Middlesex On This Day

Barmy Kev reviews Middlesex's media guru Steve Fletcher debut book.  The review is like one of his MTWD match reporst not everything witnessed and covered , but provides an  overview of the main details from his perspective.

MIDDLESEX ON THIS DAY

When I heard Fletch was writing a book depicting a moment in Middlesex history for every day of the year, I offered to preview this pre-season. What I didn’t realise it would only be released for public consumption two weeks before the season starts and anticipated me being way behind the Duckworth and Lewis in achieving my MTWD review target.

However, when presented with it, I immediately find the book easy on the eye and convinced I could do the book justice in a short space of time. Maybe this was down to my last Middx reading being Ed Smith’s  “ What Sport Tells You About People” which I found very heavy going.  Or perhaps there was an immediate appeal with Fletch’s offering?  This was generated by the first paragraph describing Sunday Jan 1^st 1950, Fred Titmus making his debut for Middx at Bath as a 16 year old and the subsequent controversy this caused with our future legend.

To achieve my target to review the book, I skipped a few pages and discovered how our club was formed on 2^nd Feb 1864 and the annual £100 per rental agreement with site owner Thomas Norris (any relation to Geoff I wonder?)

I moved on to March and learnt of an amazing feat of Pelham Warner. This was shortly followed by arguably Andrew Strauss test career defining moment in New Zealand 2008. 

As the days and months moved on there were more facts about our club some known that bought back great memories from my formative days following Middlesex, with a reminder of Vincent Van Der Bijl. Then for July there was references to facts behind our 20/20 cup win.  In between this there were facts that even our biggest anoraks would struggle to recall.  It is clear that this is more of a microfiched researched book then a Googled one, which was refreshing.  

I haven’t read this from cover to cover but have in a short space of time learnt so much about our history and there is more to learn.  At the same time have had many reminders of great days for Middlesex with that extra detail I forgot. I like the way it is presented on a day- to-day basis in a snapshot.  It’s the kind of book you can put down and pick up again, whether you have by your toilet for quick reference to a particular day or something you want to keep with you at all times. Personally, I have a warning for fellow Turkeys this season I may say during those lulls in play something like, did you know on Friday 15^th June 1909 something very significant happened to Patsy Hendren career and relate the details.

This is a compulsive read for any MTWD stalwart and comes highly recommended.  Available at usual retail bookshops, but I’d go for Eric’s.

MTWD Star Rating  *****