David Bishop came back from a broken neck to become a huge talent for Pontypool RFC in Rugby Union in the 1980s before going on to switch codes and play for Hull KR in League (see synopsis). Co-author BrendanGallagher, an award-winning sports journalist, was the 'Pontypool man' for the South Wales Argusand South Wales Echo in Bishop's Rugby Union heyday between 1985 and1988. A graduate of Hayter's sport agency, he was a sports correspondent,columnist and feature writer at the Daily Telegraph for almost 20 yearsand has covered 45 sports in over 50 countries, focusing especially on rugby,cycling, athletics, basketball and all things Olympics. He has also writtenofficial histories of the Rugby World Cup, the Giro D'Italia and GreatBritain's involvement with the Olympics, and is co-author of autobiographiesfrom Brian O'Driscoll and cycling legends Nicole Cooke and Bradley Wiggins.

• Foreword by Craig Bellamy 7Introduction: Stolen Dreams 91 Irish Town 192 Rugby for Beginners 333 Misspent Youth 394 Mother and Baby Doing Fine 525 Love at First Fight 586 Violence as a Way of Life 687 Prisoner A79816 858 Joining Pooler 1049 Lucky to Escape with a Broken Neck 12110 Cup Glory with Pontypool 14611 One-Cap Wonder 16312 The Punch That Ruined My Life 18113 The Crazy Gang 20614 The One and Only Pross 22215 Rugby Heaven with Ringo 23616 Tough Going Up North 25817 Stormy Days with Rovers and Great Britain 27418 Baseball 29319 Return of the Prodigal Son 30220 Coping with Charlie 32421 Walking My Way Back to Fitness and Sanity 34122 Absent Friends 35123 In My Opinion... 35824 It's All About Me 365Appendix 1: Mamma's Stew 371Appendix 2: Playing Record for Pontypool 372Appendix 3: Rugby League Club Appearances 374Appendix 4: Rugby League Career Summary 377Appendix 5: Sendings-Off - The Facts 379Acknowledgements 380

"Bishop is the best player in the northern hemisphere... He is a team in his own right, and that says it all... He's magic." - Brian Thomas, Neath and Wales"David Bishop is the best scrum half in Welsh rugby since World War Two. Surely there has never been a more dynamic and deadlyattacker among scrum halves... the complete one-man army." - John Billot, Western Mail"The best one-cap wonder in the history of Rugby Union or Rugby League. Or probably any other sport for that matter. His display against Gloucester in 1982 was the best example of a one-man team performance I have ever seen on a rugby field." - Peter Jackson, Daily Mail"Genius sportsmen and women are often complicated individuals, and my friend David Bishop certainly comes under both those headings!" - Craig Bellamy, Wales footballer and manager"There lurked throughout the land a horde of players guilty to a man of sins far more heinous than the punch thrown by David Bishop." - Eddie Butler, Pontypool, Wales and Lions"Playing outside The Bish, you had the ultimate armchair ride... He was a comic book hero sort of player." - Mark Ring, Cardiff, Pontypool and Wales"David Bishop is the greatest Welsh scrum half I ever saw at club level, and by a distance. He was better than Gareth [Edwards] at club level because he was brilliant all the time... The game was denied something special by the refusal of Wales to pick him." - Bobby Windsor, Pontypool, Wales and Lions