Hammer Time

<P><B>''pulls no punches'' <I>The Sun</I></B><br><br><B>''full of eventful tales from the past'' <I>Daily Mail</I></B><br><br><B>''punchy, earthy ... entertaining stories that capture football in an era long before sanitised PR and Instagram self-promotion''<I> Independent<br></I><br></B><B>From West Ham''s cult hero, Julian Dicks, a hugely entertaining romp through football and the East End of the Eighties and Nineties.</B><br><br>''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. <br><br>Meet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player and undoubtedly one of the greatest cult figures to play for West Ham United.<br><br><I>Hammer Time</I> 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.<br><br><I>Hammer Time</I> is also 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 and those iconic pie and mash shops.</P>