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Just a Gob On a Stick
Landing his first job at a local radio station in south Wales, Simon Hills' career progressed to BBC local radio and eventually BBC World Service and BBC Radio Five Live - working as both a presenter and commentator on Premiership and European football. It was at the BBC that Simon took his first steps in to TV presentation - working on the digital channel, BBC News 24, before he was approached to work as a presenter and reporter for the new ITV Sport Channel. Simon has worked on some of the world's greatest sporting events 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, 1995 Toyota Cup in Japan; 1996 European Football Championship in England; 1998 African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso; 1998 FIFA World Cup in France; as well as Wimbledon Tennis Championships, Test and County Cricket, World Championship Boxing and the Le Mans 24 hour race.
276 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 25, 2020
I loved this outlook on the Australian football landscape from Simon as he has a total agnostic view on the game and the Aussie culture surrounding it.
I have fond memories of so many iconic Socceroos and A-league matches he has called and hope he sticks around a lot longer doing what he does best.
I’d enjoy having a beer (a few) with Simon and talking all things football.
I have fond memories of so many iconic Socceroos and A-league matches he has called and hope he sticks around a lot longer doing what he does best.
I’d enjoy having a beer (a few) with Simon and talking all things football.
November 3, 2019
'Gob On a Stick' might be considered just another sporting autobiography, admittedly from the less common perspective of a commentator as opposed to a player, however that would be selling Simon Hill's book far too short. Within the niche of Australian soccer or football books, it is possibly the most engaging and informative of its type, insofar as Hill has produced a book that is part personal, part polemic and like the man himself, intensely professional and full with integrity.
There are two narrative streams at play in the book, and these are Simon describing his life so far and Simon presenting his views on football. The former aspect of 'Gob On a Stick' is fairly straightforward, written with maturity and clarity. Most of this means a combination of recounting people and personalities he's interacted with throughout his life so far, what he has done professionally, and some personal observations that, to his credit, have the hallmarks of honest self-awareness. I was particularly taken with how well he described the break down of his first marriage; it's not the most pleasant of episodes in anyone's life, and Hill is not shy of describing how bad things were. However the way in which he presents this part of his story is neither melodramatic nor cold-blooded; in fact, like his football commentary he strives for honesty and accuracy, trying to explain things without resorting to theatrics or over the top prose.
When it comes to how Hill positions himself and football in his autobiography he has lots to say. He never shies away from being passionate on what provokes him, being an advocate for what he loves about the game (or what he hates), the cultural, social and other differences between (for example) football in England or soccer in Australia, and how media interacts with the sport globally and domestically. Simon Hill documents much of the stresses and problems that he has seen with clarity and vigour, but at the same time he also writes as one who loves football. he is not afraid to call a spade a shovel, and his pen pours forth some deliciously vinegary takes on some of the stuff ups he's seen as his football and media loves have come into contact. There is one passage in 'Gob on a Stick' where Hill talks about how he thought that SBS was trying to run the game whereas the old Soccer administrators in Australia were playing media games. That's just one example of Hill's incisive mind and words at play when it comes to how he has connected with soccer.
The strongest reason why anyone should read this book is that Simon Hill is arguably...actually, no, fuck it...he is THE best voice of and for football in this country, and if you want a solid grasp on what is happening in the sport in Australia then you would struggle to find a better perspective. There may be more exciting football people out there in the media, and there are definitely plenty of ex-players who may know more about the mechanics of the sport. However Simon Hill has a voice of authority that is hard to surpass, and just like on TV, if you want to engage with one of the most articulate, honest and committed football people in this country, then you need to read 'Gob on a Stick'.
P.S. I wish I could've given this book 4.5 stars...it's better than what the current rating allows but its somewhat limited audience deters me from giving it five stars
There are two narrative streams at play in the book, and these are Simon describing his life so far and Simon presenting his views on football. The former aspect of 'Gob On a Stick' is fairly straightforward, written with maturity and clarity. Most of this means a combination of recounting people and personalities he's interacted with throughout his life so far, what he has done professionally, and some personal observations that, to his credit, have the hallmarks of honest self-awareness. I was particularly taken with how well he described the break down of his first marriage; it's not the most pleasant of episodes in anyone's life, and Hill is not shy of describing how bad things were. However the way in which he presents this part of his story is neither melodramatic nor cold-blooded; in fact, like his football commentary he strives for honesty and accuracy, trying to explain things without resorting to theatrics or over the top prose.
When it comes to how Hill positions himself and football in his autobiography he has lots to say. He never shies away from being passionate on what provokes him, being an advocate for what he loves about the game (or what he hates), the cultural, social and other differences between (for example) football in England or soccer in Australia, and how media interacts with the sport globally and domestically. Simon Hill documents much of the stresses and problems that he has seen with clarity and vigour, but at the same time he also writes as one who loves football. he is not afraid to call a spade a shovel, and his pen pours forth some deliciously vinegary takes on some of the stuff ups he's seen as his football and media loves have come into contact. There is one passage in 'Gob on a Stick' where Hill talks about how he thought that SBS was trying to run the game whereas the old Soccer administrators in Australia were playing media games. That's just one example of Hill's incisive mind and words at play when it comes to how he has connected with soccer.
The strongest reason why anyone should read this book is that Simon Hill is arguably...actually, no, fuck it...he is THE best voice of and for football in this country, and if you want a solid grasp on what is happening in the sport in Australia then you would struggle to find a better perspective. There may be more exciting football people out there in the media, and there are definitely plenty of ex-players who may know more about the mechanics of the sport. However Simon Hill has a voice of authority that is hard to surpass, and just like on TV, if you want to engage with one of the most articulate, honest and committed football people in this country, then you need to read 'Gob on a Stick'.
P.S. I wish I could've given this book 4.5 stars...it's better than what the current rating allows but its somewhat limited audience deters me from giving it five stars
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews