A memoir that begins with Phil Gifford's personal story, followed by portraits of (mostly) sportspeople Phil had a genuinely close connection with, to the point where he can tell stories that go far beyond the public perception, many screamingly funny. The list, in no special order, is: Sir Peter Snell, Billy T James, Peter FitzSimons, Sir Fred Allen, Sir Peter Leitch, Todd Blackadder, Andrew Mehrtens, Joe Stanley, Sir John Kirwan, Valerie Adams, Louis Luyt, Andy Haden. As well, Phil will enlighten readers on the impact his alter ego, Loosehead Len Lacey, had on his career.

Author Biography

Phil Gifford has won nine New Zealand and two Australasian radio awards, has twice been judged New Zealand sportswriter of the year and three times New Zealand sports columnist of the year. He has won two Dulux national print awards for news reporting, in 1976 (on the Capitaine Bougainville shipwreck) and 1981 (on the Springbok tour). He has written a column in the Sunday Star-Times for 21 years. He has been a Television ONE sports newsreader, fronted the shows That's Fairly Interesting and Don't Tell Me, was an original panel member on Game of Two Halves, and won the celebrity version of The Weakest Link. In 1990 he was a co-writer of the song 'Shufflin' Sugar' on Midge Marsden's platinum-selling album Burning Rain. He co-wrote the script for Billy T: Te Movie in 2011. In 2010 he was honoured with the SPARC lifetime achievement award for services to sports journalism.