Codify Infotech
Currency and Language Translation >>>
gbBritish Pound Sterling
gbEnglish
Currency and Language Translation >>>
Shopping Basket 0
Never Never Land: A Lifetime Love Affair with Southend United
PUBLISHED JULY 2025

Never Never Land: A Lifetime Love Affair with Southend United

Regular price £19.99
SAND, SEA & SOCCER
Tales from Football's Favorite Resort
In an era where football literature often gravitates toward the glamour of the Premier League's elite clubs, David Williams' "Never Never Land" offers a refreshingly authentic perspective on the beautiful game from the terraces of Roots Hall. This deeply personal memoir chronicles a 60-year love affair with Southend United, affectionately known as "The Shrimpers," and encapsulates the essence of what it truly means to support a lower-division club through all its challenges.
Williams' narrative begins with an unexpected choice: how a Liverpool-born lad from a family of Reds supporters found his heart captured by an Essex club instead of following the well-worn path to Anfield. This decision sets the stage for an unconventional journey, akin to Southend United's own history, which started in the Blue Boar pub in 1906.
The author's timing for this publication is particularly poignant, coming at a time when Southend United has faced significant challenges. The club recently weathered a serious financial storm, avoiding a winding-up order, and now finds itself battling in the National League, making Williams' tales of both triumph and tribulation all the more relevant.
What sets this book apart is its unflinching honesty about the reality of supporting a lower-division club. Williams doesn't shy away from the "axis of commiseration, ridicule and misunderstanding" that comes with pledging allegiance to a team that rarely makes national headlines. Instead, he celebrates it, finding beauty in the struggle and community in the shared experience of supporting an underdog.
The memoir is particularly touching when exploring Williams' efforts to maintain his connection to the club from 12,000 miles away in Australia's Sunshine Coast. This geographical challenge becomes a metaphor for the distances many fans go to maintain their bond with their chosen club, both literally and figuratively.
Williams' background in economics and project management lends an interesting analytical perspective to his storytelling, but it's his passion that truly drives the narrative. The book is meticulously researched, with each memorable match brought to life through vivid descriptions that transport readers to the heart of the action, whether they're lifetime Shrimpers or newcomers to the beautiful game.
"Never Never Land" is more than just a football book—it's a testament to the enduring power of loyalty, community, and hope in the face of adversity. While the title plays on both Peter Pan's fictional realm and the often-dreamlike quality of football fandom, Williams' account is grounded in the real, raw emotions that come with supporting a club through its ups and downs.
For Southend United supporters, this book will feel like a conversation with an old friend who's shared the same joys and sorrows. For others, it serves as a valuable reminder that the essence of football often shines most brightly in the stands of clubs such as Southend United, where trophy cabinets don't measure dedication, but rather the unwavering support of fans like David Williams.
This heartfelt chronicle arrives at a crucial time for football culture, reminding us that while the game's glamorous elite may dominate headlines, its true spirit often resides in places like Roots Hall, where generations of supporters continue to dream, despite the odds. "Never Never Land" is essential reading for anyone who understands that supporting a football club is about much more than just winning; it's about belonging.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48 Delivered to You Last Week, May 2025 
Some publishers release new titles early, so our ETA above could change.

