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Sober: Football. My Story. My Life.
This Sunday Times bestselling follow-up to Addicted from English soccer legend Tony Adams is “a searingly honest account of the Arsenal legend’s quest to recover from alcoholism. Unflinchingly brave.” ( Sunday Mirror ).
A charismatic figure on the soccer field, Tony Adams was a true leader for team Arsenal and England. He won league titles over three separate decades, and after the Gunners moved to their new stadium at the Emirates, it was fitting that a statue of him was placed outside to celebrate his extraordinary career. But, for much of that time, Adams was drinking heavily and ultimately revealed in his book Addicted that he suffered from alcoholism.
Now, in this stunning follow-up, Adams shares what happened next. He discusses the impact that Arsene Wenger had when he arrived at Arsenal in 1996, and how the manager’s new methods helped extend his career and brought new success to the club. Having a strong mental game in addition to his athletic skills, Adams moved into coaching and management on retirement, playing a key role in Portsmouth’s famous FA Cup triumph in 2008, and taking on new challenges in the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, China, and Spain.
Adams reveals his rocky journey to stay sober for twenty years and why he set up Sporting Chance, the charity which provides treatment and support for sports stars suffering from addictions. He shares his insights on England’s continued struggle to win major tournaments and assesses why Arsenal has not been able to repeat the title-winning formula while he was there.
Honest, powerful, and compelling, Sober is a truly inspirational memoir from someone who has battled and overcome his demons—but continues his recovery, one day at a time.
A charismatic figure on the soccer field, Tony Adams was a true leader for team Arsenal and England. He won league titles over three separate decades, and after the Gunners moved to their new stadium at the Emirates, it was fitting that a statue of him was placed outside to celebrate his extraordinary career. But, for much of that time, Adams was drinking heavily and ultimately revealed in his book Addicted that he suffered from alcoholism.
Now, in this stunning follow-up, Adams shares what happened next. He discusses the impact that Arsene Wenger had when he arrived at Arsenal in 1996, and how the manager’s new methods helped extend his career and brought new success to the club. Having a strong mental game in addition to his athletic skills, Adams moved into coaching and management on retirement, playing a key role in Portsmouth’s famous FA Cup triumph in 2008, and taking on new challenges in the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, China, and Spain.
Adams reveals his rocky journey to stay sober for twenty years and why he set up Sporting Chance, the charity which provides treatment and support for sports stars suffering from addictions. He shares his insights on England’s continued struggle to win major tournaments and assesses why Arsenal has not been able to repeat the title-winning formula while he was there.
Honest, powerful, and compelling, Sober is a truly inspirational memoir from someone who has battled and overcome his demons—but continues his recovery, one day at a time.
368 pages, Paperback
Published February 19, 2019
62 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
November 4, 2019
As an Arsenal fan, of course I'm biased. But this is one of those books that is both insightful and also uncovers some helpful parallels within my own life.
Since I read Tony Adams' first autobiography, Addicted, around 20+ years ago, I have found myself working with many recovering addicts, and accompanying many through the recovery process. I have also realised many times that while I may not be addicted to any of the substances or behaviours that have a 12-step programme associated with it, I do have my own addictive patterns of behaviour. As does every one of us. All these years working with people wrestling with their own deep darknesses suggests to me this is true.
The football parts of this are fascinating; especially his insights into coaching. I found much that was instructive in his account of his time trying to build a club from the ground up in Azerbaijan; a process which bears more than a passing resemblance to my own job of trying to lead the 'rebooting' of a church from the ground up.
But given the similarities to my own experiences, there's much more to mine for me here. As one who continues to wrestle with issues around my mental health, I too can relate deeply to the experience he describes of being desperate to end it all, but too scared to die. It's a horrible, dark place to be in - and the more people like Tony Adams talk about their own experiences of this openly, the more 'ordinary' people will realise they are not alone and will be able to reach out for help. The crisis in men's mental health, and male suicide especially, is well known and reported on; books like this are part of the solution. As much as I remind deeply grateful to Tony for his footballing service, I am even more grateful to him for this book, and its predecessor.
Since I read Tony Adams' first autobiography, Addicted, around 20+ years ago, I have found myself working with many recovering addicts, and accompanying many through the recovery process. I have also realised many times that while I may not be addicted to any of the substances or behaviours that have a 12-step programme associated with it, I do have my own addictive patterns of behaviour. As does every one of us. All these years working with people wrestling with their own deep darknesses suggests to me this is true.
