-- Newspaper and Website Reviews
WIGNALL'S GREAT LIFE IS COMING FOR ALL TO READ
STEVE Wignall, one of Colchester United's greatest and most popular managers, is putting his footballing life into print.
In his forthcoming autobiography – You Can Have Chips – Wignall, one of a rare breed of footballers who have played for, captained and gone on to manage almost every professional club they have kicked a ball in anger for – explodes many of the myths surrounding 'the beautiful game.'
And the proud Liverpudlian's record as team boss of the U's (1995-99) alone speaks for itself – two Wembley finals; one promotion play-off final triumph; two play-off semi-finals, plus just missing out on another play-off appearance by only one point.
It has been described as a ‘fantastic feat’ and what ‘Wiggy’ achieved on a limited budget in the lower divisions was on a par with what Sir Alex Ferguson and other Premier managers have achieved with millions of pounds at their fingertips to spend.
In his new book Wignall relives the highs and lows of his colourful footballing experiences, from a starry-eyed schoolboy having trials for his hometown team Liverpool in 1968 to the heady days as the U's successful boss at Layer Road and the trials and tribulations of his spells as manager of Southend United (one season) and Stevenage Borough (just six weeks).
In a playing career spanning 15 years he played League football for Doncaster Rovers, the U's (seven seasons), Brentford and Aldershot.
As as a manager he was at the helm at Aldershot, Colchester, Doncaster, Southend and Stevenage.Only Brentford eluded the 54-year-old dashing ex-centre-half as a Football League manager - and that was only because the U's chairman at the time refused the west London club permission to speak to him.Now, as Wignall looks to get back into the game in some form – as a coach or maybe an assistant manager – he explained how he came to write his book in the first place.
He said: “It came about after Chris Cowlin of Apex Publishing sent me a letter inquiring if I would be interested in penning my autobiography.
“Initially I thought this is not for me. When would I get the time to do it and, how would I set about doing it?
“So I threw the letter in the wastebin.
“Anne, my wife, who has been a great support to me throughout, rescued it and said let’s talk about it before dismissing the idea altogether.
“We finished up having a meeting with Chris and the entire exercise has been very liberating for us.
“Anne and I totally wanted to do it ourselves. That’s the way we wanted it to be. We didn't want to use a ghost-writer.
“It gave me the chance to open up and get a few things off my chest.
“We spent a lot of time deliberating over the content and there were many things best left unsaid.
“We didn’t want to sensationalise it in any way and it hasn't been written to create a best-seller.
“Currently helping out his old U's team-mate Micky Cook as a part-time coach at Brightlingsea’s Colne Community College, Wignall said: “It was so enjoyable looking back over my life in football.”
Recalling the many people – schoolteachers, scouts, fellow players and managers – who have played a part in my story was very nostalic.
“And I have pieced the book together more as a potted history of my days in the game for my grandchildren to read in 20 years time."
l You Can Have Chips, published by Apex Publishing @ £16.99 (Hardback), is being officially launched at the Ramada Hotel, Ardleigh Junction, Colchester on Friday March 20 at 8pm (open to the general public) when Wignall will be talking about his career and the book.
Other local book signings are scheduled at: - Waterstone’s, High Street, Colchester, Saturday March 21 from 12noon-1pm - Colchester United's, Weston Homes Community Stadium, Saturday March 28 from 10 am-2 pm.
- Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester, Saturday April 4 from 12noon-2pm.
- Studio Bookshop, Clacton, Thursday April 9 from 11am-1pm.
- Waterstone's, Culver Square, Colchester, Saturday April 11 from 12noon-2pm.
- Colchester Information Centre, Thursday April 23 from 11am-1pm.
- Caxton Books, Frinton, Saturday May 2 from 11.30am-1.30pm.
Daily Gazette
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FORMER BLUES MANAGER'S BOOK TELLS OF BATTLES AT SOUTHEND UNITED
SOUTHEND United chairman Ron Martin’s Roots Hall reign is blasted by one of his managerial casualties in a new book.
Steve Wignall has broken his silence on a turbulent seven-month spell as Blues boss in his autobiography, You Can Have Chips, which is released on Friday, March 20.
The 55-year-old was sacked in November 2003 as the cash-strapped Shrimpers teetered above the relegation trapdoor to non-league oblivion, following a dreadful record of just four victories in 20 Third Division matches.
In his new book, Wignall paints a messy picture of a club in turmoil, both on and off the pitch, with board members and inherited coaches conspiring against him from the start.
