Mad Dog is the riotous, adventurous and moving story of Mickey Lewis, one of English football's most combative midfielders and then one of the game's most inspirational coaches. Drawing on more than 100 hours of interviews and with a foreword from Lewis's close friend Jim Rosenthal, this is an exploration of what Lewis's legacy can teach us about leadership, life and the game we love. With a playing career that spanned two decades and 400 games, for his fans Lewis was 'Mad Dog': tamer of Gascoigne and, ultimately, an Oxford United legend. For Sir Bobby, allegedly, he ruined the beautiful game one tackle at a time. After hanging up his boots, Mickey became one of football's most inspirational coaches. His great love for the game took him to Iowa and the burgeoning American soccer scene, to Wembley with Oxford United, and to nearly 20 Varsity Matches at the helm of the Oxford University 'Blues'.
"Mickey was like a second father to me. He helped put me on the right path with my coaching career and was there for me whenever I needed him, not just with football but anything I needed. Just chatting to the writers for the book brought back some amazing memories and I've got my copy on order and can't wait to read the impact I know he had on so many."
Des Buckingham
"Mickey's death was a huge shock, losing someone who loved his football but also loved life. It left a big gap but Leo and Alex have done an amazing job, bringing everyone together and reminding us all what Mickey meant to us. People like Chris Wilder, Jim Rosenthal and Des Buckingham speak with real love in the book and he still unites us all in some way."
Chris Williams
"Mickey was an extraordinary man. He had so much energy, such knowledge of the game and it was an honour to get to know him during our time at Oxford. We remained very close and this book really shows the love that everyone who knew him still has for the man."
