Ragged A**** Ruffian - Gilson, Clive L

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Résumé :
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Biographie:
Clive Gilson was born in 1962 into a household steeped in sport and rhythm. His father was a senior amateur and lower-league professional footballer, while his mother, equally formidable, was an award-winning ballroom dancer. Their spirited household didn't just hum with ambition, it danced to it.After earning a degree in History from Leeds University, Clive took an unexpected turn into the then-nascent world of information technology in the late 1980s. Yet, the call of story and stage never left him. Alongside a thriving tech career, he freelanced as a journalist and book reviewer, earning one small by-line in the national press, and also spent over a decade performing in village halls and professional theatres across the south of England.A true inheritor of his family's sporting zeal, Clive later pivoted into live sports broadcasting. In the 1990s, he became a trusted rugby 'stato' for the BBC, ITV, EuroSport, and TVNZ, bringing insight and analysis to major tournaments including the Heineken Cup, Six Nations, World Sevens, and Rugby World Cups.As a writer, Clive has made his mark across genres. His debut novel, Songs of Bliss, was published in 2017, followed by A Solitude of Stars in 2019. Since then, he has released three acclaimed short story collections, The Mechanic's Curse, The Insomniac Booth, and, in 2025, Melodies in Black Ink.He is also an award-winning poet and the author of a biography detailing the life of a former professional footballer, namely his father. Since 2018, Clive has served as Managing Editor of the Firesides Tales Project, a global storytelling initiative that has published over 30 collections of folktales, fairy tales, myths, and legends from around the world.Today, Clive continues to write fiction rich in folklore, memory, and quiet transformation, combining his deep love of narrative with a lifelong fascination with the human spirit.For more about his work, visit clivegilson.com, where stories are always waiting to be found....

Sommaire:
Cup finals, business gambles, love, loss, and plenty of laughter-this is the extraordinary life of Les Gilson. From the high-octane world of professional football in the 1950s and 60s to the equally unpredictable world of business, Gilson's memoir takes you on a journey filled with thrilling victories and humbling defeats. As a former footballer who lived through the golden era of the sport, Les shares behind-the-scenes stories of big matches and bigger personalities. But when the final whistle blew on his playing career, his story was far from over. In business, Les faced his own rollercoaster of promotions, relegations, and everything in between. His resilience, wit, and charm carried him through both triumphs and heartbreaks, giving readers an honest and compelling account of life on and off the pitch. Packed with nostalgia, humor, and hard-earned wisdom, this memoir is a celebration of determination, passion, and the beautiful game. This is the unforgettable story of a man who played with heart-whether chasing trophies or building a legacy....