Southend supremo Martin and former head coach Stewart Robson come in for the heaviest criticism, in a chapter called You Do Rant Ron, Ron, You Do Rant Ron.
Wignall said: “To this day, I still believe I could have been a success at Southend, if only I had been given the chance to run things properly.
“My biggest mistake was not going into the club with my own backroom staff from day one. I should have demanded to take in people I could trust, but I probably wouldn’t have got the job.
“I’ve been very pleased to see Southend do well over the last few years, winning promotions, getting to Cardiff finals and beating Manchester United in the League Cup.
“The current manager, Steve Tilson, who was in charge of the youth team during my time at Roots Hall, has done a great job since I left, but I’d like to think I played my part in helping him with these successes.”
Before taking his place in the Roots Hall hotseat, Wignall tasted great success at Essex rivals Colchester United. He shifted the balance of football power to the north of the county by leading the U’s to the Second Division, as Southend nosedived into the basement and continued to founder.
He added: “When I came into the club, I had to do all the spade work. I had just three games to assess the squad before the season ended, making tough decisions on 75 per cent of the players whose contracts were up for renewal.
“I cleared the decks and replaced them on a tight budget before the start of the next season. It was major surgery!
“Things did not start well in the league and what went on behind the scenes made it impossible at times. But we would have got there.
“After they got rid of me, the club got to the final of the LDV Vans Trophy against Blackpool at the Millennium Stadium – with eight of my signings in the starting line-up – and then won promotion the next two years.
“Everything was ready for take-off at the club, but unfortunately for me, I had a knee-jerk reaction chairman and got the sack after just seven months.
“The book is an honest assessment of my time in the game as a player and manager, a journey which has taken me from Liverpool to Southend, and I hope people enjoy it.”
Southend United chairman Ron Martin believes sacked Blues manager Steve Wignall was given every opportunity to prove his worth in the Roots Hall hotseat.
He swung the axe in November 2003, with the Shrimpers struggling at the foot of the Third Division table, before appointing current boss Steve Tilson and embarking on the most successful period in the club’s 103-year history.
“I don’t remember falling out with Steve Wignall,” said Martin, who has presided over two promotions, three Millennium Stadium showpiece finals and a famous cup win over Manchester United since firing the ex-Colchester United chief.
“We appointed him at the end of the 2002/03 season and he was given the opportunity to rebuild over the summer and bring in his own players.
“But, unfortunately, it didn’t work out.
“After he left Roots Hall, I stated that I couldn’t see the passion in his eyes or his commitment to Southend United while he was manager, and I still stand by that.
“Changes had to be made to make us more successful. Football is a results business and the club was at the wrong end of the table at the time.
“The history books don’t lie and we have obviously enjoyed great success as a club since those days.”
However, Mr Martin added he will definitely buy a copy of his former manager’s autobiography when it is published at the end of the month.
“I love reading football books and look forward to flicking through the pages of this one,” he said.
“I will definitely be buying myself a copy of the book when it is published.”
** You Can Have Chips is published in hardback by Apex Publishing, price £16.99. Steve Wignall will be signing copies in two Waterstone’s stores on Saturday, May 9, at Basildon, 11am, and Southend, 2pm.
Southend Echo
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
U's Review: The Official Matchday Magazine of Colchester United Football Club
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FORMER U'S MANAGER KICKS OFF BOOK SIGNINGS
East Anglian Daily Times
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Sports Trader Magazine
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk
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DONCASTER ROVERS I PLAYED A PART IN THE REBIRTH OF THE ROVERS, SAYS WIGNALL
GIVEN the remarkable renaissance at Doncaster Rovers over the last decade, former boss Steve Wignall would be forgiven for muttering the "if only".
Lower division supporters might link him to Colchester United and Aldershot, but Doncaster also holds a special place in the heart of the Liverpudlian, who cut his playing teeth at the club and later managed it.
Wignall's time in South Yorkshire – and subsequent trials and tribulations – is chronicled as part of his engrossing autobiography You Can Have Chips!, with the "new" Rovers certainly a different entity to the one he was associated with.
Playing wise, Wignall earned his footballing spurs under Maurice Setters in a youthful Rovers side in the early to mid 1970s after joining from hometown club Liverpool.
A long playing career as a stalwart centre-half followed before management beckoned, first with Aldershot Town, getting the club back on an even keel with successive promotions to the Isthmian League, before he was head-hunted by old club Colchester.
