Silver Linings: Bobby Robson's England

by David Hartrick

Silver Linings examines an historic and unforgettable period in the history of England's national football team. In his eight years as England boss, Bobby Robson was celebrated, derided, Diego-ed, and everything in between. His team missed one European Championship, self-destructed at another, were cheated out of Mexico 86, and then, just before he left, came within two kicks of a World Cup final. On this journey he had managed the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly. But through it all he maintained his belief not only in himself and his team, but in the notion of England. Faced with an unprecedented level of media hostility, Robson's team were inconsistent and frustrating, but at their best few could match them. Alf Ramsey may have won football's greatest prize in 1966 but no other England manager could equal the sheer drama of Robson's eight years in charge. Set against the backdrop of a vicious newspaper circulation war and the rise of hooliganism, this is the story of how Robson managed to deliver the seemingly impossible: hope.

Genres: Football

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2021

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading through David Hartrick’s masterful analysis of the Bobby Robson era, I was struck by just how closely I followed the action at the time. The period between the ages of 13 and 21 is pretty much the peak of one’s interest in football and apart from four scrapbooks’ worth of clippings devoted to the 1986 World Cup (which I still have), I could remember almost every friendly and qualifier and sometimes intimately. The author has used press reports from the time heavily and this means accounts of the events very much square with them as I remember – there isn’t much room for the historical revisionism that can creep in to such historical accounts – hence, Hartrick is honest that John Barnes, Chris Waddle and Glen Hoddle often disappointed in an England shirt.

The flipside of the press was their jawdropping venality – especially the red tops but also the so-called quality dailies. With the exception of David Lacey, it’s an overview of a group of unreconstructed bad’uns who will have done anything to sell papers. That tradition does still exist today, albeit in slightly neutered form – and of course through the medium of Twitter where it is more scattered. Bobby Robson was a remarkably decent and honest man – he once asked my Mum if she would be happy to join him for a round of golf – and Hartrick makes a shrewd assessment of a turbulent period in charge that included some real highs and some real lows – thankfully, the highs were typically in the latter stages of the two World Cups for which he takes charge, even if neither ended in victory. The author also makes great use of player autobiographies and it was probably a wise decision not to secure interviews – a recent piece in The Guardian showed that those most willing to speak are those with more of an axe to grind. We don’t really need to hear from the likes of Peter Shilton and Matt Le Tissier any more than we do already. In all, the book’s a perfect summary of an era.

[Alejandro Shirvani · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful history of the England team in the 1980s, with the hooliganism and horrendous tabloid behaviour, with ups and downs from the England team but ultimately finishing the right way in Italia '90. It's interesting to see the squad develop with various players who would be mainstays of the 1990 team emerging during the tougher times.

[Paul Drinkwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, bought back so many memories of growing up in the 80’s - sad to recall the utter disgrace of hooliganism and the gross British press, I’m my memory Bobby Robson was an excellent manager in extremely tough times. The writer brings it all flooding back. A great read if you followed soccer in the 80’s in England

[Ipswichblade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book about Bobby Robson’s time as England manager which also looks at the horrific grief he got from the press