My Incredible World Cup Journey – Around the globe from Argentina to Brazil, By Michael Renouf, published by Fair Play Publishing, Price: £15.99
MICHAEL Renouf was captivated by the first World Cup finals he saw on television – and it’s become a passion for him ever since.
His debut tournament was way back in 1978 but he clearly remembers it like it was yesterday.
“My first World Cup was shortly after my eleventh birthday and was broadcast around the world from the distant and exotic shores of Argentina,” he writes.
“It was a far cry from the provincial county of Wiltshire in England and infinitely more exotic than the local sport of tractor pulling!”
He recalls having to make do with following Scotland in England’s absence and what a let-down that
turned out to be for Ally MacLeod’s boys, despite that Archie Gemmill goal against Holland.
Renouf takes us through each subsequent World Cup up to Brazil in 2014, picking out some of the major games, incidents and controversies. For those old enough like me to remember them, it’ll bring back plenty of memories.
What the author also does is weave of his adventures with his partner Gail in bits about his own life at the time – in the South American country. what he was doing, where he was living and his memories of the matches. 2015 and began writing profession-
Renouf, who relocated to Mexico inIt’s an interesting process as he ally, added: “If you have the slightest goes through the various stages in inkling that you want to go to a finals, life, from his school days to adult life. in the words of a company that had One of the best chapters covers the produced some entertaining football-based adverts, “Just Do It.” Brazil tournament, as this was when Renouf finally saw his World Cup dream come true – he was off to the John Lyons finals for the first time.
Rating out of 10: 7 There are some entertaining stories