Four good years followed from 1995 to 1999 with Wignall winning promotion to Division Two in 1998 following two top-10 finishes and he eventually found himself at Doncaster at the start of the decade.
Wignall's Belle Vue stint – from May 2000 to December 2001 – was a time when Rovers were ensconced in the Conference, with expectant fans baying for a return to the Football League.
That arrived on a spring day at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke in May 2003, with the Division Three championship following the next season.
matters culminated in Rovers' League One final win over Leeds in front of 70,000 at Wembley last May ensuring elevation to the second tier of English football for the first time in half a century.
Wignall wasn't destined to preside over the glory years, but somewhere along the line, he'd like to think he laid a few foundations.
Signing fellow Scouser Franny Tierney – who he dragged from the footballing scrapheap – was certainly one for starters, with the midfielder scoring the golden goal that saw Rovers return to the Football League.
Philosophical about leaving the stage before Rovers achieved their potential, Wignall, who wrote his book with wife Anne, said: "That's the way it goes, I was a bit disappointed and I suppose Dave Penney (who managed the club from 2002 to 2006) feels the same.
"i always thought at the back of my mind: 'if I can just stay on and get us to the new stadium, we can kick on'.
"John Ryan (the chairman) wanted me to turn it around and start the club going in the right way. People might look at it and say it wasn't a great time, but the club were still on the slide when I took over.
"And that's no disrespect to the Snodin brothers, who got the club back on its feet and tried their best to take it to the next level.
"We started to turn it around.
We got a new training ground and things were going the right way.
"Dave then took over at the club and it took off from there and I now can't see them going back to where they were.
"I left Doncaster and they brought in the play-offs the next year. When I was manager, you had to win the championship and the next year Dave had taken over and won the play-offs."
Suffolk-based Wignall added: "Jackie Bestall (a former club manager) told me about Rovers' potential in 1972. Sometimes as a player, you listen to 'old boys' like him and say: 'yeah, yeah'.
"But the longer I was there, the more I understood the expectation levels. they were ridiculously high in the Conference, but the potential was there because the fanbase was phenomenal.
"Doncaster and the area is a real hotbed with the likes of Sheffield United, Wednesday, Barnsley and Rotherham nearby.
"Now people will walk down the road in Doncaster and see lots of Donny shirts.
"I was shocked at the expectation levels when I arrived. I couldn't wave a magic wand, that was never going to happen at a club that was virtually out of existence two or three years before."
All manner of things went wrong for Wignall during his time managing the club, with the biggest blow coming when wife Anne fell seriously ill.
He added: "Everything that could go wrong – in my personal life and everything – did. It was a shame as I worked really hard for some really good people. John (Ryan) was a smashing bloke – it just didn't happen.
"On the pitch, every striker got an injury or had problems. We had three or four strikers capable of scoring 100 goals (between them).
"Barnesy (Paul Barnes) scored against Manchester United in pre-season and I never had him, Carl Alford scored 25 or 30 goals every year in his career and hardly scored a goal for us, while Justin Jackson was the best scorer in non-league history and then couldn't score. Lots of things happened that were out of my hands.
"My wife fell ill during my time at Doncaster. The fall out from that was massive, it's not a sob story. Those are the facts and the book tells how we coped with it and we coped all right."
Rovers' recent sunshine-and-roses years have contrasted markedly with their problems just over a decade ago.
Wignall was present on the club's darkest day when the perennial strugglers dropped out of the Football League in 1998. He was manager of promotion-chasing opponents Colchester in front of a sombre Belle Vue crowd.
Somewhat fittingly, Wignall was also there in the opposite dug-out at Southend when Rovers returned to the Football League in August 2003 as a club transformed.
He recalls: "I remember Doncaster's last game in the Football League. It was a double disappointment.
Obviously, we'd won, but we heard on the bus afterwards that the other results had gone against us.
"The whole day was strange with the coffin cortege to the ground, the whole place was so down.
"To be honest, I thought the club would go out of business – if it hadn't been for John and Peter Wetzel, I think they would have done. They saved the club and put it where it is now, especially John.
"A few years later, I was manager of Southend when they were Doncaster's first league game back in the Football League. That's unbelievable, you couldn't write the script!
"I shook John Ryan's hand before the game and on the day they outplayed us and have gone on from strength to strength."
Belle Vue may be now long gone and the club's goalposts moved in every way, but at least the bulldozers went in for the right reasons with the upwardly-mobile Rovers moving on from the antiquated ground across the way to the state-of-the-art Keepmoat Stadium.