Published: May 14, 2025
Price: £19.99
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1836802099
ISBN-13: 978-1836802099
Dimensions: 222 x 144 (mm)
PRE ORDER NOW
 Image
SAND, SEA & SOCCER
Tales from Football's Favorite Resort
In an era where football literature often gravitates toward the glamour of the Premier League's elite clubs, David Williams' "Never Never Land" offers a refreshingly authentic perspective on the beautiful game from the terraces of Roots Hall. This deeply personal memoir chronicles a 60-year love affair with Southend United, affectionately known as "The Shrimpers," and encapsulates the essence of what it truly means to support a lower-division club through all its challenges.
Williams' narrative begins with an unexpected choice: how a Liverpool-born lad from a family of Reds supporters found his heart captured by an Essex club instead of following the well-worn path to Anfield. This decision sets the stage for an unconventional journey, akin to Southend United's own history, which started in the Blue Boar pub in 1906.
The author's timing for this publication is particularly poignant, coming at a time when Southend United has faced significant challenges. The club recently weathered a serious financial storm, avoiding a winding-up order, and now finds itself battling in the National League, making Williams' tales of both triumph and tribulation all the more relevant.
What sets this book apart is its unflinching honesty about the reality of supporting a lower-division club. Williams doesn't shy away from the "axis of commiseration, ridicule and misunderstanding" that comes with pledging allegiance to a team that rarely makes national headlines. Instead, he celebrates it, finding beauty in the struggle and community in the shared experience of supporting an underdog.
The memoir is particularly touching when exploring Williams' efforts to maintain his connection to the club from 12,000 miles away in Australia's Sunshine Coast. This geographical challenge becomes a metaphor for the distances many fans go to maintain their bond with their chosen club, both literally and figuratively.
Williams' background in economics and project management lends an interesting analytical perspective to his storytelling, but it's his passion that truly drives the narrative. The book is meticulously researched, with each memorable match brought to life through vivid descriptions that transport readers to the heart of the action, whether they're lifetime Shrimpers or newcomers to the beautiful game.
"Never Never Land" is more than just a football book—it's a testament to the enduring power of loyalty, community, and hope in the face of adversity. While the title plays on both Peter Pan's fictional realm and the often-dreamlike quality of football fandom, Williams' account is grounded in the real, raw emotions that come with supporting a club through its ups and downs.
For Southend United supporters, this book will feel like a conversation with an old friend who's shared the same joys and sorrows. For others, it serves as a valuable reminder that the essence of football often shines most brightly in the stands of clubs such as Southend United, where trophy cabinets don't measure dedication, but rather the unwavering support of fans like David Williams.
This heartfelt chronicle arrives at a crucial time for football culture, reminding us that while the game's glamorous elite may dominate headlines, its true spirit often resides in places like Roots Hall, where generations of supporters continue to dream, despite the odds. "Never Never Land" is essential reading for anyone who understands that supporting a football club is about much more than just winning; it's about belonging.
ROYAL MAIL TRACKED 48 Delivered to You Last Week, May 2025 
Some publishers release new titles early, so our ETA above could change.

Published: May 14, 2025
Price: £19.99
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 1836802099
ISBN-13: 978-1836802099
Dimensions: 222 x 144 (mm)
PRE ORDER NOW