The football parts of this are fascinating; especially his insights into coaching. I found much that was instructive in his account of his time trying to build a club from the ground up in Azerbaijan; a process which bears more than a passing resemblance to my own job of trying to lead the 'rebooting' of a church from the ground up.
But given the similarities to my own experiences, there's much more to mine for me here. As one who continues to wrestle with issues around my mental health, I too can relate deeply to the experience he describes of being desperate to end it all, but too scared to die. It's a horrible, dark place to be in - and the more people like Tony Adams talk about their own experiences of this openly, the more 'ordinary' people will realise they are not alone and will be able to reach out for help. The crisis in men's mental health, and male suicide especially, is well known and reported on; books like this are part of the solution. As much as I remind deeply grateful to Tony for his footballing service, I am even more grateful to him for this book, and its predecessor.
August 5, 2018
More a book about Alcoholics Anonymous than one relating his career at Arsenal as it mainly covers his life after he retired from playing. It is a very candid account of his problems and of his stop start career as a manager though.
Read this in preparation for seeing Tony Adams being interviewed by Pat Nevin at the Edinburgh Book Festival later this month.
https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-fest...
Read this in preparation for seeing Tony Adams being interviewed by Pat Nevin at the Edinburgh Book Festival later this month.
https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-fest...
July 13, 2019
I found this a really interesting book, not what I was expecting at all. Tony Adams to me is Mr Tub Thumping, follow him out of the trenches kind of a man. But this book shows him to have so many deeper levels to his character that by the end I was thinking of him less as a footballer and more of him as someone who helps others, be it in their professional or private lives.
If you have experienced any kind of mental health problems or addiction problems I would highly recommend this book. If you have been lucky and have not experienced any of those problems I would still highly recommend the book. Give it a try it just might surprise you.
If you have experienced any kind of mental health problems or addiction problems I would highly recommend this book. If you have been lucky and have not experienced any of those problems I would still highly recommend the book. Give it a try it just might surprise you.
February 21, 2022
Remember reading the engrossing Addicted by Tony Adams back when it was first published in paperback so when I stumbled upon this sequel I had to read it. A few reviews were somewhat negative as there wasn't enough football (boo hoo) but this is all about his battle to stay sober and the path his life has taken. He is quite open about his addiction and has helped others, via Sporting Chance, to battle their addictions and not just alcohol dependency. Just as engrossing as Addicted.
June 17, 2021
I have great admiration for Tony Adams and his achievements. However this second brave and frank biography is just a touch sanctimonious and I do find the urge for modern footballers admitting to crying rather difficult. I don't imagine George Male, Eddie Hapgood, Joe Mercer or Frank McLintock ever cried, and certainly not through self pity or shame.
September 24, 2018
I couldn't relate to this work by Tony Adams. Much respect for his sobriety, as for all women and men who found a way to a holistic way of living after kicking addiction in the face.
I set to read a football book, but it wasn't and couldn't find the interest sorry. Long chapter and struggled to finish it. I wouldn't be sure to read another book of Adams, even it would concentrate alone on football. The way the book was written wasn't a pleasant. Plain and without joy.
I set to read a football book, but it wasn't and couldn't find the interest sorry. Long chapter and struggled to finish it. I wouldn't be sure to read another book of Adams, even it would concentrate alone on football. The way the book was written wasn't a pleasant. Plain and without joy.
August 13, 2017
An honest account of Tony's life after drinking and retiring from football that brings his story up to date after his first book 'Addicted'. This book was better then I thought, especially after the trashy press to promote the book and the negative comments on Arsene Wenger, I guess the press took the negatives to make headlines again. My faith in Tony Adams as Mr Arsenal is restored.
July 14, 2025
Mad love for mr arsenal. Of the Arsenal players auto’s I have read. His are probably the better ones more honest and more open. Doesn’t play it totally safe. Feel so gutted for him that he never quite got the shot at the big time in coaching and management. I’d be made up to see him back in a role of some sort at the Arsenal. Up the Gooners! Signed a striker yet?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2021
Desperate book. Nearly no flow or interesting discussion. Far too reliant on clichés and metaphors, like there’s genuinely one in each paragraph. Lasted about 200 pages before giving up
June 2, 2023
Excellent book,very open and honest by Tony Adams of his addictions and how he overcame them and hiw to cope with different obstacles in his life
September 28, 2018
Sober, published in 2017, picks up where his first book Addicted left off and covers the last 5 years of Adams playing career and his life thereafter. Sharing the same ghostwriter, Ian Ridley, means that both books have the same voice. There are some clear differences however. Sober is more open about family and personal relationships with family members being much more fleshed out in the second book.