But Wignall still remembers his playing days at the old ground with fondness, with the defender carving out a niche as a solid centre-back under the stewardship of Setters.
He tasted some halcyon days, most notably in the FA Cup in 1974 when lowly Rovers almost stunned Bill Shankly's Liverpool.
Wignall said: "Coming to Doncaster was a bit of a culture shock for me as a Scouser. It was a different culture, but I loved it.
"I had trials at Coventry and a few clubs were sniffing around. But Maurice Setters was the most positive at Doncaster.
"He was very much for young players and had a good record over the years. He had brought through Mike Elwiss, Peter Kitchen, Terry Curran and Brendan O'Callaghan in their late teens.
"That was Maurice for you, we either sank or swam then!
"It was tough, we were struggling in the bottom half of the league, what is League Two now. Like anyone else I was glad to be playing in the Football League and it toughened me up.
"We played Liverpool in the cup and I remember Kitch hit the bar and would have made it 3-2 to us.
"Because Kevin Keegan was in the Liverpool side and was a Donny lad, there was lots of interest on the match-up with me.
"I had a decent game, was man-of-the-match in the second game and at 18 or 19 it was a great experience.
"I remember the replay on a Tuesday afternoon in the three-day week when there was 22,000 at Belle Vue.
"Maurice was a great motivator and a big influence on me, but I didn't get on with (the next manager) Stan (Anderson). I was a first-team regular and not some snotty-nosed kid– but that was Stan's way.
"I joined Colchester and before that had actually gone to Nottingham Forest on loan. They went on to win two European Cups and the league.
"I wouldn't say it was a regret because I did my best.
But probably I was just a bit too young at just 21 and it probably came a bit too early."
YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS! The Autobiography of Steve Wignall, Apex Publishing Ltd, hardback, priced £16.99.
Wignall will be signing copies at the Keepmoat Stadium ahead of Rovers' clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday, April 25 from noon to 1.30pm. He will also hold a signing session at Waterstones, Doncaster, from 1.45pm to 3pm before returning to the Keepmoat for more signings.
Yorkshire Evening Post
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
U's Review: The Official Matchday Magazine of Colchester United Football Club
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
East Anglian Daily Times
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS! BY STEVE WIGNALL
NON-LEAGUE fans may get a kick out of a new football autobiography ¬ Steve Wignall's You Can Have Chips!
After a 20-year playing career in the Football League, Wignall became the first manager of the new Aldershot Town in 1992 following their expulsion from the League.
In their first season in Non-League, Wignall led the Shots to Isthmian Division Three title glory.
The 55-year-old said: "We started from scratch ¬we only had one player!
We went on to win the division by 19 points and were getting crowds of 1,500 to 2,000.
"We had a ten-year plan to get into the League and it looked ridiculous.
In the end, it took the club 16 years to get back there."
Wignall also managed Stevenage Borough for a brief spell and Doncaster Rovers in the Conference, while he bossed Colchester United and Southend in the League.
The book chronicles Wignall's 700-game playing career with Doncaster,
Colchester, Brentford and Aldershot, his management career and private life.
He said: "I was approached by a publisher's and wasn't keen at first. But once I started it I found it quite liberating. It's been written by myself and my wife, and it took about 18 months to complete."
The hardback book is priced £16.99. It's available from Apex Publishing Ltd on 01255 428500.
The Non-League Paper
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FOOTIE SPECIAL WITH STEVE WIGNALL
FORMER Colchester United foorballer and manager Steve Wignall will be scoring a home goal when he comes to Clacton and Frinton to sign copies of his new book.
His book You Can Have Chips has just been published by local company Apex Publishing Ltd of Great Clacton and it charts the tough,demanding and ever changing world of football.
Mr Wignall gives an honest account of his long journey of highs and lows in both his professional and personal life, from back stabbing, rivalries and budget juggling to family upheavals and traumas.
Daily Gazette
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Clacton Gazette
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Doncaster Free Press
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
East Anglian Daily Times
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Programme Monthly & Football Collectable
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In recent years bookshops have been flooded by celebrity biographies.
However, while many of them tell us nothing we didn't already know, the latest offering from Steve Wignall should throw a new light on the beautiful game. You Can Have Chips! is released today and promises to be a warts and all account of a footballers' life.
Born in Liverpool, Wignall joined Doncaster Rovers as an apprentice, a club he later managed, and went on to play for Colchester, Brentford and Aldershot. "This book provides a fascinating insight into what really goes on behind the scenes and highlights just how much the game has changed over the years," says Wignall's spokesman Chris Cowlin.
