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The Smell of Football
When Mick Rathbone signed for Birmingham City as a 16 year-old apprentice he was living every schoolboy's dream. But when he discovered he was so nervous he was unable to speak, let alone pass the ball, in the presence of his boyhood hero and City star Trevor Francis, he realised that a career in football might not be everything he had imagined. The Smell of Football is the brutally honest and utterly unputdownable story of how 'Baz' conquered his personal demons to build a life in the game ― from the terrified teenager who purposely tried to get injured in training rather than get picked for the first team, to the experienced pro who became Head of Medicine at Premier League Everton FC in charge of the treatment of the likes of Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Tim Cahill. Brilliantly written and packed with hilarious tales featuring a football 'who's who' cast of characters ― from Sir Alf Ramsey and 'Big Sam' Allardyce to David Moyes, Duncan Ferguson and Rooney himself ― The Smell of Football is an engrossing and moving memoir that covers every aspect of the professional game and gives an unprecedented insight into what life is really like at football's coalface.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published August 2, 2011
6 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Mick Rathbone
5 books3 followersMick "Baz" Rathbone signed for Birmingham City as a 16 year-old apprentice and there began his career in the world of football.
Born Michael John Rathbone on 6 November 1958, "Baz" has been a player, caretaker manager, and team physio over his career. He is currently physiotherapist for Salford City FC.
His nickname of "Basil" or "Baz" is in reference to actor Basil Rathbone.
Born Michael John Rathbone on 6 November 1958, "Baz" has been a player, caretaker manager, and team physio over his career. He is currently physiotherapist for Salford City FC.
His nickname of "Basil" or "Baz" is in reference to actor Basil Rathbone.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 2, 2012
Ok but overrated
June 9, 2014
Fantastic book - I loved this. The book is split into three broad areas, Rathbone's career as a player, manager and physio.
The book is really funny, well written and full of great stories. The pacing of the book is great I read it really quickly. My only criticism of the book is that at 262 pages it seems short. I suspect there are double the amount of funny stories that could go into this. Rathbone comes across as very honest and a genuine nice guy. Much of the book focuses on his own lack of self-belief and confidence in his ability.
So, the early part of the book features his career as an apprentice at Birmingham City and his subsequent break in the first team. Birmingham at that time were in the top division so it shows Rathbone was a pretty decent player at 17. What does come across is how the bullying culture of football clubs, both by coaches and other players could absolutely shatter a persons love of the game. There's no way that anyone gets good enough to play for a top tier team at 17 without loving the game so there is an important message here about how to treat young people. Young footballers often get a hard time with their relative riches and lack of personal responsibility but I think Rathbone's story highlights the need to work on the emotional maturity and nurturing of these people. Rathbone is star struck by Trevor Francis his boyhood hero and now teammate so much that he can't pass to him. Rathbone also does anything to get out of playing in the first team. It's a sad environment for a young man.
Now christened Rambo Rathbone he's transferred to Blackburn and it seems that he has a good career here and has genuine affection for the club, people and the town itself.
The next section of the book is set during his time as a player at Preston. This was the most interesting section of the book for me as a Preston fan. I was at school when 'Basil' played for us and I watched pretty much all his career. I remember the period really well - John McGrath as manager was a great era. I have a really strong memory of being up close and personal to him. It was away at Blackpool, a fierce local derby and I was right up to the fence close to the pitch where Basil put in a great challenge and won the ball and cleared it. He was a fighter on the pitch. I also remember a conversation I had with my dad around the time. I said, 'have you noticed Rathbone's never Man of the Match' and also 'you never notice Rathbone'. My dad said that 'you never notice Rathbone because he's doing such a good job defending and he's so dependable'. In those days defenders at Preston were noticed because they cocked up so much! He was a great player for us. I really liked all the tales about John McGrath, sadly now deceased. I still sing, 'John McGrath's Super White Army' over 25 years since he left us!
