Jimmy Armfield was one of the great figures of English football - captain of the national team before Bobby Moore, member of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, one-club man with Blackpool. Gentleman Jim went on to enjoy a wonderfully rich life and career as a manager with Leeds United, before becoming a broadcaster of warmth and insight, then consultant with the Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association. In Pantomime Hero, award-winning football writer and author Ian Ridley tells the remarkable tale of when Armfield took over at Leeds after Brian Clough's ill-fated 44 days and came up with a novel and unique idea to restore the morale of a club in turmoil. Around that amazing tale, Ridley also describes a friendship forged through the bonds of cancer with a giant of a man who was already long established as a national footballing treasure at the time of his death in January 2018. This is the first book in the innovative Football Shorts series.

"These wonderful 160 pages are a real tribute to Armfield and Ridley has produced a book that has genuine warm borne out of their friendship and Ridley's admiration for Armfield's talent as player, manager and broadcaster." * Football Book Reviews *
"A wonderful book. Reading it, I could see Jimmy's smile and hear his voice. The final chapter made me cry." -- Mike Ingham * Former BBC Radio 5live Chief Football Correspondent and colleague of Jimmy Armfield's *
"Journalist and author Ridley provides us with some charming, nostalgic and heart-warming stories about Jimmy Armfield, the former Blackpool and England full-back who became an acclaimed broadcaster... Armfield's beacon values of respect and decency will ever endure. This book is a fitting tribute to a wonderful man." -- Ian Aspinall * Late Tackle *

Ian Ridley has penned 13 sports books, including Addicted, with former Arsenal and England captain Tony Adams, which was shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award. Three of his other books were nominated in the British Sports Book Awards and his most recent, The Breath of Sadness, was also shortlisted for the William Hill award. In a 40-year career, Ian has been a sports writer at various times with four national newspapers.