Steaming In

I always used to read the letters page in the programme back in my day. Not because there was anything interesting in them, there usually wasn't, but because you soon got to recognise the names of frequent contributers and one day when I have a whole day free I will track down the thoughts of Max Kester, an absolute legend who kept his local post office busy for many a year.

For now though I will use a letter from a gentleman named Colin Ward. No idea who he was, never knowingly met or saw him though undoubtedly we were at the same games for several years.

Thug lit is quite the thing these days with one time hooligans hanging up their sneakers and tapping out their life story with tales of 'never run, never done' monotony. Fair play to them, if there is a market there then why not? I'm only jealous I have done nothing in my miserable existance to write about.

Back to Mr Ward. He wrote one of the earliest thug lit books, called Steaming In, which I read many years back. From what I recall he seemed to spend more time writing about Chelsea than the Arsenal which would have been quite appropriate given my limited understanding of that era and culture when we had no firm anyway.

The book came out in 1989 and according to this blurb is to be reissued later this year.

His letter was very well received by the programme editor obviously as can be seen by his reply. I wonder how much this letter influenced him to take up writing full time?!