Sober uses the language of AA and recovery much more regularly as Adams has spent the last 20 years maintaining his sobriety. It can feel a little much at times but it wouldn’t be Adams own voice if it didn’t. Adams major post career achievement is the founding and ongoing survival of Sporting Chance, a charity dedicated to helping sportsmen and women with addictions.
The end of his playing career is told fairly quickly as Adams moves on to focus on the transition to his post-playing career. While Addicted told the story of the Arsenal and England captain at the peak of his powers, Sober is mostly the story of an ex-player struggling to find the next step in his career. It’s interesting to see how a former superstar deals with being less successful in the next phase of his career.
Adams took various courses and coaching badges before trying his hand at management with Wycome. After resigning there, he returned to education before joining Portsmouth as Harry Redknapp’s assistant during their high spending days that included an FA Cup victory. He ultimately became manager after Harry left but appears to never had had much of a chance due to budget cuts before asking to be fired to save himself from resigning.
From here, Adams career took an odd, international turn. After briefly coaching in Azerbaijan, he stepped into a general manager / consultant type role in building a small Azerbaijani team from the ground up. This was followed by a connection with a Chinese football investor as Adams took on a general consulting role for Jiang Lizhang who owned a club in China and purchased Granada in Spain. He even briefly became Granada manager for a while.
It’s clear Adams feels somewhat unfulfilled with his coaching and management career. Sober gave me a much better impression of Adam’s post playing career than the easy narrative of failed manager which I suspect many fans of English football have.
Late in the book Sober becomes a series of musings about Arsenal, England, Wenger and the state of British football. At times it becomes a bit boring and simply the musings of an ex footballer who is annoyed that he isn’t able to contribute more to the game in England at the highest levels. Ultimately, the book ends as it begins with a reflection on addiction, recovery and staying sober.
Sober makes an excellent companion piece to Addicted but as a stand-alone book it’s good without being great. While it is equally honest, particularly about Adams mental health struggles, it doesn’t reach the difficult task of living up to its predecessor. The general musings on the game ultimately let the book down by going on that bit too long.
Overall, the two books together give an incredibly honest and interesting account of a man who achieved great things in the game, but none greater than achieving his sobriety and helping others achieve theirs.
You can read all of my sports book reviews at http://allsportsbooks.reviews/reviews... or follow me on Twitter @SprtBookReviews
Sober uses the language of AA and recovery much more regularly as Adams has spent the last 20 years maintaining his sobriety. It can feel a little much at times but it wouldn’t be Adams own voice if it didn’t. Adams major post career achievement is the founding and ongoing survival of Sporting Chance, a charity dedicated to helping sportsmen and women with addictions.
The end of his playing career is told fairly quickly as Adams moves on to focus on the transition to his post-playing career. While Addicted told the story of the Arsenal and England captain at the peak of his powers, Sober is mostly the story of an ex-player struggling to find the next step in his career. It’s interesting to see how a former superstar deals with being less successful in the next phase of his career.
Adams took various courses and coaching badges before trying his hand at management with Wycome. After resigning there, he returned to education before joining Portsmouth as Harry Redknapp’s assistant during their high spending days that included an FA Cup victory. He ultimately became manager after Harry left but appears to never had had much of a chance due to budget cuts before asking to be fired to save himself from resigning.
From here, Adams career took an odd, international turn. After briefly coaching in Azerbaijan, he stepped into a general manager / consultant type role in building a small Azerbaijani team from the ground up. This was followed by a connection with a Chinese football investor as Adams took on a general consulting role for Jiang Lizhang who owned a club in China and purchased Granada in Spain. He even briefly became Granada manager for a while.
It’s clear Adams feels somewhat unfulfilled with his coaching and management career. Sober gave me a much better impression of Adam’s post playing career than the easy narrative of failed manager which I suspect many fans of English football have.
Late in the book Sober becomes a series of musings about Arsenal, England, Wenger and the state of British football. At times it becomes a bit boring and simply the musings of an ex footballer who is annoyed that he isn’t able to contribute more to the game in England at the highest levels. Ultimately, the book ends as it begins with a reflection on addiction, recovery and staying sober.
