Books by Simon Turner

It was the summer of 1983. Walsall were preparing for another season in the Third Division when British Airways' advertising people got in touch. The airline were embarking on an innovative promotional campaign and needed the club's help. To show how quickly continental cities could be reached from regional airports, they wanted to feature the team beneath the banner, 'They're only 90minutes away from a place in Europe'. Walsall were the only league club in the West Midlands never to have taken part in a European competition, and even their most ardent supporters didn't expect that to change any time soon. As the new season started, Walsall looked set for relegation, but they soon embarked on a League Cup campaign that saw them defeat Arsenal, stun Liverpool and come closer to reaching Europe than anyone would have dared imagine. Based on interviews with the players and management team from that fondly remembered side, 90 Minutes from Europe is an underdog story to lift the spirits and inspire us all.

Description An eventually uplifting tale of one man's battle to overcome depression, or 'The Devil' as the author calls it. As Kris Kristofferson wrote in one of his most memorable songs:-'You see the devil haunts a hungry man,If you wanna beat him, you have to join him.I ain't saying I beat the devil, but I drank his beer for nothing. Along this rollercoaster of a ride we are introduced to the Gascon version of Arthur Daley, the charismatic ex-paratrooper Pierre Lagaillarde and the Nigerian generals; as well as being involved in la guerre d'Algérie and the War on Terror. We also hear about the numerous health advantages of foie gras and the Gascon way of life, the Planet under Stress, Van Morrison and last but not least the life-saving qualities of both Prozac and landscape.About the AuthorSimon Turner was born in 1948 and lives in Sudbury, Suffolk. He is a former Chartered Surveyor who had, in his own words, 'a notably undistinguished career in property'. He was also an aubergiste and agent immobilier in France for seven years between 1989 and 1996 until he was overcome by 'The Devil'. On recovering he did 'six years penance' as a Private Hire Driver. His first book 'The Waiting Game' was a novel ostensibly based on those experiences but in hindsight he now realizes was more about total mental decomposition.

Imagine a world in which Scotland win the World Cup, Derby County are champions of Europe and 1966 isn't the only year that England win anything. This isn't some far-fetched dream but a reality that could have been, had events turned out a little differently. If Only takes you to this world and celebrates the teams that almost became immortal.