‘It’s Only Banter’: The Autobiography of Leroy Rosenior (English Edition)

Willie Leroy Rosenior - better known as Leroy Rosenior - is a former professional footballer, manager and now media commentator. Leroy's parents were born and raised in Sierra Leone before settling in Britain in the early 1950s and his story cuts across three generations of the Rosenior family. It's the story of an extrovert father who dealt with the racism - both everyday and life-threatening - with wit and charm; of a son who learned that keeping your head down was the best option for a black player in English professional football in the early Eighties when racism was rife; and his son Liam, who has followed his father into football and carved out a successful Premier League career. Laced with humorous anecdotes from Leroy's varied life and career, this book offers a deeply personal insight into the damaging effects of racism in football and in British society as a whole. At a time when football's administrators continue to fumble the ball on issues of discrimination, Leroy draws on his own experience - and that of other high-profile football personalities - to offer practical solutions.