspective and there are a few watering down of incidents in the book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I didn't think I'd get through because of his reputation. But I did like him as a player he showed heart on a football field. It's an honest read and enjoyed it through the many clubs he played for.

[Ian Curragh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5stars

An honest account of the football career of Craig Bellamy. He speaks from the heart about his life in football and pulls no punches about issues as he meets them head on. A worthwhile read for any football fan.

[Keith Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diary of a troubled mind

Craig wrote about his very successful Career and gave a great insight into what it takes to get to the top. Trouble is never far away from Craig from start to finish. Not a bad effort

[Lee Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy an autobiography. This was nothing different, I remember as a player he was a player many lives to hate. The book mainly covers it all, I would like to have known more behind his meltdowns and he does gloss over much of his personal stuff, which sometimes I understand.

[Leslie Haigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Matthew Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read. Extremely open and honest about mistakes and successes in his career. Must read for a football fan of the premier league era

[Paul McCormack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good read

[Joe Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent read 😀😃😃😀😃😃😃😃😃

[Scott Cann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly doubt you’ll read a more honest autobiography.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank and honest without being arrogant. Admire him more after reading it. Pleasantly surprised. Recommended.

[Hassan Javed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of the fastest reads I have ever done! What a story, what a book, and what a player Craig Bellamy is!

Being a fan of footballer biographies, I was very thrilled to see that Craig Bellamy released a book. Being a Liverpool fan I was mostly looking forward to the chapters of Craig Bellamy’s life in Liverpool. However, as I started the first chapter, it was really captivating and I could not put the book down. The story of his childhood, the struggle in his football life, injuries, transfers, other players and managers was extremely interesting. In specific I really enjoyed the chapters about Sir Bobby Robson, really puts a perspective on what a great manager and personality he was. Besides this, the chapters on the early football life, the times at Manchester City, Gary Speed and of course Liverpool was thoroughly enjoyed.

The entire story is very inspirational and I am very glad that I took the time out to read this one. While reading the last chapter in the book, I would have loved if there were more chapters on his life story. The seriousness and the life lessons presented were a great aspect of the book and I now have even more respect for Craig Bellamy, not only as a footballer but also as a person!

I will definitely be watching Cardiff games next season!

[Bill Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book because of the claim that it was a very honest account, but I was ultimately disappointed from the perspective of learning more about the ins and outs of football teams and management. I think that Bellamy's own personality got in the way of his honesty, by being self-obsessed without being self-aware. So when he's talking about the players and management, its all about him. He was clearly obsessed with playing football and having success at a high level, terrified of failure, but shows little wisdom with regards to his own failings or those of his colleagues.

That said, after skim reading the first few chapters and reaching the era and teams I was more familiar with, I started to enjoy the book. There are tantalising glimpses of what it was like to play for the big teams, but I thought it was rather short on interesting anecdotes, which these sorts of books are usually full of. I certainly wouldn't invite him as an after dinner speaker.

Anyway, good on him. He rose from the streets of Cardiff, overcame his demons, to become a top rated footballer, and winning the League Cup with Liverpool FC. He pretty much glossed over his charity work in Sierra Leone which was a great shame. Did he actually do anything or was he just generous with his money? Anyway, thanks for your time at LFC.

[Chris Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best and most honest footballer biographies I have read. Think the only thing he shirks from is what he means by how he treated his wife to cause the marriage break up but I think infidelity is hinted at without him actually coming out and saying in detail (maybe out of respect to his ex wife)that this was the case. Not scared to say what he thinks on football related matters and enjoyed the stories involving the likes of Mancini, Hughes, Benitez, Souness, Robinho etc. Hard reading the chapter on Gary Speed who had a major influence on Bellamys carear. Didn't know about the Sierra Leone chapter either which again shows Bellamy in a good light. Although he never played for my team I always rated him as a player and enjoyed watching him play partly because he is who he is and was always likely to get involved in some sort of incident so made you want to watch him. This book is an easy read and I would recommend to any football fan.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read that Craig Bellamy strongly relates to the Mob character Henry Hill (from Scorsese’s brilliant GoodFellas in 1990), you probably wouldn't be too surprised. The comparisons are easy to make; rich, aggressive, energetic, the will to win at all costs. This, however, is one of the few things about GoodFella that can be described as predictable.

The first thing the reader notices is how reasonable he is. Bellamy is known to be a lot of things – mouthy, sneering, quick of foot, talented – but reasonable he’s not. As manager Mark Hughes points out in the foreword, “He has got a lot of strengths. Diplomacy is not one of them.” So what is going on here? (More... http://bit.ly/16vePxr )

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

i became a fan of craig when he became a liverpool player for the second time, not only had he changed since his first stint but because i was able to meet him and what a gentleman he is. reading this brought tears to my eyes, especially when he spoke about footballing legend Gary Speed and how his passing had affected craig. i remember the Chelsea Vs Liverpool match after Gary's death and the passion that Craig had not only for Liverpool but also to honour the memory of his mentor, country's manager and his friend. a compelling read

[Sumit Singla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a book that makes you smile, cry and shake your head in disbelief - all at the same time. Craig Bellamy talks about the man behind the tough, on-field persona, and you discover how a top athlete has much the same insecurities, the same fears as the rest of us.

In particular, the chapters about Gary Speed's suicide and the disintegration of his marriage are really touching.

As a Liverpool fan, all I can say is - Craig Bellamy, you'll never walk alone.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about one of the more polarizing footballers of the last 15 years... in his own words. Honest, humble, and inspiring. A fascinating life. I can understand why publishers would drool over his story.

[Ryan Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Brutally honest. Great insight into a great player. I'll never forget that game against Chelsea after Gary Speed died. Bellamy was awesome that night. What a player.

[Soumith Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

He's an arrogant twat. But a good narrator. This book exemplifies the good, bad and ugly of a footballer's life and career, The ups and downs which make or break them. This one's for the ardent EPL fans or Bellamy fans( I'm guessing there aren't that many;))

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, an honest read, although never seemed to learn from his mistakes until the Gary Speed death hit him hard.
He also had the knack of contradicting himself so many times throughout this book. Still an enjoyable read mind..

[dean hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

GoodFella

A really good read,gives an insight into what its like behind the scenes at a football club. Also found the chapter about Gary Speed's death very powerful,he was clearly a very special person and would have gone on to become a very successful manager.

[Mike Healey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Liverpool fan I was interested what he to say regarding his separate spells at the club.
One of the most honest/open autobiographies I have read over the years, as he explains his faults and how Gary Speeds death effected him.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craig Bellamy is complicated and honest. He is also a pretty decent footballer, and this is a pretty decent book. The chapter about Gary Speed's suicide is moving.