Hello. Long time lurker here.
I'm a writer from Leicester, currently working on a book with the working title "Lineker's Uno".
Inspired by that photo of Gary posing awkwardly with a Fiat Uno stickered up with Kilby Bridge, it's the story of football clubs and their car sponsorship deals, c.1970 to 1999. As a bit of background info, I have written a few books, they're usually about shonky motoring cack, written in a self-deprecating style. I also write for a few car mags. My first city match was the 1997 league cup final, versus Middlesbrough, at Wembley. I remember accidentally running my uncle over with our van on the way home. It was an eventful day. I'm not arsed about Ronaldo's Lamborghini (or whatever) but stuff like Ipswich's Sergei Baltacha driving a Lada, and Shearer posing with his stickered-up Rover. I wish I had the budget to pay Getty £300 a pop for pics, but I don't, and I'm more interested in lower league clubs, less fashionable players, and (being brutally honest), crap cars. I'm currently waiting for a call back to hopefully interview the chap who handed Lineker the Uno keys, but it looks like he's busy trying to stop getting his pub pulled down, or something. I have about 70 (!) other player/sponsorship stories to finish off, but the Lineker one is the unicorn. Am in touch with the LCFC archivist already, by the way. Slow progress on that front. I have an address for Lineker (no reply from his agent) but am a bit reluctant to contact him until the book is ready for print. Maybe he'll give an interview if I get lucky. Writing is easy, the research is the challenging (and fun) part...
So - If you ever saw a Derby player in his sponsored Saab, or can share some unprintable anecdote about some Forest player putting his car in the Trent, or something, then I'd like to hear about it. Above all - did you ever see Gary in that Uno?
Not sure of the posting rules on here but I can share more on the book if this of interest, and/or when it goes to print (if that's permitted). Aiming for Christmas, rather optimistically.
Cheers.