Rathbone ended up following McGrath to Halifax whilst he completed his physio course to take the job as a physio (and fitness coach, youth team manager, reserve player and coach etc. etc....). Rathbone retired early from football due to injury and seems to have really struggled financially during this time. McGrath ends up getting the sack and sort of by accident Rathbone ends up as manager! The section of his half season in charge is really good and really funny but also really sad. I think many football fans can identify with the sadness associated with going down and the sense that a team is 'doomed', even more so for established league clubs entering non-league. When Rathbone was manager there was still a sense that non-league was the abyss that has gone somewhat. There's a hilarious story about the time a Cameroon international Godfrey Obedo is signed, his agent says he will play for free and has played in Serie A. Turns out he has played in Syria and is somewhat of an enigma. Rathbone asks him to warm up before coming on as a sub and Obedo goes and sits by a radiator! Rathbone can't work a miracle and even though the players loved him it's sad when Halifax are relegated.
'Basil' then gets a call from Preston again to be our physio. This is the time when Preston turned a corner - we had a new ground built and some investment in players. We also had one of our players become a coach, then assistant manager then manager - David Moyes. Moysey was and is a Preston legend. This was a great period for the club where we won the third division and came within 90 minutes of reaching the Premier League. We had some great players around this time and Basil really loved his time here. He had so much affection for the club.
Moyes moves on to Everton and offers Rathbone an offer he can't refuse and then he's the head of medicine at a Premier League club. This section of the book covers the period where a teenage Rooney breaks into the team. It's a rags to riches story and it's great to read about Rathbone's journey from the bottom of the league to the Champions League.
I saw Basil a couple of years ago at a PNE Legends charity match. Even though he was in his 50's he still had a game (even though he missed a few penalties!)
A warm guy, who has cared about the places he has worked and certainly from a Preston perspective someone who is fondly remembered.
The book is really funny, well written and full of great stories. The pacing of the book is great I read it really quickly. My only criticism of the book is that at 262 pages it seems short. I suspect there are double the amount of funny stories that could go into this. Rathbone comes across as very honest and a genuine nice guy. Much of the book focuses on his own lack of self-belief and confidence in his ability.
So, the early part of the book features his career as an apprentice at Birmingham City and his subsequent break in the first team. Birmingham at that time were in the top division so it shows Rathbone was a pretty decent player at 17. What does come across is how the bullying culture of football clubs, both by coaches and other players could absolutely shatter a persons love of the game. There's no way that anyone gets good enough to play for a top tier team at 17 without loving the game so there is an important message here about how to treat young people. Young footballers often get a hard time with their relative riches and lack of personal responsibility but I think Rathbone's story highlights the need to work on the emotional maturity and nurturing of these people. Rathbone is star struck by Trevor Francis his boyhood hero and now teammate so much that he can't pass to him. Rathbone also does anything to get out of playing in the first team. It's a sad environment for a young man.
Now christened Rambo Rathbone he's transferred to Blackburn and it seems that he has a good career here and has genuine affection for the club, people and the town itself.
The next section of the book is set during his time as a player at Preston. This was the most interesting section of the book for me as a Preston fan. I was at school when 'Basil' played for us and I watched pretty much all his career. I remember the period really well - John McGrath as manager was a great era. I have a really strong memory of being up close and personal to him. It was away at Blackpool, a fierce local derby and I was right up to the fence close to the pitch where Basil put in a great challenge and won the ball and cleared it. He was a fighter on the pitch. I also remember a conversation I had with my dad around the time. I said, 'have you noticed Rathbone's never Man of the Match' and also 'you never notice Rathbone'. My dad said that 'you never notice Rathbone because he's doing such a good job defending and he's so dependable'. In those days defenders at Preston were noticed because they cocked up so much! He was a great player for us. I really liked all the tales about John McGrath, sadly now deceased. I still sing, 'John McGrath's Super White Army' over 25 years since he left us!
