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nineteen85
208 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2025
About the author
Billy Morris
8 books1 followerBilly Morris was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1966. He left Leeds in the late 1990's and has lived and worked in Europe and USA. He now lives mainly in South East Asia with regular visits back to Yorkshire.
Four of Morris's books form the 'Eighties Leeds' series, LS65, Paris75, Bournemouth90 and LS92 span the period from 1965 to 1992, a period which saw profound changes for the city of Leeds, its football team and its fashion and cultures. The books are all standalone stories but are linked by people and places and the common themes of a gritty Northern English underworld, pubs, music and football.
'Birdsong on Holbeck Moor' is Morris's first standalone story, set during the tumultuous period at the end of World War 1. The Leeds Pals have been decimated at the Somme and the soldiers who survived return to find a city in the grip of a global pandemic, with food rationing, unemployment and a football team facing expulsion from the league due to financial irregularities during the war years. Throw in an unhealthy dose of corruption, inter-city gang wars and witchcraft and you have the makings of a dark, gritty, Edwardian thriller.
Morris's 6th book, Spotter, published in April 2025, moves into the new millenium, but follows the same gritty fact-meets-fiction formula of his previous work. It's April 2001. The city of Leeds is reinventing itself as an economic powerhouse, and David O'Leary's young United side are conquering Europe in the champions league. For PC Charlie Mills it couldn't be better time to return to his home town as Leeds' football intelligence 'spotter.' But Charlie and the city have a dark history and when a local gang leader is released from prison to unleash a reign of terror, Charlie is forced to revisit his past and question whose side he's on… and try to remember who he really is.
Nineteen85 was released in Nov 2025. The latest story is set against the usual football background with Leeds United languishing in the second division, in a decaying stadium plagued by the worst hooligans in the country. Adversity represents opportunity for 3 men - a politician, a tabloid reporter and a local crime boss who wants to own a football club. 3 men trying to manage a situation which is spiralling out of control in an era of greed, power and corruption.
Morris's latest book 4-56 was released in June 2026. t's April 1956. Ronnie Clegg is living his life in two worlds. A teenage existence of rock and roll music, juke boxes and dance halls, drape jackets and brothel creeper shoes, collides with his day-job in a vicious Leeds underworld being fuelled by a ready supply of post-war weaponry.
At Elland Road, a United team led by inspirational captain John Charles, are making an unexpected late surge for promotion which looked impossible just a month ago, and must now be prevented.Ronnie Clegg is in the eye of a storm of his own making, and survival becomes a deadly test of loyalty to his gangland bosses, his own family and the football team he loves.
"If you like dark, urban fiction with a terrace twist, you'll enjoy the journey Billy Morris's books take you on."
Four of Morris's books form the 'Eighties Leeds' series, LS65, Paris75, Bournemouth90 and LS92 span the period from 1965 to 1992, a period which saw profound changes for the city of Leeds, its football team and its fashion and cultures. The books are all standalone stories but are linked by people and places and the common themes of a gritty Northern English underworld, pubs, music and football.
'Birdsong on Holbeck Moor' is Morris's first standalone story, set during the tumultuous period at the end of World War 1. The Leeds Pals have been decimated at the Somme and the soldiers who survived return to find a city in the grip of a global pandemic, with food rationing, unemployment and a football team facing expulsion from the league due to financial irregularities during the war years. Throw in an unhealthy dose of corruption, inter-city gang wars and witchcraft and you have the makings of a dark, gritty, Edwardian thriller.
Morris's 6th book, Spotter, published in April 2025, moves into the new millenium, but follows the same gritty fact-meets-fiction formula of his previous work. It's April 2001. The city of Leeds is reinventing itself as an economic powerhouse, and David O'Leary's young United side are conquering Europe in the champions league. For PC Charlie Mills it couldn't be better time to return to his home town as Leeds' football intelligence 'spotter.' But Charlie and the city have a dark history and when a local gang leader is released from prison to unleash a reign of terror, Charlie is forced to revisit his past and question whose side he's on… and try to remember who he really is.
Nineteen85 was released in Nov 2025. The latest story is set against the usual football background with Leeds United languishing in the second division, in a decaying stadium plagued by the worst hooligans in the country. Adversity represents opportunity for 3 men - a politician, a tabloid reporter and a local crime boss who wants to own a football club. 3 men trying to manage a situation which is spiralling out of control in an era of greed, power and corruption.
Morris's latest book 4-56 was released in June 2026. t's April 1956. Ronnie Clegg is living his life in two worlds. A teenage existence of rock and roll music, juke boxes and dance halls, drape jackets and brothel creeper shoes, collides with his day-job in a vicious Leeds underworld being fuelled by a ready supply of post-war weaponry.
At Elland Road, a United team led by inspirational captain John Charles, are making an unexpected late surge for promotion which looked impossible just a month ago, and must now be prevented.Ronnie Clegg is in the eye of a storm of his own making, and survival becomes a deadly test of loyalty to his gangland bosses, his own family and the football team he loves.
"If you like dark, urban fiction with a terrace twist, you'll enjoy the journey Billy Morris's books take you on."
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 17, 2025
I love every one of Billy Morris’ books, so I was genuinely excited to get stuck into nineteen85, and once again it didn’t disappoint.
Morris has always written with a dark and gritty edge, but this one dives even deeper into the shadows. There’s a real heaviness to it, a sinister undertone that feels even more intense than his previous work. It’s not just a story set in a rough time, it lives in that roughness.
Unlike some of the earlier books, nineteen85 isn’t heavily Leeds United-centred. Yes, the city is the backdrop and the main character has ties to the club, but the heart of this story lies elsewhere. This book is far more focused on the characters themselves. Their secrets, their struggles, their flaws, and watching their personal worlds unravel is what really drives the story.
One thing Billy Morris does better than almost anyone is scene-setting. His descriptions are so vivid and immersive that you don’t just picture the world, you feel it. Whether it’s a bar in Leeds City Centre, a bleak street in Harehills, or a football stadium riot, he pulls you straight into 1985 like you’re standing there with the characters. It’s atmospheric, textured, and incredibly real.
Overall, it’s a gripping read set during a torrid, turbulent period for both the club and the city. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait to see what Billy Morris has up his sleeve next.
Morris has always written with a dark and gritty edge, but this one dives even deeper into the shadows. There’s a real heaviness to it, a sinister undertone that feels even more intense than his previous work. It’s not just a story set in a rough time, it lives in that roughness.
Unlike some of the earlier books, nineteen85 isn’t heavily Leeds United-centred. Yes, the city is the backdrop and the main character has ties to the club, but the heart of this story lies elsewhere. This book is far more focused on the characters themselves. Their secrets, their struggles, their flaws, and watching their personal worlds unravel is what really drives the story.
One thing Billy Morris does better than almost anyone is scene-setting. His descriptions are so vivid and immersive that you don’t just picture the world, you feel it. Whether it’s a bar in Leeds City Centre, a bleak street in Harehills, or a football stadium riot, he pulls you straight into 1985 like you’re standing there with the characters. It’s atmospheric, textured, and incredibly real.
Overall, it’s a gripping read set during a torrid, turbulent period for both the club and the city. Highly recommended, and I can’t wait to see what Billy Morris has up his sleeve next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review