{"product_id":"julian-dicks-hammer-time-2023","title":"Julian Dicks: Hammer Time [2023]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'pulls no punches' \u003ci\u003eThe Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'full of eventful tales from the past' \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'punchy, earthy ... entertaining stories that capture football in an era long before sanitised PR and Instagram self-promotion'\u003ci\u003e The Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom West Ham's cult hero, Julian Dicks, a hugely entertaining romp through football and the East End of the  Eighties and Nineties.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Cult figure' is a term hardly used in football these days: where have they all gone? In the sterile and corporate modern game, is there room for the mercurial midfielder or the tough-tackling defender or the pot-bellied goal poacher? Rewind two or three decades and British professional football was stuffed to the gunnels with these 'one-offs': players with bags of talent, yes, but also lorryloads of personality and a hugely relatable quality which meant they'd all be playing Sunday morning park football if they hadn't become professionals. No media training, no filter, no 5% body fat, no cryotherapy chambers, and no quiet nights in with a curly kale salad and a glass of carrot juice.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player and undoubtedly one of the greatest cult figures to play for West Ham United.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHammer Time\u003c\/i\u003e is Dicks' hugely entertaining romp through his career with West Ham, shot through with all the great anecdotes of life as a pro back then, and peppered with all the marvellous characters who crossed his path in those halcyon days. It evokes memories of intimidating away crowds, muddy pitches, no-nonsense tackling, card schools on the bus, big nights out after matches, and the special camaraderie that was forged between players of that era.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHammer Time\u003c\/i\u003e is also an open love letter to the unique character and atmosphere of West Ham United and East London, conjuring up - with great warmth and nostalgia - a fast disappearing world of strong working-class communities, proper East End boozers and those iconic pie and mash shops.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Dicks, Julian","offers":[{"title":"Like New","offer_id":52817244062035,"sku":"XE81472296566","price":12.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false},{"title":"New","offer_id":52817244094803,"sku":"9781472296566","price":28.6,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0616\/4001\/6057\/files\/dicks-julian-julian-dicks-hammer-time-2023-1217342059.jpg?v=1768852090","url":"https:\/\/chaptersbookstore.com\/products\/julian-dicks-hammer-time-2023","provider":"Chapters Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}