Pompey Hall of Fame member Eoin Hand, who played for the club in two spells between 1968 and 1979, has just published his autobiography ‘First Hand’.
And fans will have a unique chance to buy a signed copy ahead of the game with Plymouth on Saturday.
Hand will also be a guest of the club at the Fratton Park and the man who netted 15 goals in 307 appearances will be presented to the crowd at half-time.
He will be in the Victory Lounge from 1pm-2.45pm to sign copies of the book, which will be on sale for a special cash-only price of £15 (the book retails at £17.99).
The defender, who also played for the Republic of Ireland and subsequently managed both Huddersfield and the Irish national team, has an engaging and frank tale to tell.
His book includes the following highlights from his time at Fratton Park:
- ‘Sergeant Major’ manager George Smith’s tough and tender side
- Posh public schoolboy-esque manager John Mortimore’s sense of humour failure
- Ian St John’s unorthodox tactical improvisations
- The booze and fags culture at Fratton Park in the 1970s
- The time he feared for his life as an Irishman, as he lined up for Pompey
During his time in England, Hand befriended stars like George Best and Mike Summerbee, and also took his own personal stand against the apartheid regime in South Africa when playing there in the English summer.
Throw in the tale of the time he also threw a punch at West German legend Franz Beckenbauer and was beaten for simply having the temerity as a boy in 1950s’ Ireland to play the ‘foreign game’ of football and you get the picture.
This is not your common player story and all that only covers chapters one and two!
Hand’s autobiography is also available from all good bookshops or by mail order from The Collins Press, priced €19.99 or from Amazon.