"It's an honest account of the highs and lows of life as a professional footballer. It doesn't matter what club you play for or at what level, the skills required to survive and succeed in the tough world of football remain the same." And not a WAG in sight.
Yorkshire Post
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In the modern day and age where the majority of football fans are blinkered by the vision that our national game begins and ends with the stagnated Premiership brand, it is refreshing to read another book about REAL football. A funny, insightful and honest trawl through the lower leagues.
Bernie Friend, Southend Echo
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Steve Wignall boasts the rare distinction of both playing for and managing
Colchester United. As a stylish yet combative central defender he made more than 350
appearances as a player and enjoyed the kudos of two Wembley finals and a promotion as one of the club's most successful managers.
Steve's enthusiasm to pen his autobiography without the usual ghost writer shines through in his honesty, thoroughness and attention to detail and makes the life and times of this ultra professional footballer, coach and team boss a compelling read from cover to cover.
Francis Ponder, Colchester Gazette (Sports Editor)
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Even the title 'You Can Have Chips' is intriguing and typical of the many interesting anecdotes told by Steve. The book is very much a reflection of the man, fascinating and told with intelligence and dry humour. He is so right - it is not just the big names who have a interesting story to tell. A great read that all football fans will enjoy.
Derek Davis, East Anglian Daily Times
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Aldershot Town Football Club (Official Matchday Programme)
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
East Anglian Daily Times
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WIGNALL SETS UP SERIES OF BOOK SIGNINGS
Daily Gazette
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NO ONE BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN ALDERSHIT FC AND ALDERSHOT TOWN FC LIKE STEVE WIGNALL
A stalwart centre-half for the ailing old club, Wignall lived through its painful demise and then fell into running the offspring, his managerial star rising in tandem with the phoenix.
Wignall accelerated back into the Football League rather more quickly than Aldershot Town, head-hunted by Colchester United, another of his former clubs, in season 1994-95, after helping the new shoots of the new Shots to bloom to successive promotions in the Isthmian League.
Those lows and highs at Aldershot are a microcosm of Wignall’s footballing life, which began with disappointment at his home town club, Liverpool, but saw him hang up his boots with more than 700 professional appearances to his name - before turning his hand to management.
Wignall, now aged 54, is no longer involved in football full-time but since joining Liverpool’s youth set-up as an eight-year-old, football has fashioned his life.
And now he has committed those footballing ups and downs to paper. Literally; Wignall hand-wrote his memories of the trials and tribulations of life in the melting pot that is the Football League and his wife Anne typed them up. The result is Wignall’s autobiography: You Can Have Chips!
The unusual title is the first indication that this is no ordinary football autobiography. Wignall, a grammar school boy, nearly turned to academia when Liverpool decided not to offer him a professional contract when he was aged 16 - this is no ghost-written banality, the like of which give sports autobiographies a bad name.
In place of the platitudes, Wignall writes with an honesty and integrity that was reflected in his style of play and manner of management.
“I wanted the book to be the reality,” said Wignall, speaking after the book was launched last week at a Colchester hotel, close to his home, over the border in Suffolk. “It’s all written by me and Anne. There are no words in there that I wouldn’t use myself.
“It’s basically an honest account of life as a player - and then managing to boot. How football sucks you in, only to chew you out.”
And what of the title? “The last thing I wanted was something like ‘My Story’. Instead, Apex Publishing and I have gone for what was a poignant comment, made to me by one of my managers. It reflects the quirky nature of the book and my career too.”
And the manager in question? “People will have to read the book to find that out!”
Perhaps it was Bill Shankly or Brian Clough (Wignall was on trial at Nottingham Forest in 1977) - or Aldershot’s Len Walker.
“I don’t think Len gets the credit he deserves for his time with Aldershot,” said Wignall.
“That 1987 season was a great one and my favourite memory of Aldershot.
“Not only did we see off Bolton Wanderers and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the play-offs but we beat Oxford United in the FA Cup and reached the area final of the lower divisions cup, losing to Bristol City.”
The low at Aldershot is an obvious one. “I was there in the court when the old club was wound up. I think it took all of 45 seconds. Just like that, the club was gone.
“But the club had fallen apart. It was such a sad time. Horrendous.”
Those dark days, when the chips were down, are assessed with typical frankness by Wignall.
“The book is very honest because that’s the way I am,” said Wignall. “I do feel quite exposed, having written it.
