[Please Note: This book trailer does not have a publication date at present. As with any pre-announced books, plans can change, with projects sometimes being delayed or even cancelled entirely] We'll update this listing when more information comes to light. There's something fitting about Julian Dicks writing a book called "Kicking Against the Bricks". After all, this is a man who spent his career doing exactly that—metaphorically and sometimes literally. Known as "The Terminator" during his playing days, Dicks wasn't just another footballer; he was a force of nature who collected red cards like some players collected trophies.
This 288-page memoir is brutally honest, mirroring what its author never experienced on the field. Dicks, who terrorised opposing wingers throughout the 1990s and amassed an impressive tally of eight red cards and 112 bookings, provides readers with an unvarnished look into the inner workings of professional football. The book's greatest strength lies in its authenticity—there's no attempt to sanitise his career or reshape his legacy. Instead, Dicks embraces his reputation as football's ultimate tough guy while revealing the human beneath the hard-man exterior.
The narrative weaves through his time at West Ham United (where he became a cult hero), his brief spell at Liverpool, and his stint at Birmingham City. But this isn't just a chronological retelling of matches and transfers. Dicks utilises his unique position, free from the influence of the football establishment, to shed light on the darker aspects of the sport. The result is a refreshingly honest account that feels more like a conversation in a pub than a carefully curated autobiography.
What makes this book particularly compelling is its timing. Written after his playing career, Dicks has nothing left to lose and no one left to please. This freedom allows him to delve into topics that active players or managers might shy away from. The anecdotes are colourful, the revelations are genuine, and the perspective is uniquely his own. Whether he's describing dressing room confrontations or battles with authority figures, Dicks' voice comes through with crystal clarity.
The book's structure, aided by co-author Kirk Blows, maintains a good balance between the on-field drama and off-field insights. While some football autobiographies get bogged down in match reports or become exercises in score-settling, "Kicking Against the Bricks" manages to keep its focus on the larger story—that of a working-class hero who played the game his way, consequences be damned.
Perhaps most surprisingly, there's a vulnerability to Dicks' narrative that few would expect from a man nicknamed "The Terminator". His account of the knee injury that eventually forced him into retirement at just 29 is particularly poignant. In these moments, the book transcends the conventional sports memoir format and transforms into a narrative about identity, resilience, and the cost of playing the game according to one's own terms.
The title of the book holds significant prophetic meaning. Throughout his career, Dicks not only faced challenges but also overcome them, leaving an enduring impact on English football. While some may remember him primarily for his disciplinary record, this memoir reveals a more complex character: a footballer who understood his role as both villain and hero and seemed perfectly comfortable being both.
"Kicking Against the Bricks" isn't just for West Ham fans or those nostalgic for 1990s football. It's for anyone interested in the raw, unfiltered reality of professional sports, told by someone who lived it without compromise. In an era where football books often feel sanitised and corporate, Dicks' memoir stands out as a reminder of a time when characters—real characters—roamed the pitch.
Like its author, this book won't win any awards for diplomacy. But also like its author, it's honest, direct, and unapologetically itself. And in today's world of carefully managed sports narratives, that might be the highest praise possible.
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Some publishers release new titles early, so our ETA above could change. Publisher: Visit Transworld Publishers Ltd
Published: UnknownPrice: £UnknownPaperback: UnknownISBN-13: 9781845962890Dimensions: 234 x 156 (mm)
