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On Days Like These: The Lost Memoir of a Goalkeeper
'Emotional, insightful, beautifully written. A story of making saves and being saved. The best football book I have read this year.' Henry Winter
Sir Alex Ferguson looked at Joe 'You know your dad saved my career?' Joe 'And you saved his.'
More than three decades before, in 1990, Ferguson's managerial career stood at its lowest ebb. After three barren years at Old Trafford, he was facing dismissal. There was just the FA Cup final left. Manchester United were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw at Wembley. For the replay, Ferguson took the gamble of his life, replacing his long-standing keeper, Jim Leighton, with Les Sealey, on loan from Luton. United won. Ferguson remained, winning another 24 major trophies.
Les Sealey would play in another three finals for United. When he died suddenly, aged 43, Les left behind a warm, witty, and detailed autobiography in the form of a Tupperware box full of cassette tapes. His death, however, threw his son, Joe, into a tormented spiral of alcoholism and drug abuse before he was dragged from the brink.
On Days Like These, longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, is the story of a remarkable double rescue. Of a football club and of a man.
'Brings alive early 90s #MUFC & the mad genius of Ferguson' Sam Wallace
Sir Alex Ferguson looked at Joe 'You know your dad saved my career?' Joe 'And you saved his.'
More than three decades before, in 1990, Ferguson's managerial career stood at its lowest ebb. After three barren years at Old Trafford, he was facing dismissal. There was just the FA Cup final left. Manchester United were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw at Wembley. For the replay, Ferguson took the gamble of his life, replacing his long-standing keeper, Jim Leighton, with Les Sealey, on loan from Luton. United won. Ferguson remained, winning another 24 major trophies.
Les Sealey would play in another three finals for United. When he died suddenly, aged 43, Les left behind a warm, witty, and detailed autobiography in the form of a Tupperware box full of cassette tapes. His death, however, threw his son, Joe, into a tormented spiral of alcoholism and drug abuse before he was dragged from the brink.
On Days Like These, longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, is the story of a remarkable double rescue. Of a football club and of a man.
'Brings alive early 90s #MUFC & the mad genius of Ferguson' Sam Wallace
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Published May 25, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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August 29, 2023It means a lot that my Dad recommended this book to me. This is a father and son story, but in a way that the stories of both Joe and his father Les are separate but always intertwined. As the stories bounce back and forth between the two, you always have the other person's story in mind.
Concerning the footballing parts of this book, they are powerful narratives of a game and league that is passed on to history. Les was playing at the dawn of the modern game and of Manchester United's part of it. His takes on Alex Ferguson alone are enough to encourage any fan of the game to read this book.
This can be a tough read sometimes, with a lot of hard times, and the kind of heartbreak that only the death of a parent can bring, but it's well worth it in the end.
I can't think of another book like this one that does this with both the game of football and its relationship to fathers and sons.
Concerning the footballing parts of this book, they are powerful narratives of a game and league that is passed on to history. Les was playing at the dawn of the modern game and of Manchester United's part of it. His takes on Alex Ferguson alone are enough to encourage any fan of the game to read this book.
This can be a tough read sometimes, with a lot of hard times, and the kind of heartbreak that only the death of a parent can bring, but it's well worth it in the end.
I can't think of another book like this one that does this with both the game of football and its relationship to fathers and sons.
August 25, 2023
I enjoyed it! the author did a great job as this was put together from cassette tapes, it is beautifully written!
I got what i wanted from the book; in terms of: locker room situations, humility between people in the football industry, 90s reds stories, professional footballers’ life, the match from the inside.. &the gaffer! Aside from that les&joe’s stories were powerful. Im happy that i got it and feel a bit more connected to the game now.
I got what i wanted from the book; in terms of: locker room situations, humility between people in the football industry, 90s reds stories, professional footballers’ life, the match from the inside.. &the gaffer! Aside from that les&joe’s stories were powerful. Im happy that i got it and feel a bit more connected to the game now.
February 4, 2024
I’m only really a casual football fan, but picked this up as I had heard it came about when a set of tapes that Les Sealey had recorded years before came to light and were passed on to his son. This is for sure a story about a talented goal keeper, a warts all insight into the footballing profession but it’s also a story of family, fathers and sons, loss and grief.
January 30, 2024
A great story about one of football's real characters and a new insight into Fergie's early days at Old Trafford.
February 13, 2025
Not big on footballers biographies, but really enjoyed this. Enjoyed the dual narrative going on. And Les Sealey came across as a great guy.
October 17, 2025
a brilliant heart warming book about career or a great goalkeeper and family man and his sons story when he sadly passed away when he was just 43.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews