by Les Payne
First published 2021
John Breckin joined Rotherham United as a fourteen year old apprentice and never left. Over fifty years later, he serves as the club's Life President. Breckin ranks third in total appearances for The Millers and has witnessed every triumph and disaster in the club's modern history. His journey includes a mysterious assault by a famous player, rescue by two teammates, and a secret midnight meeting with a rival manager trying to poach him. He battled controlling chairmen who wanted to pick the starting eleven and endured abuse from his own supporters. The pressure took its toll on his mental health, leading to personal struggles he chronicles in two deeply emotional chapters. Through decades of loyalty to a small Yorkshire club, Breckin discovers both the cost and reward of unwavering devotion.
Genres: 20th-century, sports, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Rotherham, Yorkshire
Period: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s
Paperback · Vertical Editions
Content warnings: mental-illness