Hammer Time, Julian Dicks
Hammer Time, Julian Dicks
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
Club: $15.99

Hammer Time
Me, West Ham, and a Passion for the Shirt

Author: Julian Dicks

Narrator: Adam Price

Unabridged: 7 hr 52 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Headline

Published: 06/08/2023


Synopsis

'pulls no punches' The Sun

'full of eventful tales from the past' Daily Mail

'punchy, earthy ... entertaining stories that capture football in an era long before sanitised PR and Instagram self-promotion' The Independent

From West Ham's cult hero, Julian Dicks, a hugely entertaining romp through football and the East End of the Eighties and Nineties.

'Cult figure' is a term hardly used in football these days: where have they all gone? In the sterile and corporate modern game, is there room for the mercurial midfielder or the tough-tackling defender or the pot-bellied goal poacher? Rewind two or three decades and British professional football was stuffed to the gunnels with these 'one-offs': players with bags of talent, yes, but also lorryloads of personality and a hugely relatable quality which meant they'd all be playing Sunday morning park football if they hadn't become professionals. No media training, no filter, no 5% body fat, no cryotherapy chambers, and no quiet nights in with a curly kale salad and a glass of carrot juice.

Meet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player, and (alongside Paulo Di Canio), undoubtedly the greatest 'cult figure' to play for West Ham United for a generation.

Hammer Time is Dicks' hugely entertaining romp through his career with West Ham, shot through with all the great anecdotes of life as a pro back then, and peppered with all the marvellous characters who crossed his path in those halcyon days. It evokes memories of intimidating away crowds, muddy pitches, no-nonsense tackling, card schools on the bus, big nights out after matches, and the special camaraderie that was forged between players of that era.

Hammer Time will also be an open love letter to the unique character and atmosphere of West Ham United and East London, conjuring up - with great warmth and nostalgia - a fast disappearing world of strong working-class communities, proper East End boozers, Dagenham Motors and the docks, jellied eels, rollmops and those iconic pie and mash shops.

(P) 2023 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Reviews

Goodreads review by Andrew on March 05, 2025

It's the perfect book for any West Ham fan. It is full of stories that are sure to make you laugh as well as reminisce about the days of Upton Park and before commercialism ruined the game. This book confirms that Julian Dicks bleeds claret and blue. There are very few players like him left in the g......more

Goodreads review by Matt on July 03, 2023

A fantastic read and a must for any West Ham fan. An honest account of his career. Full of ups and the occasional downs in his own words. His love of the club is crystal clear as is his commitment and passion for wearing the claret and blue shirt. Couldn’t put the book down. Excellent......more

Goodreads review by Jeff on March 31, 2025

Enjoyable read , great memories of football in simpler times ,Julian Dicks comes across as a good chap ,interesting tales with some laughs thrown in......more

Goodreads review by Tegtman on May 18, 2024

Fun! Bit of a mess!!......more