Rathbone ended up following McGrath to Halifax whilst he completed his physio course to take the job as a physio (and fitness coach, youth team manager, reserve player and coach etc. etc....). Rathbone retired early from football due to injury and seems to have really struggled financially during this time. McGrath ends up getting the sack and sort of by accident Rathbone ends up as manager! The section of his half season in charge is really good and really funny but also really sad. I think many football fans can identify with the sadness associated with going down and the sense that a team is 'doomed', even more so for established league clubs entering non-league. When Rathbone was manager there was still a sense that non-league was the abyss that has gone somewhat. There's a hilarious story about the time a Cameroon international Godfrey Obedo is signed, his agent says he will play for free and has played in Serie A. Turns out he has played in Syria and is somewhat of an enigma. Rathbone asks him to warm up before coming on as a sub and Obedo goes and sits by a radiator! Rathbone can't work a miracle and even though the players loved him it's sad when Halifax are relegated.
'Basil' then gets a call from Preston again to be our physio. This is the time when Preston turned a corner - we had a new ground built and some investment in players. We also had one of our players become a coach, then assistant manager then manager - David Moyes. Moysey was and is a Preston legend. This was a great period for the club where we won the third division and came within 90 minutes of reaching the Premier League. We had some great players around this time and Basil really loved his time here. He had so much affection for the club.
Moyes moves on to Everton and offers Rathbone an offer he can't refuse and then he's the head of medicine at a Premier League club. This section of the book covers the period where a teenage Rooney breaks into the team. It's a rags to riches story and it's great to read about Rathbone's journey from the bottom of the league to the Champions League.
I saw Basil a couple of years ago at a PNE Legends charity match. Even though he was in his 50's he still had a game (even though he missed a few penalties!)
A warm guy, who has cared about the places he has worked and certainly from a Preston perspective someone who is fondly remembered.
January 25, 2022
Forgotten hero's of football clubs
It would be nice of footballers to mention staff, I.e. kitchen staff, etc who look after them all year round instead of fellow pros who earn a fortune unlike the ordinary folk.
It would be nice of footballers to mention staff, I.e. kitchen staff, etc who look after them all year round instead of fellow pros who earn a fortune unlike the ordinary folk.
January 23, 2024
A hilarious read although some jokes have not aged well at all.
Nonetheless, a great insight to the full tier of English football through various decades.
I’d highly recommend to all football fans!
Lots of anecdotes had me laughing!
Nonetheless, a great insight to the full tier of English football through various decades.
I’d highly recommend to all football fans!
Lots of anecdotes had me laughing!
January 3, 2025
funny , informative
A fabulous entertaining book, so well written with passion(both good and bad) I felt the experiences Baz lived through myself as if I was there.
Highly recommend
A fabulous entertaining book, so well written with passion(both good and bad) I felt the experiences Baz lived through myself as if I was there.
Highly recommend
February 20, 2022
Very funny at times and interesting. Spoiled by being a bit repetitive.
August 14, 2024
Great insight
February 19, 2017
Short but entertaining look at one man's soccer career as a player, later a manager, and finally a physiotherapist for a premier league team. Fun anecdotes and a nice look into the sport.
December 23, 2013
Back when football (or soccer.... to some!) was proper footy, a mans game for the people & not played by the current crop of primaballarinas!
I picked up this book being a Toffee & wanting to mostly read about Baz's role as Head of Medicine at Everton - It's in 3 parts - firstly as a player, then a manager & finally as a physio.
Baz's (nicknamed Baz after Basil Rathbone) honesty is very refreshing as he retails his days as a young starlet at his home club, Birmingham City, in that he was a failure at that level & never realised the potential he had to play at the highest level as he froze but then recovered enough to become a solid & established professional in the lower divisons before going on to become top of his physio profession at Everton.
Enjoyable & humorous read for anyone with a passing interest in footy from the 70's & 80's - the humour & banter is regaled in full & anecdotes from famous names at the time added to spice the tales still further – it’s dressing room stuff for sure.
