Denis smith autobiography of a face

The Autobiography
by Denis Smith
Know the Score, £17.99
Reviewed by Andy Thorley
From WSC 264 February 2009 

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When Stoke beat Arsenal recently, Arsène Wenger became really upset.

Stoke’s players, he said, were dirty and tried to injure his side. Thank goodness he didn’t see Denis Smith play. Such is the frequency of the accounts of on-pitch violence that this autobiography of one of the Potters’ greatest ever players reads like a new Danny Dyer show, Naughty Tackles of the 70s.

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There’s a particularly odious passage when a Roma player commits a bad foul in an Anglo-Italian Cup tie. It falls to Smith to gain vengeance, a task he performs with great relish; and so it goes for page after page.

When not discussing fouls, the section on Smith’s playing career largely concerns itself with veering from humilities – for example, when meeting Stanley Matthews, Smith is amazed when the w