Former LSBU lecturer publishes football fiction series
Paul Breen, a former lecturer at London South Bank University is about to have the first of three books published by Thames River Press.
Paul with the FA Cup
Paul moved to London from Ireland and settled in South East London where he found work as a lecturer. Originally an avid Liverpool supporter, Paul eventually found a love for his local team, Charlton Athletic.
“It has always been a community football club and it was this that shaped my relationship with them, a team often seen as one of London’s less fashionable clubs.”
Charlton Athletic have been in the press recently, regarding their new Belgian owners. Paul explains: “This situation, in many ways, typifies the battle that is currently taking place for the soul of British football – the much publicised fight between fans and foreign owners. Though in Charlton’s case, I hope it will end up as a happy marriage between the two.”
A couple of years ago, Paul decided to write about this relationship and sent off a manuscript to Thames River Press, who suggested that he turned the story into a work of fiction. Paul went back to the drawing board and a year later, has written the first of three books, The Charlton Men, all whilst still working as a lecturer and playing an active part in his local community.
“The selling point for the publishers was the love affair with a difference; I would describe the process of adopting a new football team as a love affair. Before this, I was an ardent Liverpool fan but began to see the strangeness of following a team hundreds of miles away when I lived next door to a decent club with its roots in my local community.”
Paul went to a few matches back in 2007/2008 and his passion for Charlton Athletic started to grow, sticking with the club through a few tough years when they fell down the league ladder to their lowest position, 13th in the 3rd tier. Paul says the arrival of Chris Powell and the team of 2012 changed all that:
“They brought pride back to Charlton and the events of that season cemented the place of the club in my heart. This book is a product of that love, but it is more than just a football story. It’s one that’s not afraid to tackle some big issues in society today and has a powerful social conscience.”
Paul’s book is available online and he can also be found on Twitter.
We love to hear what our graduates and former members of staff have been up to, so if you’re a budding author, or have been working on an interesting project since leaving LSBU, let us know.