An unexpected delay in publication ! ... aaarrgghh .... the book will now be available in late August

Hi readers. There has been an unforseen problem with the printing of the book 'The Road to Wembley from Scotland'. I won't bore you with the details but the short story is that copies will not be available this weekend. In fact the book won't be available for purchase until the end of August.

I have decided to take advance orders for the book  So if you want to buy a signed copy of one of the 'first edition' books then email me via chris@donkinitex.co.uk and I will log your interest and I will only send you payment details when I have the copies in my possession. I won't be taking any payments until I am in a position to either deliver or send the book to you but I am happy to reserve copies.

This is all a wee bit frustrating as the print run is 'good to go' and all formatting and proof reading has been completed. I was of course hoping to have copies available for the start of the season but unfortunately this is not going to happen now. If you are intrigued by it all and you want to get a wee preview of what it might look like before you commit to parting with £20 then email me and I will send you a chapter as a taster. If I met up with you at all on 'The Road' there is a very good chance that there is a photo of you in the book!

The football season is starting without my book launch and tomorrow night I will be heading for Peterhead to see my first competitive game of the season when my beloved Hearts visit the 'Blue Toon' for a match in the Betfred League Cup. I popped in to Tynecastle earlier to collect the tickets for me and ma laddie and the new stand at Hearts is taking shape.

New stand at Tynie taking shape - ready for Hearts v Aberdeen on Sept 9? ... maybe!

The only other news I have for readers following this blog as I have revised the Press Release to try to make the whole adventure described in the book sound as exciting as it was ... loads of thrills and spills. The new Press Release is shown below and thanks to Kev Higgins and my brother George for their input. More news on what the actual publication date might be when I have more detail from the printer. Keep reading ....

The Road to Wembley from Scotland by Chris Donkin: Press Release

On the 5^th August 2016 I set off to watch Penrith play against Sunderland Ryhope Community Association in the Extra Preliminary (EP) Round of the FA Cup. I chose this match because it was the EP Round match closest to the Scottish border and hence nearest to my home in Midlothian. The idea was a simple one: whoever emerged victorious I would follow them until they got knocked out of the FA Cup and then follow the team that were subsequently successful and so on and so on. Ten months, 9555 miles, 17 matches and 50 goals later I was at the FA Cup Final at Wembley to see Arsenal beat Chelsea. Initially I documented my journey as a blog – now it is available as a book.

At every stop on the Road to Wembley I found and reported on the links between the competing clubs and Scotland and was able to describe the lasting influence of Scots on the beautiful game south of the border. I met some of the great characters from non league football in England from great clubs in Penrith, Dunston, Spennymoor, Skelmersdale, Chorley and Lincoln and their stories are now part of this story. In the later rounds I was able to explore how some of England’s most famous teams were shaped by the contribution of men from Scotland moving south over 100 years ago. As the latest edition of the FA Cup, the most famous competition in world football, neared its conclusion I was helped in this project by fine football people from MK Dons, Charlton Athletic, Brighton and Hove Albion, Lincoln City, Burnley, Arsenal and Manchester City. All had a tale to tell and their tales feature in the book.

The romance of the FA Cup remains alluring. In all rounds there were thrills and spills, hopes realised and dreams dashed, heros and villains. The plucky underdog snapped at the heels of the rich and famous and on more than one occasion the giants were bitten.

It has been an incredible journey. It has taken 470 pages with more than 600 colour pictures to recount ‘The Road to Wembley from Scotland’. The cost of the book is £20 plus £3 postage if needed. All surpluses from this ‘not for profit’ book will be donated to Multiple Sclerosis Society. To be sent details of how you can get a copy, email me via chris@donkinitex.co.uk

Chris Donkin (Author of ‘The Road to Wembley from Scotland’)

July 2017  

Update on book publication ... two more weeks ... meanwhile ... the Press Release!

The book is almost ready. The test copy has been proof read and (slightly) re-formatted. I am expecting a second test copy tomorrow. I am not anticipating a major re-write so I am hopeful that copies will be available for purchase from Monday the 31st July.

