Pocket Money

by Gordon Burn

Following the 1985 final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis, Britain found itself in the grip of a new sporting obsession. Snooker, or 'Coronation Street with balls', was suddenly big business and 1986 was set to be a crucial year. In one corner was Barry Hearn and his Romford Mafia - Davis, Taylor and Griffiths - and in the other were the bad boys - Higgins, White and Knowles - threatening the game's good name, and its earning potential. For one year, Gordon Burn travelled with this snooker circus, from Hong Kong and China to out of season resorts in the North of England and the season's finale in Sheffield. With unprecedented access to the leading players and personalities involved, Pocket Money affords a unique snapshot into an extraordinary time and place.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

304 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1986

About the author

Gordon Burn was an English writer born in Newcastle upon Tyne and the author of four novels and several works of non-fiction.

Burn's novels deal with issues of modern fame and faded celebrity, as well as life through a media lens. His novel Alma Cogan (1991), which imagined the future life of the British singer Alma Cogan had she not died in the 1960s, won the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel. His other novels Fullalove and The North of England Home Service appeared in 1995 and 2003 respectively. His non-fiction deals primarily with sport and true crime. His first book Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son was a study of Peter Sutcliffe, 'the Yorkshire Ripper' and his 1998 book Happy Like Murderers: The Story of Fred and Rosemary West, dealt in similar detail with one of Britain's most notorious serial killers.

Burn's interest in such infamous villains extended to his fiction, with Myra Hindley, one of the 'Moors murderers', featuring prominently in the novel Alma Cogan. His sport-based books are Pocket Money: Inside the World of Snooker (1986) and Best and Edwards: Football, Fame and Oblivion (2006), which deals with the twin stories of Manchester United footballers Duncan Edwards and George Best and the "trajectory of two careers unmoored in wildly different ways."

He also wrote a book with British artist Damien Hirst, On the Way to Work, a collection of interviews from various dates between 1992-2001. He contributed to The Guardian regularly, usually writing about contemporary art.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a big snooker fan, and after very much enjoying some top players' autobiographies I had been wanting to read this book for a while. So I am disappointed to say that I did not enjoy this book.

The book has too much detail which makes it a slog to read. There are pages and pages describing places, random people, business deals, quotes and board politics which were just boring. This could be because the book is now rather dated, or just the style of writing but I did not find these parts interesting. I found myself skim reading and even considered not finishing the book.

However, there are some little snippets about the players' personalities, relationships and matches which were very interesting. These kept me reading the book but unfortunately, they are few and far between

I probably would not recommend this book, even to the biggest of snooker fans.

[Robin]

Really comprehensive account of all of the different ways Barry Hearn can ruin your life by making you rich.

[J G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding document of the times

Essential reading for fans of snooker's golden age, when it captured the nation's attention.

Some surprising detail into players who perennially underperformed.

[Tom]

Fascinating time-capsule of snooker, on and off the table, in the 1980s. (As such, it works nicely as a companion to the BBC’s recent Gods of Snooker documentary series.) The story, which seems to lurk behind each of the vignettes about the actual players, is that shrewd business decisions contributed to the success (individual and of the sport generally) almost as much as sporting talent. Still, the focus on the various personalities throughout the book also offers interesting behind-the-scenes insights into the big characters.

[Rick Burin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burn's journalistic chronicle of the 1985-6 snooker season vividly captures a time and place during the sport's boom era. At first it's overly preoccupied with financials and merchandising, and thereafter still a little too fixated on Thatcherite entrepreneur Barry Hearn, but it's also erudite, atmospheric and full of deft portraits and telling details. As history, of a sort, unfolds: you're there.

[Bustagroovy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! Great insight into the workings of snooker in the early-mid 1980s boom years, as well as having a beautifully balanced combination of factual information and comedic anecdotes. The 'nannies' (aka 'nanny-goats' aka 'quotes') from Barry Hearn and Jimmy White are hilarious. It's a travesty that this book is so rare. If you see it, grab it!!

[Ben Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pocket Money may not be up there with Gordon Burn’s true crime masterworks but there’s still a good game here to enjoy. Characters from snooker’s glitzy 80s heyday are vividly drawn, and whenever Alex Higgins makes an appearance his genius burns through the page.

[Paul McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the great sport's books

[Steven Pilling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burn could write . No interest in snooker but this is qbout life in q closeted sector qnd the people in it.

Interesting occasionally a little overblown but always readable

[Fústar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Snooker, unlike many other sports, has inspired precious few (surprisingly few?) truly essential books. Pocket Money (by the late, great Gordon Burn) is definitely one though. An absolute classic.

[Dick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant evocation of a sport about to become massive, it's unbelievable characters and showing the seeds of its eventual downfall. Outstanding book.