Sober makes an excellent companion piece to Addicted but as a stand-alone book it’s good without being great. While it is equally honest, particularly about Adams mental health struggles, it doesn’t reach the difficult task of living up to its predecessor. The general musings on the game ultimately let the book down by going on that bit too long.
Overall, the two books together give an incredibly honest and interesting account of a man who achieved great things in the game, but none greater than achieving his sobriety and helping others achieve theirs.
You can read all of my sports book reviews at http://allsportsbooks.reviews/reviews... or follow me on Twitter @SprtBookReviews
January 14, 2026
Tony Adam's second autobiography is a very good book. In my opinion, this book is not as interesting as his first book (Addicted) but much more powerful. That may just be because there is not as much about his playing career but I expected that. I particularly enjoyed the passages describing his time managing at Gabala in Azerbaijan and working with Harry Redknapp. In this book, he talks about his career from 1998 onwards, from basically where his last book finished at so it discusses his playing career but only the final few years of it. It feels like an intelligently written and well thought out book and I have copied a couple of quotes at the end of my review that I feel show this. This is a good book not just for football fans, but also for anyone with addictions in the present or the past. Overall, I found this book enjoyable and fascinating and it is definitely a good book for anyone who has read and enjoyed his previous book.
The first quote being: "If not physically, then certainly emotionally, success in football gives you energy, while losing drains you."
The other quote: "I like to think that I have become a good judge of character and can tell if people are being honest with me or not. I certainly get a gut feeling with people and, with players for example, whether they are in it for the money - or the location of the club - and acting out of self-interest, or whether they are going to buy into what you are looking to achieve together. The story of two brick layers at work appeals to me … A man asks the first what he is doing. 'I'm laying bricks,' says the first, bemused by what sounds like a stupid question. The man asks the second bricklayer what he is doing. 'I'm building a house,' he replies. I have always wanted people who see what they are doing as building a house. Your job as the site manager is to create the right environment so that they feel that too."
The first quote being: "If not physically, then certainly emotionally, success in football gives you energy, while losing drains you."
The other quote: "I like to think that I have become a good judge of character and can tell if people are being honest with me or not. I certainly get a gut feeling with people and, with players for example, whether they are in it for the money - or the location of the club - and acting out of self-interest, or whether they are going to buy into what you are looking to achieve together. The story of two brick layers at work appeals to me … A man asks the first what he is doing. 'I'm laying bricks,' says the first, bemused by what sounds like a stupid question. The man asks the second bricklayer what he is doing. 'I'm building a house,' he replies. I have always wanted people who see what they are doing as building a house. Your job as the site manager is to create the right environment so that they feel that too."
March 21, 2026
I read “Addicted” and found it a fascinating, honest, and very sobering (pun intended) tale of a prominent Football League, Premier League and England footballer and captain. Vilified and ridiculed at moments in his career, Adams honestly reflects on the moments that made him, and those that made his life and career more difficult.
This follow up, however, is nothing of the sort. It probably reads as a decent self help book as a compendium to Alcoholics Anonymous programme. There are some serious passages about what it takes to stay sober when life throws challenges, temptations and mental health crises at you.
The football chat, both towards the end of his playing career and post career just read as arrogant and entitled. Despite failing pretty much everywhere post-Arsenal, Adams is never to blame; he is always clearly way too good for the role he took and ultimately failed at, or his lightly brushed the surface of as an ‘advisor’ to a rich Azerbaijani, or Chinese owner. Maybe you need that ego or arrogance as a recovering alcoholic but it fails to paint Tony Adams in a positive light. He also holds a massive sense of entitlement in the vein of “I was a great player and captain of Arsenal. Despite failing at management they should take me on and groom me as their manager.”
Sorry Tone. In a meritocracy that doesn’t wash. A little more honest introspection on your professional career to match that you apply to your personal life would add something to this rather dull and sombre tale.
This follow up, however, is nothing of the sort. It probably reads as a decent self help book as a compendium to Alcoholics Anonymous programme. There are some serious passages about what it takes to stay sober when life throws challenges, temptations and mental health crises at you.
The football chat, both towards the end of his playing career and post career just read as arrogant and entitled. Despite failing pretty much everywhere post-Arsenal, Adams is never to blame; he is always clearly way too good for the role he took and ultimately failed at, or his lightly brushed the surface of as an ‘advisor’ to a rich Azerbaijani, or Chinese owner. Maybe you need that ego or arrogance as a recovering alcoholic but it fails to paint Tony Adams in a positive light. He also holds a massive sense of entitlement in the vein of “I was a great player and captain of Arsenal. Despite failing at management they should take me on and groom me as their manager.”
