Five Questions For Cultured Football: Simon Hughes, football book author
For each of the past four years, Simon Hughes has published (excellent) books . Three of those books have looked at different decades in the club’s history through the eyes of some of the players that lived through them whilst the other tells the fantastic story of former Liverpool scout. They are all must reads for Liverpool fans (although the writing is so good that even those who do not follow the club would probably enjoy them) as they are brimming with insight into what worked and what hasn’t over the past thirty odd years.
Apart from his books, Hughes is also a freelancer for a number of publications like Anfield Wrap and The Independent where he largely focuses on football in the Merseyside area. He is also a great bloke to boot.
Which is your favourite stadium?
There are two answers to this question. Professionally, any stadium where the Wi-Fi doesn’t cut out at the final whistle during a midweek match (so not Ewood Park or Bloomfield Road). This inconvenience has resulted in me filing match reports both from a pub and a casino in the past. On an unprofessional level (insert your own joke here) I like the noise and colour of Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion and the unique layout and steep terraces of La Bombonera. My wife (then girlfriend) had never been to a football match when we visited Buenos Aires for my birthday in 2013. She really doesn’t like football so naturally, I took her to watch Boca Juniors. They were losing 1–0 to Tigre and it was a bit quiet and underwhelming until the last 10 minutes when Juan Roman Riquelme assisted two late goals and it all went off. Only then did she turn to me and admit, “Ok, I get it now…”
Anyone you’d love to interview? And what would be the first question that you ask?
Bill Shankly. I’d shake his hand forcefully and ask very simply: “How do you crack Liverpool in 2016?”
What’s your favourite book (apart from your own)?
Pete Davies’s All Played Out about the 1990 World Cup was the first one that made me think, I’d really like to write a book some day. David Peace’s Damned United is another favourite. I also feel very jealous when reading Duncan Hamilton’s Provided You Don’t Kiss Me. A masterpiece in my opinion.
Which goal makes your hair tingle whenever you re-watch it?
It’s a bit random this one but a consequence of not having Sky as a child. Sunday afternoons were for Italian football and I loved Zinedine Zidane. He scored once for Juventus in an away game at Reggina on an otherwise unremarkable day. I don’t even know the score. The goal involved him turning three markers in one simple movement using his right foot before unceremoniously blasting a shot past the goalkeeper with his left foot from the edge of the box. Random — I appreciate.
Is there a football kit that you’d happily wear around?
In only wear football shirts for fat man five-a-side football on a Thursday night these days. Occasionally, I’ll wear the Napoli shirt sponsored by Voiello from 1992–93. Mainly because it has long-sleeves and it just about fits me.
