Rob Hadgraft

Born in Luton, England, in 1955, Rob Hadgraft spent 18 years working in regional newspapers as a news and sports reporter and sub-editor, before spells editing English language newspapers abroad, and then in public relations in London. In the year 2000 he turned freelance to concentrate on writing about sport. By 2023 he had authored 20 books, most focussing on football club history, alongside a series of six acclaimed biographies of famous runners of yesteryear.

His study of Arthur Newton ('Tea With Mr Newton') was long-listed in the William Hill Sports Book of the Year awards, and his books have twice won that competition's jacket design prize. Most of his books are also available as Kindle e-books.

Hadgraft is a club runner himself, now based in Suffolk, and has completed well over 1,000 road and cross-country races in roughly 30 years. This has inevitably taken its toll on knees, ankles and other body parts, and as a result he launched the website/blog 'Diary of a Clapped-Out Runner' in 2012. More info on his books can be found at: r o b h a d g r a f t . c o m