A one-man adaptation of an Arsenal fan's memoirs sounds at best dubious, at worst purgatorial. Thankfully, Paul Hodson's version of Nick Hornby's book buzzes with a self-deprecation that wins over the most hardened soccerhater. Stephen North's affable but hopeless narrator confesses, "For alarmingly large chunks of an average day, I am a moron!" before spreading out his portfolio of terrace rituals and relationships that were away defeats. A Desmond Lynam voice-over adds support from the touchlines to a show that regularly hits the back of the net.
Written for The Independent.
Copyright © Ian Shuttleworth; all rights reserved.
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