Vince - The Autobiography of Vince Hilaire

Really interesting read for fans of Palace, Portsmouth or Leeds shedding light on the players that made up the teams he played in. Some cracking stories - worth the read alone for the cautionary tale told about your actions as a young man coming back to bite you. Worth a read for anyone with an interest in football from that era away from what the press tells you football is all about...

Some twenty years ago at Bognor Regis Town FC a familiar figure wandered up and said, "hello". Yes, it was Vince Hilaire. I was a bit surprised that he recognised me, but our paths had crossed over the years at Crystal Palace, Portsmouth and Bognor, so we had quite a chat. So you'll understand that I had to buy this book. OK, it's ghost written (full of football speak) but the real Vince comes through: and not entirely the Vince I thought I knew.Vince Hilaire benefited from coming from a stable, religious family and by being good at school work and very good at sport. He doesn't claim that his early life was a struggle. He seems to have been able to handle racism, though believe me it was far worse forty years ago than even in these uncomfortable days following the Brexit referendum.I was a season ticket holder at Crystal Palace during Vince's time there, so I can relate to his experiences in south London. But I found his drinking exploits at Portsmouth less laudable. I'm no prig and have had the odd (too many) jar in my day, but had I over-indulged to the extent the Pompey footballers did, my work would have suffered: as, it seems did their football. And as Vince himself says, it was a factor in an early end to his footballing career.Vince largely omits those perceived villains of the game, the directors, except for the "dodgy" Ron Noades, but his views on various managers tie in with my perceptions. The other omission concerns the end of his paying career, at non-league level. There's not a word about his final club, Bognor Regis Town (not even mentioned in his Wikipedia entry). And little about what he's done since then, or his children. But the book is worth reading, and I'm glad I bought it.

Refreshingly honest account of life as a professional footballer in a very different game than the one today's pampered millionaires are used to. Highly recommend.

Saw Vince play towards the end of of his career and I knew what a good player he was. Enjoyed this book, some great stories in it and it's good to read that he lived for the day. Clearly the Portsmouth era was the best of his time as a pro. A good read

I really enjoyed this book, as Vince honestly opens up on his career, with all its varied ups and downs. I got the impression throughout that he went along with the drinking at football clubs due to his desire to 'fit in'. It is only in later life that he seems happy with who he is as a man. As a Wolves fan I saw Vince play against the wanderers a few times and he always struck me as a player who needed a lot of love to achieve his maximum. Luckily, for the reader, the 'ghosting' of this comes over as authentic, thus enabling the real man to come through.

Took me back to the early days of my supporting of Palace. Great insight into the world of football and society at that time. So many names from the past, a real treat. The story behind the 'Team of the Eighties' was really interesting and revealing. The Portsmouth phase was also a good read, especially the Alan Ball stories. His description of his time under Howard Wilkinson was also thought provoking, to me that type of thinking is what held the national team back. In all a good read regardless of whether you are a Palace or Portsmouth supporter of a certain age.

When you remember a player from your memories and then you ring the biography and you are disappointed but with this you will not be with this. Vince was an integral part of the "team of the 80s" but his career high and lows tell a story of boom and bust ups. He should have been an England regular but mishaps did not allow it. Well worth a read for non football fans. Great stories

A great book about a true Pompey legend. Very honest and some quality tales of my favourite team that wore the blue shirt.