“But I’ve no regrets. If people have done the dirty on me, I’ve said so, because I’ve no time for that sort of behaviour. Yes, I’ve got a few things off my chest.
“But there is plenty of humour and anecdotes in there too.” Like the antics of Aldershot FC team-mate, Steve Claridge. “I do hope ‘worzel’ reads the book,” laughs Wignall. “I slaughter him in it! He was a lovely lad and a great little player - but what a scatterbrain!”
As for managing Aldershot Town, Wignall said: “I wanted to help. But basically we had no players. But it shows that, when people join together, you can do anything.
“I am so relieved that Aldershot are now back in the Football League. Terry Owens said it would take ten years and people thought the men in white coats should come and drag him away. But he was not so far wrong in the end.
“It looks like the club have found their level again this season but I’d like to think that, with a season’s experience in League Two, Gary Waddock can move them on again next season. The club does appear more stable than the old one; the financial problems must never be allowed to happen again, that is for sure.”
Wignall’s concern for Aldershot is genuine. After all, loyalty was arguably the key factor in his career; it is no coincidence that he went on to manage at almost all the clubs he played at, including the three where he made most appearances: Doncaster Rovers, Colchester United and Aldershot.
“I’d like to think that shows that I was doing something right during my career,” Wignall said. “I think I skippered all my teams too.”
Certainly, Aldershot football fans have plenty to thank Wignall for, from his loyalty in tough times to his inspired leadership as the town and its football embarked on the long journey back to where they belong.
And now those fans can say thank Wignall again, by buying a copy of You Can Have Chips!
Wignall’s book is a 370-page hardcover, priced at £16.99 and available now. He will be signing copies of the book at Waterstone’s in Farnham in the morning on Easter Monday, April 13, before heading to the Rec for another signing session, before the League Two match against Barnet that afternoon.
Aldershot News & Mail
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
The Star
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
The Self Publishing Magazine
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
The Star
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Chichester Observer
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Clacton Gazette
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IAN APPLEYARD: WIGNALL RETAINS A SOFT SPOT FOR ROVERS DESPITE ABUSE FROM FANS
STEVE WIGNALL has lifted the lid on problems at Doncaster Rovers that hindered his 19-month spell as manager.
In his newly-published autobiography, Wignall says the job was the 'toughest' in the Conference and describes how supporters made his life hell.
A former Doncaster player, Wignall had returned to manage the club in May, 2000 with chairman John Ryan desperately trying to secure promotion back to the Football League.
Despite generous backing, Wignall was unable to turn a side that had flirted with relegation the season before into champions.
Patience from supporters was thin on the ground and many were still aggrieved about the departure of predecessor Ian Snodin.
Recalling scenes after one game at Boston United, Wignall writes: "The abuse towards me as I walked off the pitch was some of the most vitriolic and nasty that I have ever heard. It wasn't just directed at me either. John Ryan and his daughter copped for it as well."
At a home game against Kingstonian, Wignall received more flak. "The abuse was back to its best and I even had to be escorted off the pitch.
"One fan threw his replica shirt at me and I threw it straight back at him.
"At a couple of home games, some tough-looking blokes came to the back of the see-through dugout and hammered on the perspex with their fists and this was before the kick-off."
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Wignall insisted that things would have turned out differently if the Conference had introduced the play-off system before his departure in December, 2001.
"I lifted the club into fourth spot and, if the play-offs had been around, I would have been very confident about getting promotion," he said. "That's the big disappointment – because I would have liked another season.
"I am glad the club has moved in the right direction," he added. "They deserve to be in the Championship, if not higher, and you cannot knock John Ryan. I think they could go on to even bigger things over the next few years."
Wignall never played top-flight football and, initially, had reservations about publishing his autobiography but says: "You don't have to be a household name before you have something worthwhile to say.
"People tend to take special notice when they read or hear something that a famous person has stated or assume that if a foreign manager or coach at a high level says something in broken English it must be profound. What a load of cobblers. By writing this book, I am just letting people know how it was."
Steve Wignall's book, You Can Have Chips (Apex Publishing), is on sale priced £16.99. Wignall be signing copies of the book at Waterstone's Doncaster (1.45pm) and the Keepmoat Stadium (noon) on April 25.
