It only takes a second to score a goal

I’ve ploughed through a few books this holiday. The new Harry Potter was more of an event than a read but I got through it and, it has to be said, found the last chapters quietly moving. It was pleasing to finally discover some of the truths surrounding some of the key characters and I don’t regret all the hours I’ve spent over the past few years turning the pages of the whole series. My favourite book of the season was The Damned United by David Peace (given to me by D and A – thanks) and its no holes barred account of the forty-four day long Brian Clough era at Leeds United. Beyond the bust-ups and boozing, the novel managed to convey the human side of Clough sagely and sensitively. There are plenty of remarkable set pieces within the book not least during the flashback sections that deal with Clough’s tenures, in tandem with his astute sidekick Peter Taylor, at Derby County and Hartlepool United.

I’m currently reading the fourth instalment of Clive James’s memoirs, North Face of Soho, which deals with the Australian writer’s early career in the world of criticism and letters. Frankly, it is proving a touch dull.