North York’s Blue
Well-Known Member
Done
DoneThank you, it’s kind of you to say that. It would be useful, if you had the time, to leave a review on Amazon as this helps sales so the publisher has told me.
That’s really kind. Thank you!Done
Thanks for buying the book, I’m glad it arrived safe and sound. That team of Fergie and Wallace remains my all time favourite team, so exciting to watch. Thanks for doing the review as well, every little helps (book sales) as the saying goes!Book arrived in today's post - many thanks. So looking forward to reading it; Tommy was one of my childhood heroes, along with the likes of Ian Wallace. I'll post a review.
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True! I am sure lots of youngsters did the same until they grew to realise that the team they watched was actually the team they supported.Lucky enough to have seen him play as a kid. My biggest regret was that I was a Liverpool fan until 1980 at which point I realised I wasn’t from Liverpool and had been a complete dick. I’m just glad I was taken up the games back in the day… oh the shame of it!!
Reading that actually brought tears to my eyes. Just knowing one of my heroes is so humble and nice.Apologies, this post is very long. However I have been so impressed by TH over the last few days that I felt I had to let others know the sort of person he is.
One of the things Tommy said to me when he was telling me his story was how delighted he was that Dennis Law, who was his footballing hero, turned out to not only a great footballer but more importantly, a really nice bloke.
I knew already from working with him over the past 13 months that Tommy was a good person. Even so, the past few days have emphasised this even more. Watching him interact with fans has been an eye opener. He refused no request. Autographs, photos conversations he did them all. His feeling is that if anyone has been good enough to come out and meet him then the least he can do is to give them his time. He is a real down to earth, humble chap.
On Friday it took him nine hours to get down from Fife to Coventry. He had no time to eat before he did an interview with CWR and then went on to do another 3 hours at the JagClub Q and A session.
Saturday started with him being picked up at 8am and finishing his last event in the Casino at 7:30 pm. The only break he had in that time was 20 minutes to eat his dinner( not enough time to finish it) and the chance to sit down when the game was on. This is a guy who is 75.
Where ever we went around the stadium he was respectfully mobbed by fans. In the club shop one chap in his 60s was so overcome to be meeting his hero that he was shaking, almost crying with emotion. Tommy was great with him.
On Sunday he travelled to Lincolnshire to stay with one of his sons. But on Monday morning he was back at the Sphinx Club for a session with the SBitC walking footballers. He phoned me as I was on the way there and I was thinking he was going to tell it was too much for him and that he wasn’t going to make it. I should have known better as he announced as I answered the phone, ‘Kevin, the eagle has landed!’
The walking football session was for me the best one of the weekend. The sense of excitement amongst the guys who play was clear to see and feel. That Tommy was there was exciting enough, but the fact he was going to play on the same pitch as them was even better. We had a full house of players there who were delighted when he took the mickey in a good natured way out of Dave Bennett. We had an impromptu chorus of ‘Oh Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy Hutchison.’
Despite not having kicked a ball for ten years, and quite a few heavy falls, he completed an hours football. He then spent over an hour meeting and chatting and signing books.
When all the guys had gone, he was Sat signing the few books we had left ready to send out to people who had bought online. The manager of the Sphinx came over to him and asked if he would speak to a friend of hers via FaceTime, an elderly man with terminal cancer who had been confined in doors since the outbreak of Covid.This chap was a big City and Tommy fan.
You could hear that this man was a bit annoyed that he was being asked to talk to someone that he thought he didn’t know, but when the lady turned the phone around, he was totally transformed when he saw who he was talking to. Tommy was fantastic, making this chap laugh and being totally at ease talking to him. Again this poor chap was in tears at the end, thrilled he’d been able to have a chat with Hutch. I have never seen someone who is so at ease talking to anyone and everyone and who has the knack of saying exactly the right thing.
We had a problem. Despite ordering extra books, we now only had a few left to send out to those who had ordered on line. We had more books arriving in Coventry the following day but these would be unsigned as Tommy returning to Fife that afternoon, couldn’t sign these and we had promised signed books.
The only solution that I could see was that I would take the recently arrived books up to Fife for him to sign. I didn’t tell him this until yesterday when he was back in Fife.
After a bit of discussion he agreed the books needed to be signed. He agreed that people needed to be given exactly what they had been promised and had paid for.However, he wouldn’t hear of me travelling all the way to Fife. So today, while I travelled up to Gretna from Coventry with six boxes of books. He travelled another 120 miles down from Fife. I have to say I was very grateful for this.
The upshot of this trip was that I saved five hours of travelling time and 240 miles of diesel but that tomorrow all the remaining signed copies of the book will be sent out or delivered. ( apologies for the slight delay). We also now have signed books for anyone else who wants one.
I had a phone call while we were signing books today from someone in Coventry who owns a memorabilia shop asking if Tommy would sign some prints of himself for which he would be paid. I gave the phone to Tommy and once he had established the guy was selling these things, told him he didn’t want any money but he was to give what he was going to be paid to a charity of his choice.
Tommy was delighted that his hero Dennis Law was a great person as well as a great footballer. Well, I have to say I feel exactly the same!
It must be your offensive aftershave lolTommy Hutchison was a fabulous player and I was very lucky to have been born early enough to be able to see him play. Indeed I rate him as the best player to ever pull on a Sky Blue shirt.
During the 70's I had two very short conversation with Tommy, his answer to me was the same both occasions.
