Richard Gordon 
Tales from the Dugout 
Football at the Sharp End

The dugout can be a fearsome place. When the action heats up on the pitch, emotions in the dugout boil over. Grown men lose control. The normally sane turn into irrational agitators. And every decision, no matter how minor, is hotly contested.





Tales From The Dugout is a fantastically entertaining collection of incidents and memories gathered from managers, players, referees, linesmen and broadcasters, which encapsulates the unique environment of the technical area and reveals how even limited exposure to it can transform people unrecognisably. And when the red mist descends, the consequences can be almost unbelievable – and frequently hilarious. With contributions from a host of those who have been at the sharp end and lived to tell the tale, Tales From The Dugout is a unique insight into life in the technical area.





There are tales from Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, Craig Brown, Pat Nevin, Kenny Clark, Pat Bonner, Scott Booth, Terry Butcher, Jimmy Calderwood, Billy Dodds, Jim Duffy, Alex Mc Leish, Alex Smith, Willie Young and Chick Young – amongst many others.And brilliant stories about legends of the game like Tommy Burns, Walter Smith, Martin O’Neill, Ally Mc Coist, Jim Mc Lean and, of course, Sir Alex Ferguson. And it explains why that small area by the side of the pitch is no place for the faint-hearted.

About the author

Richard Gordon is the long-time presenter of BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound and a life-long Aberdeen FC fan. His passion for football was sparked by the 1970 Scottish Cup semi-final, his beloved Dons winning that day and going on to beat Celtic to lift the silverware. He followed the club throughout their glory years and remains a passionate supporter in these less successful times. He lives in Fintry.