A Journey Through Writing and Football

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Phil-Vasili/author/B001HPSDYWref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

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The First Black Footballer: Arthur Wharton 1865-1930.

'MUST BUY! For anyone serious about collecting soccer cards or into football history, this

book shows what a great player Arthur Wharton was. He was a member of the Preston North End invincible team of the 1880's, as well as being World Champion 100 yard sprinter

and a great goalkeeper with Darlington F.C., and other teams. He'd probably have been the

e England goalie of the time had it not been for discrimination by Victorian selectors. Between 1900 and 1970 he was written out of history by racists. Thankfully, recently and in no

small part due to this amazing book, he's been revealed as the greatest goalkeeper of his

time. One of the most important books on soccer ever written! Wharton was not only the first black professional soccer player in the world he was also the very first soccer player,

ever, on a sport card (made by John Baines of Bradford, in 1886, reprinted by Briggs and

then Baines, anew, in a different fan-shaped style for the 1888 season, following Darlington winning their county cup in 1887).'

Walter Tull 1888-1930. Footballer and Officer.

‘An excellent book about a man who was an inspiration to all no matter what their colour or creed.’

‘Comprehensively researched. The most complete biography you'll find on Walter Tull. Highly recommended.’

‘A wonderfully researched biography which extended to the times and family of a remarkable man.’

Colouring Over the White Line. The History of Black Footballers in Britain.

‘Excellent’.

Felt and Batten

‘Felt and Batten’ starts with a gripping description of Dani Nkpagayee, an Ogoni activist, looking over his ransacked and burning village before being captured by the Dictator responsible. We then move over to Cambridge and join Billy French, our working class hero, an idealistic and self-destructive roofer verging on bankruptcy. Billy’s saviour appears to be the lucrative college roofing contract that he’s bidding for, but ghosts from his past start to interfere.

The events and characters in the book are based on real events from the author's life, including the death of a school friend. This accounts for the poignancy of the story lines and the strength and depth of the characters. Billy and Dani are equally flawed in very different ways and Vasili places you in the characters footsteps as they face impossible situations. The piece gathers real momentum and a sense of foreboding as the characters lives spiral out of control. The two lead protagonists are endearing and admirable, but I quickly felt that things would not end well for either of them. The sense that both characters are within touching distance of goals they may not achieve is gripping and heartbreaking.

Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting commented ‘The characters are beautifully and empathetically drawn, and the plotlines were brilliant – the storytelling very well developed. It was very funny and written with real love. I really like Billy and Franka as a couple and the stuff with Dani and the goat is hilarious and tragic.’

The goat was the only thing unharmed by the ransacking of Dani’s village. He rescued this after escaping his torturers and brought it to England on the ship he stowed away on. Whilst a gritty and dark novel, there is notable humour from Billy’s down at heel friends and also from Dani’s relationship with the goat. Dani has turfed his third floor flat and turned it into a microcosm of plantations and vegetables.

On the whole a very engaging read, with interesting characters and many despite raising serious issues it was frequently laugh out loud. Great read.'

Financial Times, February 28th 2013, review of Tull play, Octagon Theatre, Bolton 21 February - 16 March 2013

Phil Vasili’s play deftly dramatises the extraordinary life of Britain’s first black army officer. ‘The life of Walter Tull, one of the first black Britons to play professional football and Britain’s first black army officer, is relatively little known, but his time may have come. For the issues raised in Phil Vasili’s Tull – racism, capitalism’s role in conflict, the inattention sometimes paid to the emotional lives of children in care, among others – strike a chord amid the present global and domestic sense of unease.’