The 'back cover' of the book

The price and the purchase arrangements will be detailed (hopefully) on this blog next weekend. In the meantime ... here is the Press Release! (below)

The Road to Wembley from Scotland by Chris Donkin: Press Release

On the 5^th August 2016 I set off to watch Penrith play against Sunderland Ryhope Community Association in the Extra Preliminary (EP) Round of the FA Cup. I chose this match because it was the EP Round match closest to the Scottish border and hence nearest to my home in Midlothian. The idea was a simple one: whoever emerged victorious I would follow them until they got knocked out of the FA Cup and then follow the team that were subsequently successful and so on and so on. Ten months, 9555 miles, 17 matches and 50 goals later I was at the FA Cup Final at Wembley to see Arsenal beat Chelsea. Initially I documented my journey as a blog – now it is available as a book.

At every stop on the Road to Wembley I found and reported on the links between the competing clubs and Scotland and was able to describe the lasting influence of Scots on the beautiful game south of the border. I met some of the great characters from non league football in England from great clubs in Penrith, Dunston, Spennymoor, Skelmersdale, Chorley and Lincoln and their stories are now part of this story. In the later rounds I was able to explore the how some of England’s most famous teams were shaped by the contribution of men from Scotland moving south over 100 years ago. As the latest edition of the FA Cup, the most famous competition in world football, neared the conclusion I was helped in this project by fine football people from MK Dons, Charlton Athletic, Brighton and Hove Albion, Lincoln City, Burnley, Arsenal and Manchester City. All had a tale to tell and their tales feature in the book.

It has been an incredible journey. It has taken 470 pages with more than 600 pictures to recount ‘The Road to Wembley from Scotland’. To be sent details of how you can get a copy of the book, email me via chris@donkinitex.co.uk

Chris Donkin (Author of ‘The Road to Wembley from Scotland’)

July 2017  

A forward thinking manager writes the foreword ! Thanks Robbie

There has been a  slight delay in the production of the book 'The Road to Wembley from Scotland'. The test copies for Kev Panther and I to proof read have not arrived yet but should be with us in the next couple of days. I am still on course to have copies of the book available for the 5th August. However, some fantastic news over the weekend. Robbie Neilson, manager of MK Dons, ex manager of Hearts and a key Scot on the 'Road to Wembley from Scotland' has produced the foreword for the book. Thanks Robbie!

A foreword thinking gaffer! Robbie before the MK Dons v Charlton replay

As the anticipation towards the publication date increases here is wee taster. Below is Robbie Neilson's foreword in full.

When I joined Milton Keynes Dons at the beginning of December 2016 I was unaware that my move south was to prove to be a major event on Chris Donkin’s Road to Wembley from Scotland. I was to learn that Chris was also heading for MK and our paths crossed for the first time when Chris attended the FA Cup replay against Charlton Athletic on the 14^th December at Stadium MK. After he enjoyed pre-match hospitality provided by the club I met Chris briefly and we bumped in to each other again at Gatwick airport immediately after the round three tie at Brighton. We had a good chat and it was here I learned that Chris was following the FA Cup from the Extra Preliminary Round through to the FA Cup Final.

I was interested to find out that for each game on the journey Chris was looking for a Scottish slant, so in many ways he had struck gold when Stevie Crawford and I moved to Milton Keynes at precisely the same time as he was following the Dons FA Cup run. I became aware that Chris had been to many qualifying round games before linking up with our lads. I have also noted that since we unfortunately got knocked out of the cup Chris’ journey has taken him to Lincoln, Burnley, Arsenal and then Wembley for the semi final and the final. What a journey!

Hearts fan Chris and I have one other thing in common. Heart of Midlothian FC have had a huge influence on our lives. I enjoyed playing for and managing Hearts and I know this book will be of interest to Hearts fans as many of the Scottish links are connections with Tynecastle. In fact The Road to Wembley from Scotland will be of interest to all football fans as the magic of the FA Cup continues to appeal to supporters and the Scots influence on the competition is fascinating.

Enjoy the book.

Robbie Neilson