Sorry Tone. In a meritocracy that doesn’t wash. A little more honest introspection on your professional career to match that you apply to your personal life would add something to this rather dull and sombre tale.
February 8, 2026
I had a passing interest in football during the early to mid 90s so I know who Tony is and was aware of his sporting achievements but because I've never read tabloid newspapers I wasn't aware he was an acholic.
This book focuses more on his recovery from alcohol addiction and his career after his playing days were over. I found the career part of the book fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed it. What I wasn't particularly impressed with is the Alcoholics Anonymous element of the writing. As someone who has also struggled with alcohol and kicked the addiction this book reinforces the fact that AA wouldn't have been for me.
Tony comes across as likeable character though and I found the book enjoyable overall.
This book focuses more on his recovery from alcohol addiction and his career after his playing days were over. I found the career part of the book fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed it. What I wasn't particularly impressed with is the Alcoholics Anonymous element of the writing. As someone who has also struggled with alcohol and kicked the addiction this book reinforces the fact that AA wouldn't have been for me.
Tony comes across as likeable character though and I found the book enjoyable overall.
June 27, 2019
AA everywhere
A book going through the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with football anecdotes. Interesting to see what Tony has done since retiring, working in strange places like Azerbaijan, China & Spain but struggled to find anything positive in the UK. Where ever he has been he's been able to find AA meetings to keep him on the straight and narrow. Started sporting chance to help out other sports stars with addictions, and still runs it today. Lets hope one day we see him at a top English club.
A book going through the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous with football anecdotes. Interesting to see what Tony has done since retiring, working in strange places like Azerbaijan, China & Spain but struggled to find anything positive in the UK. Where ever he has been he's been able to find AA meetings to keep him on the straight and narrow. Started sporting chance to help out other sports stars with addictions, and still runs it today. Lets hope one day we see him at a top English club.
May 24, 2019
As refreshing as his first book , this one deals with his 20 years of being sober , trying to move on in the football word to management ,he takes a pop at the insular feeling that the premier league in England has of itself , which is fantastic to hear from an Englishman , he still cites the Spanish and Germans are superior .
September 23, 2024
After reading Paul Merson's 'Hooked' I purchased this with high hopes, but was very disappointed and gave up ust after half way through
+ The positive, and the only reason it's 2 Star and not 1, is that I suspect this will be inspiring for people on a sobriety journey
- The negatives is it was pretty boring, little stories of interest, and wasn't fun to read
+ The positive, and the only reason it's 2 Star and not 1, is that I suspect this will be inspiring for people on a sobriety journey
- The negatives is it was pretty boring, little stories of interest, and wasn't fun to read
October 23, 2024
A fair bit of pretty standard football autobiography fare, some weird stuff that’s like a column for the Daily Express, but also some heartfelt exploration of alcoholism and interesting tales of work in odd footballing outposts. Not bad
March 3, 2026
Otro buen libro de Tony Adams. Este trata su final de carrera, los diversos roles en el fútbol tras la retirada y, sobre todo, sus problemas de salud y su etapa en alcohólicos anónimos. Inspirador, como siempre 5/5
February 9, 2019
So very well written and an insight into one of Arsenal’s greats. This book made me cry and made me understand!
April 22, 2019
More honest and interesting than most autobiographies. I'm biaised though.
January 25, 2021
Decent read
Interesting read at times but gets a bit repetitive in the last third. Seems a decent guy but strange how Wenger kept him at arms length.
Interesting read at times but gets a bit repetitive in the last third. Seems a decent guy but strange how Wenger kept him at arms length.
April 2, 2021
As important and as insightful as Addicted
April 26, 2021
Great rendition of Arsenal and being drunken career. Hard going at parts with less than good clubs - but strong message and clear
August 23, 2022
Probably one for Arsenal fans.
May 3, 2025
Great read.
As the title suggests this book focuses on Tony’s struggles with alcoholism and his path to sobriety. I love that it mainly speaks of his post- playing career life, some interesting moments and great work being done with his recovery centre.
Legend.
As the title suggests this book focuses on Tony’s struggles with alcoholism and his path to sobriety. I love that it mainly speaks of his post- playing career life, some interesting moments and great work being done with his recovery centre.
Legend.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews