Hugh Gallacher was a footballing prodigy born into a family of Irish
immigrants in Bellshill in 1903. Standing just five foot five inches
tall, he became one of the greatest stars ever to grace a football
pitch. In Gallacher, award-winning author and journalist Roger
Hutchinson traces the life of this footballing genius with a troubled
soul, from his upbringing in the North Lanarkshire coalfields to his
starring role with Newcastle and Scotland and one of central figures in
the 'Wembley Wizards' who defeated England 5-1 in London to became,
arguably, the best international team on the planet, all the way to his
tragic suicide aged just fifty-four.
It is a thrilling, powerfully told and moving tale of footballing
brilliance, extraordinary achievement against the odds and ultimate
tragedy, throwing a light on the lost world of British professional
football between the wars, the story of Irish immigrants in the Scottish
coalfields and the temporary escape to greatness of one of Scotland's
favorite - and most mourned - sons.