1/ Mid 70's Standing next to the fence during a boring game, the ball rolled out for a throw-in. Hutch came over to pick the ball up and I shouted out "pull your finger out Tommy" his reply "f off"
2/ Late 70's in the Robin Hood night club in Coventry, Tommy was sitting in a corner with a bottle wine slighty worse for wear, I walked over to him and said "Are you Tommy Hutchison?" his reply "f off"
p.s. I was also at White Hart Lane when Tommy famously got tackled by a bog roll.
Fuck Off Homme by DiorIt must be your offensive aftershave lol
Article in the Scottish Daily Mail today about Tommy at the ‘74 World Cup.
Rod carried a TV set up to the team hotel for a bored Denis!
Tommy Hutchison on his adventures with Scotland 1974 World Cup squadwww.mailplus.co.uk
If you would like a signed copy of the book mentioned in the article for £18 +P and P please use the form below.
Hutch' order form
No, not me I’m afraid. I would struggle to write about anything not CCFC related!@Irish Sky Blue I happened to buy a book about the 17th/21st lancers today, also written by Kevin Shannon....not yourself is it?
How much did he Chhhhhaaaaaaaaaaarrrrge!!! For that one?@Irish Sky Blue I happened to buy a book about the 17th/21st lancers today, also written by Kevin Shannon....not yourself is it?
I did think it unlikely as i was sure youd said this was your first book. It would have been an incredible coincidemce as i bought the book on the same day i handed your one to my uncle (who id bought it for) whilst meeting him at the regiment's museum.No, not me I’m afraid. I would struggle to write about anything not CCFC related!
I was going to try and respond with some witty pun but i just don't see the point.How much did he Chhhhhaaaaaaaaaaarrrrge!!! For that one?
Touche!I was going to try and respond with some witty pun but i just don't see the point.
Not avery common combination of names. I have never met anyone who has my Christian and surname together.I did think it unlikely as i was sure youd said this was your first book. It would have been an incredible coincidemce as i bought the book on the same day i handed your one to my uncle (who id bought it for) whilst meeting him at the regiment's museum.
Last chance for anyone in Coventry or North Warwickshire to buy the book before Christmas . (too late for delivery outside this area). If you would like the book, please use the link below and it will arrive with you today or tomorrow.
Hutch' order form
Thank you!highly recommend. Great read and ideal Christmas present
Agreed. Mine was a Christmas present, so had to bloody wait to read it.[mention]Irish Sky Blue [/mention] a brilliant read and extremely well written.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Read quite a few football books and this one (even without the Coventry connection) is up their with the best.
Kevin-you’ve done an amazing job and Tommy’s voice comes across in the way you know he actually is if you bet him face to face.
Some brilliant anecdotes and great memories.
All city fans need to read it.
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Edit: lots of football fans need to read it[mention]Irish Sky Blue [/mention] a brilliant read and extremely well written.
Cannot recommend it highly enough.
Read quite a few football books and this one (even without the Coventry connection) is up their with the best.
Kevin-you’ve done an amazing job and Tommy’s voice comes across in the way you know he actually is if you bet him face to face.
Some brilliant anecdotes and great memories.
All city fans need to read it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Why not try to get a “pitch” between the legends and club Coventry lounges?Thank you for all the great comments. I really appreciate them and I will pass them all on to Tommy to read.
We’re still selling the book. Next week Tommy returns to Alloa for the first time in over fifty years, he hasn’t been back since he signed for Blackpool. He will be their guest at their Scottish Cup tie against Falkirk next week. Tommy was a bit reluctant to go as he thinks people won’t remember him. I think he is in for a pleasant surprise as we sold quite a few books on line in the Alloa area.
The following week I will be able to join him as he is the guest of Man City for their Friday night FA Cup tie against Arsenal. We are hoping to arrange a Q and A session with one of the Man City supporter branches on the Thursday before the game similar to the ones he did at the Jag and the Nuneaton and Bedworth Sky Blues. I will put details on here as any Manchester based Sky Blues would be very welcome.
Tommy didn’t want to do anything at Burnley so I haven’t arranged anything for tomorrow. Despite being voted player of the season in one of his two years there, playing in every Burnley game of those two seasons and being the Club captain, he didn’t think he would be fondly remembered there. (Not the reaction of Burnley fans when I publicised the book on their forum. Ninety five percent of those who responded only had good things to say about him). John Bond, the manager who brought him there wasn’t popular and I think he feels Burnley fans would view him badly by association.
Tommy is returning to Blackpool twice in the next few months. They have a dinner to celebrate the club’s achievements in the Anglo Italian tournaments played in the early 70s on the weekend they play Rotherham when all the players of that time will be their guests. He is then guest of honour when we play at Blackpool in March. He is guest of honour at Swansea when we play there in April. I will put details of these events on here closer to the time so any North West or South Wales Sky Blues can get along if they want to.
I have thought about taking a bag full of signed books up to the CBS on match days and trying to flog a few as people gather for a game. How do people on here think that would go down? I haven’t been able to get the club shop to take any copies as of yet, which is a shame as I know that in the past they have sold CCFC related books. I know because I’ve bought a few of them.
Finally thank you to everyone who has bought a book. If you enjoyed it and have the time, could you post a review on Amazon as this really helps sales according to the publisher. If you haven’t bought a book but would like a signed copy delivered to your door, please use the link below which will take you to an order form.
Hutch' order form
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