A Tenner and a Box of Kippers: The Story of Keith Houchen

Synopsis

Keith Houchen's name is synonymous with the FA Cup. His diving header for Coventry City in 1987, when the Sky Blues beat Tottenham Hotspur in one of the great cup finals, ranks among the most spectacular goals ever scored at Wembley. This, and his four other goals during that cup run, confirmed the Roy of the Rovers tag Houchen earned two years before when his last-minute penalty for York City knocked out Arsenal. Houchen's professional career started and ended with Hartlepool United, where players sometimes legged it to the bank to avoid their pay cheques bouncing. Between scoring 150 Football League goals for Hartlepool, Orient, York, Scunthorpe, Coventry and Port Vale, Houchen reached his peak while playing in Edinburgh and Europe for Hibernian. Interspersed with Houchen's own recollections, this book relives his triumphs at York, Coventry and Hibernian within the story of his whole career. It is a tale of mostly unfashionable clubs, a growing rift with referees and the frustration of managing Hartlepool. Above all, it is the story of a proud professional and a twenty-year journey through England and Scotland.