Michael Green’s second book ever published, and probably his most successful. In his autobiography, he tells of how he rather drunkenly pointed out to Chris Brasher (Roger Banister’s pacemaker for the first sub 4-minute mile, Olympic Gold Medalist and Sports Editor of the Observer) that Rugby Reporting didn’t reflect the real world that most people played their Rugby in. Instead of taking offence, he asked Michael Green to write a feature on the subject, and the result was “Extraordinary Extra B”.
“With hindsight, I realise I’d caught the iconoclastic mood of the sixties a little early” he later wrote.
One letter of praise he received was from Bill Luscombe, Editor with Stanley Paul, who commissioned him to write “Coarse Rugby”. First published in November 1960, it was on its fourth impression by January 1961.
I have a signed copy of this book. I wonder who Reg and the Reptiles were?
