Bøker av David Watkins

Something has arrived in the woods ... and it's hungry. So very, very hungry.... (with a cover by Adrian Baldwin)

Marcelo Bielsa took Leeds United back to the Premier League in 2020 after an absence of 16 long years and enjoyed a successful first season back in the top flight of English football. His second season though proved to be more difficult and, with a mounting list of injuries and a tiny first-team squad, the team struggled from the start. By the spring of 2022, relegation looked a distinct possibility and the Leeds United Board decided to gamble on a change of manager; in came the American Jesse Marsch to try to rescue the Leeds United dream.This is the story, as seen through the eyes of the author, of a shipwreck of a season when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong and Leeds's survival was still in the balance on the final day of the season. This is the 12th book in the series of Leeds United season reviews that the author has written and once again it captures all the drama, and sometimes the humour of following one of England's most iconic football teams.

David Watkins has been a fan of Leeds United for more than fifty years. In 2012 he retired from his position as a Finance Director in the engineering industry and, as his retirement gift to himself, invested in Leeds United home and away season tickets. This is the 13th consecutive season he has documented his travels and the fortunes of his beloved Leeds United.The 2022/23 season was another typical rollercoaster ride for the Leeds United supporters. Despite a promise made at the end of the previous season by Chairman Andrea Radrizzani that there would be no repeat of the 2021/22 season that almost ended in relegation, Leeds did, in fact, follow the previous season's script almost to the letter. Despite spending tens of millions on strengthening the team, many of the incoming players failed to live up to their market values and, in any case, did not fit into the system Jesse Marsch wanted to play. Injuries also dogged the team, robbing them of the services of several top players. With Leeds once again looking into the abyss of relegation to the Championship, the board twisted once again just as they did the previous year to oust Marcelo Bielsa. This time it was Jesse Marsch who was removed and, after being turned down by numerous candidates, it was Javi Gracia who got the job. Initially, results seemed to be improving but, with Leeds starting to implode again, the board made one final gamble, bringing in Big Sam Allardyce for the final four games. If ever there was a lesson to be learned in how to succeed in the Premier League, Leeds United failed to heed it! The full story of events on and off the pitch is here, seen through the eyes of the author who was there at every game. There is the usual array of humour, angst, joy and despair that comes as part of the package of following any major football team.

As a versatile and undemanding aircraft, the Jet Provost established itself as the basic trainer for the RAF from the late 1950s until its retirement in September 1993. In this book, David Watkins explores the history of this magnificent flying machine through the vivid memories of former air crew from the RAF and foreign air forces.

Marcelo Bielsa arrived as Head Coach at Elland Road with a huge reputation behind him and a huge task ahead in getting Leeds United back to the Premier League. He inherited a squad of players that, at times the previous season, looked good enough to achieve that goal but which ultimately fell away. He whittled the squad down to bare minimum numbers and just half a dozen new faces arrived. But, from the first kick of a ball after his arrival, it was clear he'd managed to extract far more from these players than we'd ever seen before and he ensured they were the fittest in the division. 'Bielsaball' was born and it took the Championship by storm. Leeds were top of the pile again at Christmas and with only three league defeats. At times, the football Leeds played was scintillating. As the new year dawned though, problems emerged. Leeds suffered an endless stream of injuries and the new players added little quality. The defeats mounted up and between Christmas and the season's end Leeds lost a further 12 games. Automatic promotion went to Norwich and Sheffield United and Leeds were pitched into the play-offs. David Watkins was at every game, from the first pre-season match to the season ending defeat to Derby and this is his blow by blow account of events on and off the pitch throughout a remarkable season. It is the ninth such book from the author and, once again, he captures the joy, the despair, the hope and the humour of following one of the most iconic teams in English football.

The definitive book, illustrated throughout with previously unpublished photographs. The Vampire was the second of the RAF's jet fighters to enter service. It began life as an interceptor but was soon re-tasked in the day fighter/ground attack roles with the 2nd Tactical Air Force in Germany 1948-54 and with the RAF's Middle & Far East forces.

A definitive history of the basic and counter-insurgent aircraft at home and overseas.

A history of Merthyr Tydfil Football Club