FAMILY TIES

IN 2005, GARY IMLACH WROTE A EULOGY TO HIS DAD STEWART THAT CELEBRATES A LONG-GONE ERA, JONNY BRICK SUMMARISES ANOTHER BOOK THAT BELONGS ON A FOOTBALL

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GARY Imlach became a sports broadcaster, with a focus on cycling and American football. But 20 years ago, he wrote a tribute to his dad Stewart and other 'working-class football heroes'.

Stewart won the 1959 FA Cup with Nottingham Forest and was 'pretty much the only reason' Gary kept following his father's profession. Although he was a great footballer, as a man he 'lacked guile', could not compromise or deal with office politics.

He opens the book surrounded by football memorabilia, some of which were stuffed in a case in his own house.

'How had I managed to let him die,' Gary, above, asks rhetorically, 'without properly gathering together the details of his career?'

The book's finest photo is of Stewart on the train back from Wembley holding a tray full of mugs. Gary, meanwhile, poses with neighbouring kids as part of a team photo when his dad brought the FA Cup home. He did not watch the game in full at the time, and we get his account of doing so as an adult, including schadenfreude at seeing Stewart rob the ball from the man who would one day fire him from the Everton coaching staff.

We learn that the Forest chairman had defused the pregame tension by giving the players knickers in garibaldi red.

Stewart had enjoyed an egg in a glass of sherry before the game, and forgot to pick up his teeth after it, smiling a toothy grin when he collected his medal. The TV pictures also show him returning a rosette to a fan as he climbs the steps, a pious act.

Born in Lossiemouth, where 'all there was to do was play', Stewart would work on his dribbling to and from school, sometimes only using his left foot. The young lad could see special teams packed with top pros of the time whose matches raised funds for the war effort.

Gary had himself only seen Stewart play in charity matches after his career ended; he writes that if any active player did this, he would incur a fine.