One for the Frog: The Mike Trusson Autobiography

One for the Frog: The Mike Trusson Autobiography tells the story of a professional English footballer whose career unfolded away from Premier League glamour. Across more than 600 competitive appearances, eight clubs and two eventful decades, Mike Trusson experienced dressing-room humour, muddy pitches, coach journeys and loyalty that defined British football’s lower divisions. Growing up in rural Somerset, he chased a boyhood dream shaped by family sacrifice and post-war Britain. His opportunity at Plymouth Argyle led into the demanding apprenticeship system of the 1970s, where determination mattered as much as talent. Later chapters revisit Sheffield United, Rotherham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Gillingham and AFC Bournemouth, offering snapshots of English football history. Along the way, Trusson shared a dressing room with England World Cup winner Martin Peters and faced George Best. With a foreword by Tony Pulis, this football autobiography celebrates the ordinary professionals who gave everything for the game.

The title draws on a Cockney expression: “one for the frog” means giving a challenge everything you have. That spirit runs through this football memoir, written with warmth, resilience and self-deprecating humour. Trusson remembers eccentric managers, bruising tackles, camaraderie and the uncertain realities of making a living in soccer, while capturing the society surrounding the sport. Against a backdrop of industrial unrest, punk rock, changing steel towns and football’s commercialisation, he charts a journey from Somerset to Sheffield, Brighton and eventually Hong Kong. This is a personal account of identity, homesickness, friendship and the transition to life after football. Rather than another story about superstar wages and glamorous trophies, One for the Frog honours the players who kept English football going week after week. For supporters of Sheffield United, Plymouth Argyle and the wider Football League, it is a deeply evocative addition to any collection of football books and memoirs.

People, clubs and places: Mike Trusson, Tony Pulis, Martin Peters, George Best, Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield United, Rotherham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Gillingham, AFC Bournemouth, Somerset, Sheffield, Brighton, Hong Kong, England, Football League, British football, lower-league football, football autobiography, football memoir, football history