Murph’s Mission Book Now Available

I’ve been super excited for this book for months now, just as I was for the excellent Nannestad’s book that came out a couple of weeks or so back.

I first heard about the Murph book from his son, Ben, who contacted me and asked if Sally, the author, could have my details. She graciously sent me the Imps sections for a proofread, and since then, I’ve been eagerly awaiting news of its arrival. Well, here it is, and believe me, it’s a cracker.

Let’s make no mistake here; Colin Murphy is a club legend. He’s the only manager I can think of who made his second spell at a club almost as much of a success as the first. He took over the week I was born, and after the club were inevitably relegated in 1979, he set about building arguably the finest Lincoln City side ever, featuring the likes of Trevor Peake, Gordon Hobson, Steve Thompson, George Shipley and Glenn Cockerill. They earned a promotion to Division Three, then were within a whisker of going into Division Two before financial issues tied his hands. He left in 1985 but was quickly back in the hot seat in 1987 to guide us to promotion out of the GMVC at the first attempt. Only one manager has completed a season in the fifth, fourth and third tier as manager of this football club; the great Colin Murphy.

There’s much more to him than lincoln City; just ask fans of Hull City, Vietnam and all the other clubs he’s been involved with. It’s easy to be blinkered and see him only as a Lincoln legend, but he’s a legend of the game, and that’s exemplified by this book. Does it do him justice? Absolutely. I really enjoyed Sally’s writing, a mix of sporting insights and personal moments which make this a complete diary of Colin Murphy’s achievements in sport and in life. I won’t go into any more details, it’s up to you to buy the book, and buy it you should.

Should you wish to read it, and there’s no reason why you wouldn’t, the e-book is out now on Amazon Kindle and Apple Books. If you prefer a physical copy, like I do, then it can be found here on Amazon. I also believe it is available in some local bookshops, but you must forgive me as I don’t have the details of those, although I think Lindum Books is one.