Signings aplenty for Dean Court Days!

Sponsored Article

I ventured down to the In off the post shop on Old Christchurch Road yesterday, to see how Michael Dunne's Dean Court Days was drawing the AFCB fans to the area. The book signing had a couple of ex-Cherry players in attendance with Paul Morrell and Richard Cooke happy to sign a few copies and get snapped next to the pages that told the story of Harry Redknapp's colourful years at Dean Court.

Richard Cooke, Michael Dunne and Paul Morrell.

The loveable ex-West Ham and Portsmouth manager could not make it in person, but there was plenty of talk about the good old days and some anecdotes that I had not heard of about what the players got up to on one of their pre-season tournament trips. I won't enlighten you here, but Paul Morrell might share such tales and a hapless Willo on another occasion if he holds another player's Forum.

Michael Dunne with a shelf of Dean Court Days.

I had previously been up to the stadium itself and was pleased to find out that the Dean Court Days had completely sold out at Bournemouth's club shop. Fathers Day had no doubt stripped the shelves bare. So I was glad to see a few copies still  on display at In Off the Post.

Michael Dunne told me that he chatted to Harry Redknapp on at least three occasions when compiling the book and had to trawl through hours of microfilm to research some of the details for the book, but some of his best insights came from interviewing the likes of Paul Morrell, Richard Cooke and Shaun Teale who could pick out some of the highlights of the Redknapp years.

Advertisement

Coastal Garden Buildings

It was good to see that a few young Bournemouth fans had also come into the shop to see what was going on and Paul Morrell could at least explain that he played in what was Charlie Daniels' place in today's modern squad. Most of us though were old enough to remember the days when Richard Cooke would storm down the wing and leave Man Utd's Arthur Albiston far behind. Michael Dunne even suggested that United kept changing their full backs to give someone else a go at trying to stop the flying Richard Cooke who eventually left Dean Court to join Luton Town before returning to the Cherries in 1991.

The In off the Post Shop front window display.

Richard Cooke said it was sad that Willo could not be at the event yesterday, but that he was out of the country. Willo and Morrell were certainly at the heart of practical jokes in the Redknapp years and I know there are still a few more tales that you will find out about if you pick up your copy of Dean Court Days.

Dean Court Days is available on Amazon and is published by Pitch Publishing.

Southgate's World Cup - Day 8 Lucky, lucky Germany - Kroos quality tells