Despite being born and raised in London, CHRISTOPHER HULL has been following Hartlepool United since 1978. He is the author of Our Man Down in Havana (Pegasus, 2019), which William Boyd described as 'A revelation and a delight.'
'In my early years as a BBC commentator, I regularly crossed paths with Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in their halcyon days in charge of Derby County and Nottingham Forest. But it was only upon reading Alchemy and its account of their time at Hartlepools United that I realised how their philosophy and initial success were shaped by their two eventful years in the basement of the Football League. What a place to start!' -- John Motson ‘Hull gives a comprehensive account of Clough and Taylor’s time in charge and it makes for riveting reading. It was clear that Clough had maximum belief in what he and his trusted right-hand man could go on to achieve, even in those days down near the bottom of the football ladder … Hull has done their maiden journey justice.’ * Late Tackle Magazine * 'A fascinating, very readable and highly recommended account of a chapter of the Brian Clough story that is sometimes ignored because of glories further down the line.' -- Phil McNulty