More from this collection

Please select

0
Complete
gb United Kingdom
gb United Kingdom
af Afghanistan
ax Åland Islands
al Albania
dz Algeria
ad Andorra
ao Angola
ai Anguilla
ag Antigua Barbuda
ar Argentina
am Armenia
aw Aruba
ac Ascension Island
au Australia
at Austria
az Azerbaijan
bs Bahamas
bh Bahrain
bd Bangladesh
bb Barbados
by Belarus
be Belgium
bz Belize
bj Benin
bm Bermuda
bt Bhutan
bo Bolivia
ba Bosnia Herzegovina
bw Botswana
br Brazil
io British Indian Ocean Territory
vg British Virgin Islands
bn Brunei
bg Bulgaria
bf Burkina Faso
kh Cambodia
cm Cameroon
cad Canada
cv Cape Verde
bq Caribbean Netherlands
ky Cayman Islands
cf Central African Republic
td Chad
cl Chile
cn China
cx Christmas Island
cc Cocos (Keeling) Islands
co Colombia
km Comoros
cg Congo Brazzaville
cd Congo Kinshasa
ck Cook Islands
cr Costa Rica
ci Côte d'Ivoire
hr Croatia
cw Curaçao
cy Cyprus
cz Czechia
dk Denmark
dj Djibouti
dm Dominica
do Dominican Republic
ec Ecuador
eg Egypt
sv El Salvador
gq Equatorial Guinea
er Eritrea
ee Estonia
sz Eswatini
et Ethiopia
fk Falkland Islands
fo Faroe Islands
fj Fiji
fi Finland
fr France
gf French Guiana
pf French Polynesia
tf French Southern Territories
ga Gabon
gm Gambia
ge Georgia
de Germany
gh Ghana
gi Gibraltar
gr Greece
gl Greenland
gd Grenada
gp Guadeloupe
gt Guatemala
gg Guernsey
gn Guinea
gw GuineaBissau
gy Guyana
ht Haiti
hn Honduras
hk Hong Kong SAR
hu Hungary
is Iceland
in India
id Indonesia
iq Iraq
ie Ireland
im Isle of Man
il Israel
it Italy
jm Jamaica
Japan
je Jersey
jo Jordan
kz Kazakhstan
ke Kenya
ki Kiribati
xk Kosovo
kw Kuwait
kg Kyrgyzstan
la Laos
lv Latvia
lb Lebanon
ls Lesotho
lr Liberia
ly Libya
li Liechtenstein
lt Lithuania
lu Luxembourg
mo Macao SAR
mg Madagascar
mw Malawi
my Malaysia
mv Maldives
ml Mali
mt Malta
mq Martinique
mr Mauritania
mu Mauritius
yt Mayotte
mx Mexico
md Moldova
mc Monaco
mn Mongolia
me Montenegro
ms Montserrat
ma Morocco
mz Mozambique
mm Myanmar (Burma)
na Namibia
nr Nauru
np Nepal
nl Netherlands
nc New Caledonia
nz New Zealand
ni Nicaragua
ne Niger
ng Nigeria
nu Niue
nf Norfolk Island
mk North Macedonia
no Norway
om Oman
pk Pakistan
ps Palestinian Territories
pa Panama
pg Papua New Guinea
py Paraguay
pe Peru
ph Philippines
pn Pitcairn Islands
pl Poland
pt Portugal
qa Qatar
re Réunion
ro Romania
ru Russia
rw Rwanda
ws Samoa
sm San Marino
st São Tomé and Príncipe
sa Saudi Arabia
sn Senegal
rs Serbia
sc Seychelles
sl Sierra Leone
sg Singapore
sx Sint Maarten
sk Slovakia
si Slovenia
sb Solomon Islands
so Somalia
za South Africa
gs South Georgia South Sandwich Islands
kr South Korea
ss South Sudan
es Spain
lk Sri Lanka
sh St Helena
kn St Kitts Nevis
lc St Lucia
mf St Martin
pm St Pierre Miquelon
vc St Vincent Grenadines
bi St. Barthélemy
bl St. Barthélemy
sd Sudan
sr Suriname
sj Svalbard Jan Mayen
se Sweden
ch Switzerland
tw Taiwan
tj Tajikistan
tz Tanzania
th Thailand
tl TimorLeste
tg Togo
tk Tokelau
to Tonga
tt Trinad Tobago
ta Tristan da Cunha
tn Tunisia
tr Turkey
tm Turkmenistan
tc Turks Caicos Islands
tv Tuvalu
ug Uganda
ua Ukraine
ae United Arab Emirates
us United States
uy Uruguay
um US Outlying Islands
uz Uzbekistan
vu Vanuatu
va Vatican City
ve Venezuela
vn Vietnam
wf Wallis Futuna
eh Western Sahara
ye Yemen
zm Zambia
zw Zimbabwe
gbBritish Pound Sterling
gb British Pound Sterling
au Australian Dollar
cad Canadian Dollar
eur Euro
nz New Zealand Dollar
us United States Dollar
ae United Arab Emirates Dirham
ch Swiss Franc
cn Chinese Yuan
hk Hong Kong Dollar
Japanese Yen
an Netherlands Antillean Guilder
dk Danish Krone
gg Guernsey Pound
je Jersey Pound
sg Singapore Dollar
gbEnglish
gb English
fr French
de German
es Spanish
br Portuguese (Brazil)
in Hindi
tr Turkish
kr Korean
Japanese
cz Czech
cn Chinese (Simplified)
it Italian
fi Finnish
se Swedish
no Norwegian
hu Hungarian
pl Polish
ba Bosnian
hr Croatian
dk Danish
ee Estonian