Yorkshire Post
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
The Football Trader
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Doncaster Rovers Football Club (Official Matchday Programme)
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Winger Magazine
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Farnham Herald
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Selby Times
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Southend Echo
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
The Brit (Madeira Newspaper)
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STEVE CHIPS IN FOR FANS
The Essex Enquirer
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Four Four Two Magazine
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FOOTBALL BOOK FOCUS
Daily Gazette
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
All At Sea Magazine
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FORMER BOSS BACK IN TOWN
EX-Doncaster Rovers player and manager Steve Wignall returned to his former stomping ground to unveil his autobiography.
Steve visited the Keepmoat Stadium to sign copies of his life story entitled You Can Have Chips.
Born in Liverpool, the centre back failed to secure an apprenticeship with Liverpool as a 16-year-old. He rejected going on to further education in favour of signing for Rovers as an apprentice in 1972.
After making 142 appearances for the club he signed for Colchester United in 1977.
Having played more than 700 games as a professional, which also included spells at Aldershot and Brentford, Steve became a manager.
Following a stint as boss of Colchester he was appointed manager of Rovers in 2000 before being replaced by his assistant Dave Penney in 2002.
Joining him at the Keepmoat book signing session was Chris Cowlin who compiled the Official Doncaster Rovers Quiz Book, for which Steve wrote the foreword.
Doncaster Free Press
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Clacton Gazette
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
The Star
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A NEW book is being written about former Colchester United boss Steve Wignall.‘You Can Have Chips!’ is being published by Apex, due out in September next year and will cost £12.99. It will contain his life story, from when he set out as a footballer to his career in management, right up to the present day. Wignall famously guided Colchester to promotion at the end of the 1997/98 season, when they won the old Third Division play-off final against Torquay at Wembley.
Colchester Gazette
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
www.theshots.co.uk
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
www.cu-fc.com
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Real People Magazine
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
www.cu-fc.com
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
Daily Star Sunday (Take 5 Magazine)
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YOU CAN HAVE CHIPS!
(This competition was also featured in the The Uttoxeter Advertiser and Your Leek Paper).
The Ashbourne News Telegraph
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-- Radio and TV
Steve Wignall was interviewed on BBC Radio Essex 103.5 & 95.3 FM. Steve answered questions about his football career and his book 'You Can Have Chips!' (Photo: Steve Wignall and BBC Radio Essex presenter Steve Scruton).
BBC Radio Essex 103.5 & 95.3 FM
A true football story from a true football man. This is not a story of ferraris, glamour models and oodles of cash. But here is a story of a determined man, working his way up the football ladder. There are tales of joy, laughter and tears. An absorbing story of life as a jobbing footballer, manager and coach, warts and all. (Picture: Steve Wignall with Glenn Speller at Steve Wignall's official book launch at the Ramada Hotel, Colchester).
Glenn Speller, BBC Radio Essex 103.5 & 95.3 FM (Sports Producer)
As a lifelong resident of Colchester, I welcome Steve's warm and informative book. His memories of arriving in town, to meet a "young-looking" Bobby Roberts, make interesting reading as he anxiously joins the team he was destined to manage. All U's fans will enjoy this entertaining autobiography, laced with Liverpool humour and great memories - from the pitch, and beyond the touchline.
Liz Mullen, 107 Garrison FM (Presenter/Producer)
Dream 100 100.2 FM feature Steve Wignall's book 'You Can Have Chips!'
Dream 100 100.2 FM
28 August 2009 - Steve Wignall was interviewed on BBC Radio Essex 103.5 & 95.3 FM at the 2009 Clacton Airshow. Steve answered questions about his book 'You Can Have Chips!'
BBC Radio Essex 103.5 & 95.3 FM
9 June 2009 - Steve Wignall was interviewed on BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM. Steve answered questions about his book 'You Can Have Chips!' Steve was interviewed on 'The Alan Jackson Show'.
BBC Radio Merseyside 95.8 FM
Steve Wignall was interviewed on Yorkshire Radio. Steve answered questions about his book 'You Can Have Chips!'
Yorkshire Radio
Steve Wignall was interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield 104.1 FM. The former Doncaster Rovers player and manager answered questions from 'The Official Doncaster Rovers Quiz Book', compiled by Chris Cowlin and Kevin Snelgrove. Steve was also interviewed about his autobiography 'You Can Have Chips!'
BBC Radio Sheffield 104.1 FM
Steve Wignall was interviewed on OnFM 101.4 FM. Steve answered questions about his book 'You Can Have Chips!'
OnFM 101.4 FM
Steve Wignall was interviewed on BBC Southern Counties Radio 104 FM. Steve answered questions about his Aldershot Town career and his book 'You Can Have Chips!'
