The Four Rons
Language: English
Published by Pitch Publishing Ltd, GB, 2026
- Softcover
- New
Seller: Rarewaves USA, HEBRON, KY, U.S.A.Rarewaves USA
AbeBooks seller since June 10, 2025
Condition: New
£ 20.17
Quantity: 10 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
The Four Rons: A Journey Through West Midlands Football in the 1980s tells how the region's big four clubs - Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers - slid into spectacular decline after starting the decade poised to challenge Merseyside and Manchester as the powerhouse of English football. It is a tale of colourful owners, managers and players set against the backdrop of a game in crisis, with plummeting attendances, rife hooliganism and the fortunes of its clubs mirroring a wider regional decline. Chock-full of unforgettable figures - from Ron Saunders and Ron Atkinson to the Bhatti brothers, Andy Gray and Steve Bull - this is the gripping story of a proud footballing heartland in freefall.
Seller Inventory # LU-9781836802662
- Title
- The Four Rons
- Author
- Bruce Talbot
- Publisher
- Pitch Publishing Ltd, GB
- Publication year
- 2026
- Condition
- New
- Binding
- Paperback
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1836802668
- ISBN 13
- 9781836802662
The Four Rons charts West Midlands football’s dramatic decline in the 1980s, a crisis that mirrored the region’s wider struggles.
Written by sportswriter and long-time Birmingham City supporter Bruce Talbot, a keen observer of West Midlands football for decades, this fascinating book:
- Offers a year-by-year account of the often spectacular decline of the West Midlands’ big four clubs – Aston Villa, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers – across the 1980s
- Brings you the key characters who shaped a decade that began with three clubs in Europe, one the league champion and all four in Division One, but ended with three in the second tier and one in Division Four
- Explores the factors behind the decline of the big four: ego-driven owners, chaotic boardrooms and managers denied the support they needed
- Shows how the collapse of the West Midlands’ major clubs reflected the region’s wider struggles as its manufacturing base – especially its once-buoyant car industry – contracted sharply
- Paints a stark picture of a game in crisis, with plummeting attendances, dwindling revenue and widespread hooliganism
Featuring a rich cast of unforgettable figures – from Ron Saunders and Ron Atkinson to the Bhatti brothers, Andy Gray and Steve Bull – this is the gripping story of a proud footballing heartland in freefall. Essential reading for West Midlands football fans and social-history readers alike.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Bruce Talbot saw his first Birmingham City game in 1973 and witnessed the team’s decline first-hand during the 1980s. He has been a keen observer of West Midlands football ever since. A sportswriter for nearly 40 years, he has also worked in football media relations and is the author or co-author of seven books, including biographies of cricketers Ian Gould, Michael Yardy and Chris Adams.
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
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