World Cup: Debut novel brings 80s soccer and sounds to life

THE author of new paperback, Saturday Night Fiver, is hoping the excitement surrounding the World Cup, and all things football, will help sell his book. Semi-autobiographical, Phil Driver s debut novel is about football, music and growing up. Set in the 1

THE author of new paperback, Saturday Night Fiver, is hoping the excitement surrounding the World Cup, and all things football, will help sell his book.

Semi-autobiographical, Phil Driver's debut novel is about football, music and growing up. Set in the 1980s, it sees hero, Mark Jason, leave school at 16 and stumble into a job at Wilson's Electronics, anxious to become a man.

Phil, pictured right, of Hemingford Grey, told The Hunts Post: "It is pitched at a male audience. I hope any bloke who likes football, music, cars or girls is going to like it."

The manuscript was sent to several agents who rejected it before Phil decided to publish it himself through Publish and be Damned at nwww.pabd.com. It is on sale in Heffers and Borders in Cambridge as well as at Amazon.

The technical freelance writer added: "I have always written, I have written science fiction but I thought once I reached 40, it was time to do some proper writing, sometimes you have to have a bit of life experience first."

Now 42, he lives with his partner of 20 years, Angela, and says there is football in his genes, but not in his feet. His father, Tony "Spud" Driver, played for St Neots, Cambridge United, Cambridge City and Histon.

But describing his own prowess, Phil said: "I was rubbish, so I decided to write about football instead.