The Longside Reference

This new book will be published in October 2009.

280 pages, A4 large format and profusely illustrated. Publication price is £19. 95, but will be £17. 95 for pre publication orders and these copies will be signed by Jimmy Mac.

Please email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your name, address, email and phone number, for pre publication orders and these will be forwarded to the publisher.

The launch and birthday celebration is at Turf Moor in the James Hargreaves Suite on Friday October 23^rd.

There is a home game on Saturday 24th against Wigan Athletic, so if you are an out-of-towner why not make it a weekend trip.  Jimmy’s birthday will be on the 25^th.

Tickets for the evening are £5 and include pie and peas, birthday cake, and four 8” x 6” prints of Jimmy Mac.

Tickets as soon as available will be obtainable from Dave Thomas on 0113 2555350 or 07961 846636 and also from the Bob Lord Reception desk.

It would help enormously if people could get together and tickets were ordered as tables of ten, so that tables can be named and allocated. But if this is not possible then this should not stop you from ordering.

Work on this book began in May 2008 before anyone knew that he would be invited to become a Freeman of the Borough or would be awarded a testimonial. As well as coinciding with these events, it also fits in with the 50^th anniversary of the 1959/60 Title win.

Jimmy Mac was one of the finest inside forwards of the fifties and early sixties. Those of us who saw him play will never forget his sublime skills on pitches that were as often as not mudbaths. On today’s velvet pitches and with the lighter ball he would have been virtually unplayable.  Stanley Matthews said that had he been English he would have been an absolute world superstar.

Many thanks

Dave Thomas