BBC Southern Counties Radio 104 FM
Steve Wignall was interviewed on Hospital Radio Colchester. Steve answered questions about his football career and his book 'You Can Have Chips!'
Hospital Radio Colchester
-- Book Signings and Events
Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at his Official Book Launch at Ramada Hotel, Colchester.
Official Book Launch, Ramada Hotel, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at his Official Book Launch at Ramada Hotel, Colchester. (Photo right: Steve Wignall with Glenn Speller, sports producer at BBC Radio Essex 103.5 & 95.3 FM).
Official Book Launch, Ramada Hotel, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at his Official Book Launch at Ramada Hotel, Colchester.
Official Book Launch, Ramada Hotel, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at his Official Book Launch at Ramada Hotel, Colchester. (Photo left: Apex Publishing's Publishing Manager Chris Cowlin with author Steve Wignall. Photo right: Colchester MP, Bob Russell with author Steve Wignall).
Official Book Launch, Ramada Hotel, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, High Street, Colchester.
Waterstone's, High Street, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, High Street, Colchester.
Waterstone's, High Street, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Farnham. (Photo right: Steve Wignall with former Aldershot Football Club player and manager Ian McDonald).
Waterstone's, Farnham
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Farnham.
Waterstone's, Farnham
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester.
Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester.
Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester.
Red Lion Bookshop, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Colchester United Football Club.
Colchester United Football Club
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Colchester United Football Club. (Photo left: Steve Wignall with former Colchester United player Ian Phillips. Photo right: Steve Wignall with former Colchester United players Tony McCarthy and Peter Cawley).
Colchester United Football Club
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Colchester United Football Club. (Photo left: Steve Wignall signs a copy of his book for Colchester United director Peter Powell. Photo right: Steve Wignall with former Colchester United player Micky Packer).
Colchester United Football Club
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Colchester United Football Club.
Colchester United Football Club
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Colchester United Football Club.
Colchester United Football Club
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Studio Bookshop, Clacton on Sea.
Studio Bookshop, Clacton on Sea
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Clacton Air Show 2009.
Clacton Air Show 2009
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Culver Square, Colchester.
Waterstone's, Culver Square, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Culver Square, Colchester.
Waterstone's, Culver Square, Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Aldershot Town Football Club, The EBB Stadium. (Photo right: Steve answering questions about his career at Aldershot Town and his book 'You Can Have Chips!')
Aldershot Town Football Club, The EBB Stadium
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Aldershot Town Football Club, The EBB Stadium. (Photo left: Steve Wignall with Jack Rollin, the author of many 'Sky Sports Football Yearbooks' and former Daily Telegraph sports journalist).
Aldershot Town Football Club, The EBB Stadium
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Doncaster Rovers FC, Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster.
Doncaster Rovers FC, Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Doncaster Rovers FC, Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster. (Picture left: Steve Wignall signing a copy of his book for Doncaster Rovers historian Tony Bluff. Picture right: Steve Wignall and Chris Cowlin signing copies of their books 'You Can Have Chips!' and 'The Official Doncaster Rovers Quiz Book').
Doncaster Rovers FC, Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Doncaster. (Picture right: Steve Wignall and Chris Cowlin signing copies of their books 'You Can Have Chips!' and 'The Official Doncaster Rovers Quiz Book').
Waterstone's, Doncaster
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Doncaster.
Waterstone's, Doncaster
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Caxton Books, Frinton on Sea.
Caxton Books, Frinton on Sea
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Caxton Books, Frinton on Sea.
Caxton Books, Frinton on Sea
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Southend.
Waterstone's, Southend
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Southend.
Waterstone's, Southend
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Basildon.
Waterstone's, Basildon
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Basildon.
Waterstone's, Basildon
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at The Suffolk Show 2009. (Picture left: Anne Wignall, Steve Wignall, BBC Look East's weather presenter Julie Reinger, Chris Cowlin and unknown at The Suffolk Show 2009. Picture right: Steve Wignall with Julie Reinger).
The Suffolk Show 2009
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at The Suffolk Show 2009.
The Suffolk Show 2009
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Waterstone's, Birkenhead.
Waterstone's, Birkenhead
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at U's Central (CUFC Shop), Colchester.
U's Central (CUFC Shop), Colchester
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Steve Wignall signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Essex Country Show 2009.
Essex Country Show 2009
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Steve Wignall talked about and signed copies of his book 'You Can Have Chips!' at Clacton Library, Clacton on Sea.
Clacton Library, Clacton on Sea
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