Dell Boy - Softcover

There are many types of football fans, from the casual observer to the obsessive. Russell is more towards the obsessive end of the scale. He grew up watching his team, Southampton FC, with his Dad through thick and thin at The Dell. Together they saw some of the country’s best players, such as Mick Channon, Kevin Keegan, Peter Shilton and Matt Le Tissier. In adulthood, his team still jostles for prominence in his life competing with his family. The Saints have reached a cup final at Wembley and he is determined to be there. The trouble is, he now lives in almost certainly the furthest city to London anywhere in the world. It was planned as an epic trip, leaving New Zealand in summer, arriving in England’s winter, staying until Spring, and arriving back home in New Zealand in the autumn – all within the space of a week, just to see his team play in a big match. This book is the story of his trip, his relationship with his Dad, his football club and his family.

Russell Budden is a totally average football supporter approximately in his late thirties, who has lived with his tolerant wife and kids in New Zealand since 2004. He has been a fan of his home town football team Southampton since he was very young. This is his first book and will likely be his last book too because it is a very hard thing to do.