Paul Davis - the legendary Arsenal midfielder - has teamed-up with Tom Watt - author of the brilliant 'The End: 80 Years of Life on Arsenal's North Bank' - to write his story. The book, which features a foreword by Mikel Arteta, was launched at a star-studded event at The Tollington near the Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2002 ahead of official publication by Reach Sport on August 18. Paul Davis was not the only former Arsenal player at the launch, as Martin Keown, Michael Thomas, Alan Smith and Raphael Meade were also in attendance.
Poster for the book launch
Paul made more than 400 senior appearances for Arsenal between 1980 and 1995, having joined the club as an apprentice in 1979. The longevity of his service to Arsenal was rewarded with a run of silverware in the latter stages of his time at the club. There were not only two League titles (in 1989 and 1991), but also four Cup Final wins (in the 1993 FA Cup, 1987 and 1993 League Cups, and in the 1994 European Cup Winners' Cup). Reflecting his importance to the team, he started all of those Cup Finals (including both the first final and the replay in 1993's FA Cup).
Testimonials from Amy Lawrence, Arsene Wenger and Ian Wright
I have lost count of the number of times I've read praise of Paul in Arsenal players' biographies. In that era of the club, Paul was a trailblazer for Arsenal's connections to the black community, and to South London. Many notable names followed Paul's route across the river to Highbury - from Michael Thomas and David Rocastle to Ian Wright and Kevin Campbell - and many would cite Paul as a senior, mentoring presence, who helped those that followed feel at home, and understand the demands of the Arsenal way.
Front cover
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
Paul Davis’s story takes us on a journey through almost 50 years at the very top in football: a leading player’s take on an extraordinary and memorable period in Arsenal’s history, during which the club and football changed radically and forever around him.
Davis won titles and cups with Arsenal but, to do so, had to battle against career-threatening injuries and to handle the frustrations and injustices of the worst kinds of club and dressing room politics. His subsequent experiences as a coach and as a coach-developer have been just as challenging, just as emotionally charged, and just as significant. It’s a life story worth the telling, that’s for sure.
'Paul Davis: Arsenal And After' offers more than just a fascinating football story. Paul’s mum, Ruby, arrived in England from Jamaica in the late 1950s, as part of the Windrush generation. She brought up Paul and his sister, Sandra, on her own, on a council estate in Stockwell, South London. Much of the Davis family history was – and still is – a mystery to Paul, who never knew or knew anything about his father. He was already a senior player at Arsenal before he discovered he had siblings: the three children Ruby had left behind in Kingston when she’d struck out for a new life in England, thirty years before.
As a teenager, Davis was often the only black player wearing Arsenal colours. As often as not, he’d be the only black player on the pitch. With that came challenges: racism in football and beyond in the early 1980s was undiluted and unapologetic. The fight for recognition – for opportunity and for change – has been part of the Davis story ever since. His own emotional experiences are the lens through which he now looks back on everything he’s achieved as a player, as a coach and as an educator.
PUBLISHER'S AUTHOR PROFILE
Paul Davis is currently Senior Coach Developer at the FA and has worked with young managers like Steven Gerrard, Mikel Arteta and Frank Lampard. As a player, he made 447 appearances for Arsenal, winning two league titles,a League Cup and FA Cup double in 1993 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994.
Tom Watt is an experienced football journalist and writer. Previous ghost-writing credits include David Beckham – My Side and Andy Woodward – Position of Trust, (Shortlisted for William Hill & Daily Telegraph Sport Book of the Year). He was the author of A Beautiful Game (Sportel Book of the Year).
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