Ex-Latics writer’s colourful career

“MEMORIES Of A Failed Footballer And A Crap Journalist,” (Empire Publications, £10.95) is the amusing and fascinating life story of Paul Hince.

It is a remarkable journey in which a young local newspaper reporter, who played parks football in East Manchester, was plucked from obscurity to play for Manchester City during their heyday in the 1960s.

It was a rags-to-riches story – his salary increased almost 10-fold – as the winger went on to play a part in City’s 1967/68 First Division championship-winning campaign.

But, frustrated by a lack of first-team opportunities, Hince rejected Joe Mercer’s plea to stay at Maine Road and embarked on a footballing journey in which he played in all four divisions in an 18-month period as his career went into a rapid nosedive.

After leaving City, Hince played for Charlton, Bury and Crewe before returning to journalism and playing part-time for Macclesfield Town where he even covered a match in which he played - filing a report from the secretary’s office at half-time.

There are strong links with Athletic because Hince covered their rise from the Fourth to First Division, and Joe Royle has written a foreword.

The book contains some fascinating and amusing tales, plus anecdotes from a career in which Hince reached the top in two fields – football and journalism.

Copies of the book are available from Empire (0161 872 3319), enquiries@empire-uk.com The publisher’s website is www.empire-uk.com