Bestselling author Geoffrey Littlefield’s Last Night When I Was Young: Sporting Favourites of Mine takes readers on a sentimental stroll down a memory lane lined with elite athletes of the past.
Littlefield masterfully intertwines history-making moments and mini biographies of some of the U.K.’s greatest athletes of the 1950s and ’60s with stories from his own youth sports experiences. The result is an immersive read that gives audiences a front row seat for all the action, as told from the perspective of a self-described “walking, talking sports encyclopedia and BBC sports quiz champion” who, as a school-aged boy, enjoyed nothing more than emulating his athletic idols.
“All are sporting yesterdays, worthy of repeat,” Littlefield muses. “A young boy’s memory listing every feat.”
Last Night When I Was Young is informative, entertaining and comprehensive in its coverage of both male and female athletes from the era, including jockeys Doug Smith and Fred Winter; Chelsea and England footballer Jimmy Greaves; cricketer PBH May; tennis star Mike Sangster; boxer Dick Tiger; racecar driver Mike Hawthorn; golfer Peter Alliss; sprinter Dorothy Hyman; and long jumper Mary Rand, among many others. The book also contains contributions from the Queen’s racehorse trainer, Sir Michael Stoute, and four-time world speedway champion, Barry Briggs MBE.
Chapter by chapter, Littlefield pays homage to each athlete with a clever juxtaposition of history and fantasy, weaving a colorful tapestry that immortalizes their exceptional accomplishments.
Author Geoffrey Littlefield is a baby boomer born in London, England. His lifelong passions include sport, films and music. His first magazine article was published when he was just 13 years old, featuring interviews with Chelsea FC and England soccer players. His first foray into the world of entertainment was when he appeared on the BBC radio program Junior Sporting Chance, where he captained the winning team.
His love of music grew simultaneously, with particular focus on the Great American Songbook. Littlefield eventually moved into professional music management and record production, and his written works include an exclusive interview with American singer Vic Damone, who was described by Frank Sinatra as having “the best pipes in the business.” Littlefield has been the subject of several radio and television interviews about the Great American Songbook, both in the U.K. and U.S.
In 2016 he wrote, produced, and directed the DVD, Football Managers Uncut: Back in The Day, starring Lawrie McMenemy MBE, Tommy Docherty and Ron Atkinson. He also has two feature films in development.
Littlefield’s first book, the authorized biography, Nelson Riddle: Music With a Heartbeat, was published in February 2021 and reached No. 3 on the bestseller charts on Amazon Kindle in the Jazz Music category.