Nick Baker - Forbidden forward: the Justin Fashanu story

The Justin Fashanu Story

Nick Baker

Reid Publishing

Nick Baker 2013

This book is copyright under the Berne convention

All rights reserved. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

The right of Nick Baker to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-0-9926811-0-4

Book Design by Andrew Searle
Cover Design by Tony Rose
Cover photo courtesy of Nick and Gina Mills

Published by Reid Publishing
53 Church Gate, Loughborough,
Leicestershire, LE11 1UE
Tel: 07974 304022 Email:

eBook conversion by eBookPartnership.com

To Junmin and Dorothy

ALL TOLD, its taken the best part of two years to research and write this book, and it would not have been possible without the assistance of a multitude of people. Firstly, Id like to say a big thank you to the man who shared my faith in The Justin Fashanu Story, Dave McVay from Reid Publishing. His expert eye, experience and assistance have been invaluable and greatly appreciated.

The aim of this book has always been to gain a unique insight into Justin Fashanu. Away from the football pitch, and underneath the bravado he so often displayed, who was he really? Its a great question, and one that can only be answered by the people who knew him. The following are some of those very people and I thank them from the bottom of my heart for the time they so generously sacrificed: family, friends, players, coaches, managers and journalists:

Colin Slater, Edward and Rachel Jackson, Susan Anderson, Les Hammond, Dave Bennett, John Bond, Ken Brown, Alastair Aitken, Martin Staines, Mark Woodrow, Mark Overton, John Lund, Graham Shurey, Ernest Cashmore, Alf Fincham, Pete Venables, Graham Morgan, John Banbury, Jeremy Smith, Gordon Holmes, Stephanie Brooks, Terry Reeve, Paul Cheston, Rik Cheston, Mark Barham, Phil Hoadley, Chris Roberts, Malcolm Robertson, Mick Dennis, Mel Richards, Joe Royle, Roger Haywood, John Barnes, Karl Tuttle, Brian Harvey, Glenn Hoy, Les King, Neil Giles, Kevan Platt, John Lawson, Keith Lennox, Peter Ward, Ian Wallace, Terry Carpenter, J. John, Nick Brotherwood, Ronnie Fenton, Duncan Hamilton, Ross Smith, Mark Smalley, Calvin Plummer, Mark Proctor, Peter Tatchell, Nick Brotherwood, Lawrie McMenemy, Les Cleevely, Nick Holmes, Steve Williams, David Puckett, Malcolm Waldron, Trevor Frecknall, Howard Wilkinson, Trevor Christie, Iain McCulloch, Ian McParland, Dave Watson, Mick Leonard, Graham Daniels, Malcolm Doney, Larry Lloyd, Neil Slawson, Chris Cattlin, Keiran ORegan, Tony Millard, John Vinicombe, Mike Yaxley, Kevin Weaver, Clive Brewster, John Britton, Bobby Ammann, Sherri Howard, A.J. Ali, Mel Kowalchuk, Len Vickery, Gregor Young, Ambrose Mendy, Frank Clark, Bill Songhurst, John McGrane, Allan Hall, Terry Deal, Brett Gordon, Mike Bateson, Sue Bateson, Paul Compton, David Thomas, Alan Quick, John McVeigh, George Peat, Alex Dowdalls, Kenny Black, David McCarthy, Sandy Clark, Hugh McCann, Nick Mills, Gina Mills, Grant Stantiall, Bruce Holloway, Anton Hysen, Nick London.

Id also like to thank a host of other people who gave me their time and own insights. These also include people who helped with my research and others who connected me with valuable contacts:

Tony Campbell, Peter Sanderson, Steve Long, Craig Spafford, Edward Couzens-Lake, Duncan Holley, Sharon Ferguson, David Thomas (the other one!), Jas Baines, Norman Keen, Brian Deer, Juliet Jacques, Jason Hall, Scott Lawson, Nick London, Marcia Dixon, Peter Walsh, Ian Clarke, Debbie Hancox, Mary Bissell, David Cuffley and Rosemary Dixon from Archant Media, Craig Goldthorpe from J. Press, Andy Naylor from The Argus, Michael Grant from the Sunday Herald, Peter Steward from Line One, Colin Mitchell from Shoot!, Nicola Douglas from Barnardos, Gary Newbon from Prime Ticket UK, Craig Sackfield from Centric Sports, Barrie Williams, Ralph Shepherd and Brian Bates from Notts County, Keith Daniel and Liz Stenner from The Media Group, Mick Holland from the Nottingham Post Group, Dan Tester from Stripe Publishing, Paul Berry from Wolves, Camilla Lawrence from the Metropolitan Police Department, Keith Jeffrey from East Sussex Cricket League, Simon Heggie from Manchester City FC, Paul Camillin at Brighton and Hove Albion FC, Geraint Parry from Wrexham FC, Vicky Owens from BBC Press Office, Brian Papworth from SCOA Officials, Ciaran McMahon from Coastal FC, Graham Bell from Middlesbrough FC, Pamela Claire from Ashram Housing Association, David Napier, Neil Kaufman, Peter Cresswell, Tony Green from the London Gay Mens Chorus, Alan Burrows from Motherwell FC, Claire Huggins from West Bromwich Albion FC, Matt Horner from Seaview Media, Mike Young from Coventry City FC, Richard Elliott from Lawrie McMenemy Centre for Football Research, Sam Dick from Stonewall, Hester Brierley from English Institute of Sport, Andrew Barringer from Luton Town FC, Lynn Harris from Leyton Orient FC, Bernadette Ocampo from Philo Trust, Sarah Smellie from the Christian Centre, Debbie Hancox, Malcolm Stuart, Maureen Havers from Charley Heritage Group, Frank Spilak from Holy Trinity High School, Danny Lynch from Kick it Out, David Edgley from Nottinghams Rainbow Heritage, Jason Longshore from Soccer Streets, Peter Neal and Jon Dennis from Attleborough Amateur Boxing Club, Diana Van Bunnens from John Holmes Media, Jeffrey Kamis from Tampa Bay FC, Lorraine Sass from Blue Yonder, Andrew Wenley, Denis Harlow from the FFSA and Jeanne Upchurch from Harrison County Police Department.

Hundreds of people from Norwich contacted me after journalist, Peter Walsh, published an article about my proposed book in the Norwich Evening News back in 2011 (thanks again Peter.) As such, Id like to express my gratitude to all the people who took the time to contact me.

Stacey Mickelbart took on the unenviable task of editing my manuscript, and that takes courage and patience. Sentence fragments are the bain of her literary existence, and I apologise for my past addiction. Thanks to her, I have finally managed to kick the habit. Thanks, Stacey, for all your hard work and professionalism. Much appreciated.

I cant exit this portion of the book without saying thanks to my boss, Lynn Booth. Along with my wife, shes also relieved I completed this project so I can regain focus on my main day job. (Note to self: burning the candle at both ends does not always endear you with ones boss.) Lynn - thank you for not firing me.

Finally, Id like to extend my greatest thanks and love to my family. Firstly, my wife Junmin, who never complained once when I refused to budge from the computer, often late at night, and got used to the fact that evening dinner often involved eating at the computer desk and multitasking (eating, typing and, sometimes, cursing). She is a godsend. Thanks to my parents, Janice and Terry Baker, who helped with my research back in the UK and are just all round-incredible people.

A huge thanks to my brother Simon in New York, who has helped me in more ways than he knows. A good footballer in his own right, Simon played for the Notts County youth team in the mid-Eighties before winning a soccer scholarship to a prestigious college in New York state. After hanging up his boots, he now runs his own successful investment firm from New York city. He is a great inspiration.