Join David Pleat as he launches his new memoir, Just One More Goal, in conversation with his North London rival, David Dein.
David Pleat has lived a life at the heart of football, from his debut as an England Schoolboy international in 1960 to his time as a scout for Tottenham Hotspur up to 2024.
In 1986, Pleat was given his shot at the big-time at Tottenham Hotspur. Were it not for a fabricated tabloid scandal, his sole season as manager - which featured a third-placed finish, an FA Cup final and a League Cup semi-final - might have been the start of a transformation at White Hart Lane.
Just One More Goal is not just an account of one man’s lifelong obsession with football. It is the story of an evolving game, one that moved away from instinct and spontaneity towards something colder and more technical. David Pleat’s memoir is the perfect answer to the question of how modern football became what it is today.
There will be a book signing following the main event, with copies of the book available to purchase.
David Pleat
David Pleat has been manager and director of football at Tottenham, manager of Luton, Leicester City, Sheffield Wednesday and Nuneaton Borough. As a footballer, he played for Nottingham Forest, Luton Town, Shrewsbury, Exeter and Peterborough.
David Dein
David Dein is currently International Ambassador for the FA and Ambassador for the Premier League. He was the former Vice Chairman of both Arsenal Football Club and the Football Association. He was also President of the G-14 group of European football clubs and International Ambassador of England’s bid to host the World Cup in 2018. At Arsenal he was responsible for football matters, taking an active role in the transfer of players and contract negotiations where he was able to use his extensive network of football contacts. Dein was behind the appointment of the then little known Arsène Wenger to the manager’s job in 1996.
During his 24 years at Arsenal, the club won 18 trophies including the Invincible season of 2003/2004. Dein was the driving force behind the creation of the FA Premier League in 1992 which is now the most successful league competition in the world. He has been at the forefront of many important changes in football, including the introduction of Goal Line Technology and VAR.
He was an early proponent of Women’s football and became President of the Arsenal Women’s Team which became one of the most successful in the league. Since 2014 he has delivered motivational and inspirational talks in over 500 state schools for the Speakers for Schools programme.
In addition, he has given talks in all of the 117 prisons in England & Wales and in 2018 launched the Twinning Project which twins professional football clubs with their local prison, providing training and coaching programmes to help offenders gain employment on release. In 2019 he was awarded an MBE for his services to football and charity.
