Paul Lake

Howard Johnson

Despite being one of the biggest clubs in world football, City failed for years to achieve its potential. But now, thanks to "The Keegan Factor", City has stormed to the First Division title, scoring an incredible 108 league goals in the process. But what are the secrets behind the former England, Newcastle and Fulham manager's success? Sports journalist Howard Johnson joins City legend Paul Lake and celebrity City fans such as Mike Pickering, Will Greenwood, Susan Bookbinder and John Stapleton to examine every angle of Keegan's reign.

How Kevin Keegan Led City Back Into the Big Time

Manchester Messiah

Cry Wolf is an Animal Farm for the 21st century: a brilliant allegory of the political challenges we face in post-9/11 America. The farm animals' struggle to maintain their way of life against an influx of change is a powerful commentary on the importance of balancing freedom with justice, and on how easily even the best of intentions can destroy a community too caught up with what is "fair" to do what is right. Lake's novel raises questions of in the heart of every devoted citizen: Does political correctness ever trump law? Should safety ever be compromised for the sake of inclusion? Are big government and judicial systems tools to create order, or do they provide chaos?

A Political Fable

Cry Wolf

"There are bright signs that poetry is making a comeback, in form and content, at least. Paul Lake's Another Kind of Travel is a refreshing case in point."--Arkansas Times "Lake is not content with simply being precise and original with his descriptions. He possesses another gift of the poetic mind: the ability to make his images, his simple scenes, resonate with meaning."--Wes Ziegler, Arkansas Democrat

Another Kind of Travel

Paul Lake was Manchester born, a City fan from birth. His footballing talent was spotted at a young age and, in 1983, he signed coveted schoolboy forms for City. Only a short time later he was handed the team captaincy. An international career soon beckoned and, after turning out for the England under-21 and B teams, he received a call-up to the England training camp for Italia '90. Earmarked as an England captain in the making, Paul became a target for top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool, but he always stayed loyal to his beloved club, deeming Maine Road the spiritual home at which his destiny lay. But then, in September 1990, disaster struck. Paul ruptured his cruciate ligament; sustaining the worst possible injury that a footballer can suffer. And so began his nightmare. Neglected, ignored and misunderstood by his club after a succession of failed operations, Paul's career began to fall apart. Watching from the sidelines as similarly injured players regained their fitness, he spiralled into a prolonged bout of severe depression. With an enforced retirement from the game he adored, the death of his father and the collapse of his marriage, Paul was left a broken man. Set against a turning point in English football, I'm Not Really Here is the powerful story of love and loss and the cruel, irreparable damage of injury; of determination, spirit and resilience and of unfulfilled potential and broken dreams.

Paul Lake

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