It was all about hard-work & putting the hours in & Baz gives a very honest account of this & so makes the book a good read for anyone interested in the pysche of a pro-sportsman who couldnt quite cut it at times but to all adversy turns it around to finish on top.
I picked up this book being a Toffee & wanting to mostly read about Baz's role as Head of Medicine at Everton - It's in 3 parts - firstly as a player, then a manager & finally as a physio.
Baz's (nicknamed Baz after Basil Rathbone) honesty is very refreshing as he retails his days as a young starlet at his home club, Birmingham City, in that he was a failure at that level & never realised the potential he had to play at the highest level as he froze but then recovered enough to become a solid & established professional in the lower divisons before going on to become top of his physio profession at Everton.
Enjoyable & humorous read for anyone with a passing interest in footy from the 70's & 80's - the humour & banter is regaled in full & anecdotes from famous names at the time added to spice the tales still further – it’s dressing room stuff for sure.
It was all about hard-work & putting the hours in & Baz gives a very honest account of this & so makes the book a good read for anyone interested in the pysche of a pro-sportsman who couldnt quite cut it at times but to all adversy turns it around to finish on top.
October 20, 2013
This one is tricky to pigeon hole. On the face of it, it should be obvious what The Smell of Football is about, but frankly it's much more complicated than that.
You won't find a multitude of match details, or a dissection of training methods and tactics, or a plethora of funny incidents involving the superstars of the game.
You will find some of the above, and depending on your personal preferences of those, you'll want more of them, because the book is not solely based on any of them.
So what is it based on? Well, the author, Baz, will take you through a potentially glamorous world, through the eyes of someone with an acute lack of self confidence.
You'll learn about the bonds that grow between people, the ever present pressures of the game, the difficulty of surviving in the modern game, and yes, some of the excesses of the superstars.
The writing isn't perfect, but then this isn't some glossy exposé, it's an honest account of a career which traversed the divisions, up and down, but always with a sense of humour which got him through.
You won't find a multitude of match details, or a dissection of training methods and tactics, or a plethora of funny incidents involving the superstars of the game.
You will find some of the above, and depending on your personal preferences of those, you'll want more of them, because the book is not solely based on any of them.
So what is it based on? Well, the author, Baz, will take you through a potentially glamorous world, through the eyes of someone with an acute lack of self confidence.
You'll learn about the bonds that grow between people, the ever present pressures of the game, the difficulty of surviving in the modern game, and yes, some of the excesses of the superstars.
The writing isn't perfect, but then this isn't some glossy exposé, it's an honest account of a career which traversed the divisions, up and down, but always with a sense of humour which got him through.
November 2, 2015
Great Book For All Football Lovers
I had seen a lot of comments from fellow football fans on Twitter saying what a great read this book was and they were totally right. 'Baz' has had a career that has witnessed a huge amount of highs and lows and he is candid about his own abilities and insecurities. A lot of football autobiographies fail to give you a proper insight into the writer's personality but this is certainly not the case with this book. If you love football, you will love this book.
I had seen a lot of comments from fellow football fans on Twitter saying what a great read this book was and they were totally right. 'Baz' has had a career that has witnessed a huge amount of highs and lows and he is candid about his own abilities and insecurities. A lot of football autobiographies fail to give you a proper insight into the writer's personality but this is certainly not the case with this book. If you love football, you will love this book.
October 2, 2011
I was originally a wee bit reluctant and was like eh, I do like footy but I´m really not sure I could enjoy a 260page book on it... Well, I read The Smell of Football in about 6 days and I have to say, and I´m no biography geek, it was one of the best reads ever. It´s funny, witty, and provides an invaluable insight into the world of football. Thank you, Baz, for this amazing book. If I ever get to Preston, I´ll make sure we catch up in Starbucks:)
September 20, 2011
Best football bio I've read in a long, long time. Honest, self-effacing and revelatory in terms of the ins and outs of life in football - over 4 decades. Fully recommended. COYB!
May 19, 2015
Solid football read - funny, witty, inspirational. Baz Rathbone is a great bloke!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews