{"product_id":"hammer-time","title":"Hammer Time","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''pulls no punches'' \u003ci\u003eThe Sun\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''full of eventful tales from the past'' \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''punchy, earthy ... entertaining stories that capture football in an era long before sanitised PR and Instagram self-promotion''\u003ci\u003e Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eFrom West Ham''s cult hero, Julian Dicks, a hugely entertaining romp through football and the East End of the  Eighties and Nineties.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Cult figure'' is a term hardly used in football these days: where have they all gone? In the sterile and corporate modern game, is there room for the mercurial midfielder or the tough-tackling defender or the pot-bellied goal poacher? Rewind two or three decades and British professional football was stuffed to the gunnels with these ''one-offs'': players with bags of talent, yes, but also lorryloads of personality and a hugely relatable quality which meant they''d all be playing Sunday morning park football if they hadn''t become professionals. No media training, no filter, no 5% body fat, no cryotherapy chambers, and no quiet nights in with a curly kale salad and a glass of carrot juice.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player and undoubtedly one of the greatest cult figures to play for West Ham United.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHammer Time\u003c\/i\u003e is Dicks'' hugely entertaining romp through his career with West Ham, shot through with all the great anecdotes of life as a pro back then, and peppered with all the marvellous characters who crossed his path in those halcyon days. It evokes memories of intimidating away crowds, muddy pitches, no-nonsense tackling, card schools on the bus, big nights out after matches, and the special camaraderie that was forged between players of that era.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHammer Time\u003c\/i\u003e is also an open love letter to the unique character and atmosphere of West Ham United and East London, conjuring up - with great warmth and nostalgia - a fast disappearing world of strong working-class communities, proper East End boozers and those iconic pie and mash shops.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57194408280446,"sku":"NW9781472296597","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9781472296597.jpg?v=1778536765","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/products\/hammer-time","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}