A former BBC journalist is set to release a memoir, dedicated to his son, telling a moving story of love, loss and the enduring power of football.
No Complacency, written by Chris Bowlby, reflects on the bond between father and son, weaving together personal grief and a lifelong passion for Newcastle United.
The book follows the decade-long journey he shared with his son, Ewan, who died from cancer in 2022 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 17.
Published by Herne Books and released in May, the book considers the role football plays in shaping lives, communities and the wider world.
"I can no longer talk with Ewan, nor run with him, but I want to celebrate what the game has given and still gives to me," said Chris.
"I want to explore why it matters and where it might be going, and honour in his memory the way football can show us how to live without complacency and with compassion, valuing how people, a ball, and some space can become something bonding and magical across lives past and present.
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"This book is based on the story I told Ewan about what football had meant to me, and draws then on our shared experience of football as it changed so radically in recent decades."
Born on Teesside, Chris moved to London at five and to Newcastle at age 11. The book references more than a century of football history in the region, including stories of people in Hexham who were once fined for playing football on a Sunday. It also touches on Chris' time at Hexham Cemetery, where Ewan is buried.
The book reflects on Chris' struggle to return to football after his son’s death and his eventual realisation that the game still offered meaning and connection.
Paul Ferris, author and former Newcastle United player, said: "Loved it. Brilliantly researched and eloquently written."
David Kynaston, historian and author, described the book as: "One of the best football books that's ever come my way.
"Chris Bowlby’s No Complacency offers a vivid, multi-layered reading of the game, both past and present, exploring how even as big football becomes an increasingly amoral, rapacious industry, it still retains its deep emotional charge."
The memoir covers topics including the culture of St James' Park, Gateshead FC, Newcastle's Carabao Cup win, the forgotten history of women's football in the North, and football's connection with faith and community.
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