Latest News
May 13. 2008
Apologies for the lack of updates this month but what with one thing and another, it's been a bit hectic.
Anyway, work on the new script is going really well and we're on the second draft now which, as anyone who knows about such things will tell you, is a very significant stage. I can't wait to pass on details of this project as it is a total departure from anything I've ever done before and is really going to shock certain people!
Also on the movie front, I'm delighted to announce that the producers of both Billy's Log and The Crew will be at the Cannes Film Festival next week so hopefully, they will come back with exciting news.
Away from the big screen, I'm currently working on a new book about Russian football fans which should be out later this year, early next. I'm also considering offers to write some more fiction with two projects based on real life events.
The Books for the Brits 2008 campaign continues apace and we're due to deliver more books to hospitals and care homes around the country over the next few weeks.
Could I also remind everyone to sign the petition calling for the establishment of a dedicated hospital for our troops and veterans. Please visit the Facebook page ( Hospital ) or go direct to the petition at Downing Street and sign it there.
Please take the time to sign. It really is a vital issue.
Finally, in response to numerous mails and calls, I would like to make it clear that I have nothing to do with the sequel to Green Street which has recently been announced by Odd Lot Entertainment. To be honest, having seen a rough outline of the story and given some of the problems with the original, it does concern me that there doesn't seem to be anyone British involved with the script but time will tell I guess.
Laters
Dougie
April 3. 2008
For those who've been asking what I've been up to creative wise lately, well I'm delighted to announce that I've been working on a script for a new movie.
I can't go into too many details yet although I can say that it isn't anything to do with football but is instead about a subject I've never written about before! If nothing else, it's great fun to work on and should be a blast to film.
Aside from that, I have all kinds of things bubbling along but as always, I take it all with a pinch of salt until someone puts some money in my bank! Nothing spells commitment like cold hard cash!
Away from work, the Books for the Brits 2008 campaign continues with more books due for delivery within the month to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham and RAF Hedley Court. I'm also hoping to get some shipped out to the guys in Afghanistan in the very near future and will then start badgering the various publishers for more!
On the subject of the Military, I have recently become involved with a campaign to force this government to establish a dedicated hospital for our troops and veterans. As part of this, I have set up a page on Facebook to encourage people to sign a Downing Street petition asking for that very thing.
If you would like to do your bit, then the address of the Facebook page is Hospital or you could simply go direct to the petition at Downing Street and sign it there.
Please take the time to sign. It really is a vital issue.
Dougie
February 13. 2008
Just a quick note to let all those who have asked that yesterday, the first batch of 250 books was delivered to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham as the first stage of the Books for the Brits 2008 campaign.
They really are going to make a huge difference to the lads recovering there many of whom face a long spell in hospital recovering from some quite horrific injuries.
A second consignment will be delivered to the rehabilitation centre at RAF Hedley Court within the next two weeks.
Dougie
January 4. 2008
Back in 2001 my wife Tina and I set up an initiative called Books for the Brits which set out to provide free books for our servicemen and women serving in Iraq during the Gulf War.
Sadly, despite fantastic support from the publishing community which included the donation of approximately 42,000 free books -each of which was shipped to members of HM Forces free of charge by the Army- we received little or no help from anyone else and with it taking more and more of my time and money and with little chance of securing any outside funding, we were reluctantly forced to shut it down.
However, back in November I was talking to some ex-forces lads and the conversation turned to the plight of injured troops recovering at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham and the fact that they were having serious problems passing the time.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I began to wonder if we should restart BftB and after talking it over with a few people, I sent out a few speculative emails to publishers and received a universally positive response.
I then contacted the charity Help for Heroes who were fantastically receptive and so the decision was taken to go for it. Not on the scale of 2001, but with the aim of providing a steady stream of free reading material to our wounded servicemen recovering here at home.
The setting up process is now in full swing and all being well, we should begin moving books to both Selly Oak and RAF Hedley Court by the end of this month. I am also in the process of applying for legitimate charity status which will make things a whole lot easier in the long term.
As an ex-serviceman myself, I am really excited by this project not least because it provides the perfect opportunity to show support for those brave men and women who do such a great job serving our country.
If anyone would like further information on Books for the Brits, please feel free to contact me.
Dougie
December 30. 2007
Hope everyone has had a Happy Christmas. Here's to an equally happy, prosperous and above all productive 2008!
In many ways, 2007 was an odd year for me with some things going really well (March of the Hooligans and my trips to Russia and the US being prime examples) whilst others didn't go as well as were hoped or expected. On the whole though, there were many more positives than negatives and with lots of good things in the pipeline for 2008 -including a new and really exciting book project as well as another screenplay- I can hardly complain.
So before 2007 comes to a close, I'd like to pass on my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has helped and supported me over the last year in particular my agent Jacque Evans, Ken Siman at Virgin US, Jamie Aitcheson at Sunset & Vine and Tina from East Anglia who was behind all of the website promotion for March of the Hooligans.
I'd also like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has brought books, mailed me or even said hello. It really does mean a lot.
I hope you all have as much fun next year as I intend to!
Best wishes......
Dougie
November 28. 2007
How's this for news? I've just been informed that following the positive response to March of the Hooligans in the US the publishers of my comedy book The Geezers Guide to Football have just received a sizable order from an American distribution company.
These will be sold through various outlets including Barnes & Noble.
Not bad for a book that was first published in 1998!
Dougie
October 29. 2007
Promoting a book is actually one of my favourite parts of the process as it means I can escape the shackles of my PC and actually get out and meet readers. It also means that I get some independent feedback on the content which is always quite useful.
However, March of the Hooligans was always going to be a different type of experience as this book isn’t coming out in the UK at all and so I was quite wary of the type of response I would receive from the US and Canadian press.
Thankfully, it was a positive one and things kicked off with interviews for both 90.00 minutes magazine and the soccersteve radio show on 1260 Team Sports Radio in Canada. These were closely followed by the publication of the first review which came courtesy of Nick Webster at Fox Sports in Los Angeles. Thankfully, this was fairly decent and as I hope it would, it sparked a huge debate on their web site about the idea of hooliganism taking hold on the MLS much of which backed up what I say in the book. Hopefully, I’ll be able to talk to Nick and the team live on either their TV or radio show at some point in the near future.
So with these under my belt, it was off for what was an all too brief promotional trip to the US although sadly, it didn’t start that well as even as I was en route to Portland, Oregon, my interview with NPR was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances –although it was rescheduled for the final day of my time in New York.
So after a flying visit to what looks like an amazing and quite beautiful city, I was back on a plane heading for the Big Apple.
Thankfully, on my first day I was handed a copy of a very positive review which had appeared in Kirkus Reviews of New York which, for those that do not know, is a very important publishing journal. Not a bad start at all and from then on it got even better.
As well as the interview with NPR, I spoke with journalists at Reuters, the New York Times (where I finally got to meet the great Jack Bell) and the New York Daily News. I also spent some time talking with a few of the execs at the MLS organisation and found some of the things they had to say extremely interesting. They really are a forward thinking group and certainly have some fantastic ideas for the future of the game in the States. And then it was back home!
From my perspective, the trip was a huge success and I know Virgin USA are happy which is always important! Indeed, I would like to thank Ken and Devin at Virgin USA for all their hard work and hospitality as well as Sandra Rafalik of SMS Book Tours for looking after me when I was in Portland.
Hopefully, as the interviews and reviews trickle out, they will spur even greater interest in the book and possibly even a return visit, maybe to Los Angeles and possibly even Toronto.
In the meantime, I would like to thank all those who have helped promote March of the Hooligans via both myspace and facebook. You’ve done an incredible job and I am extremely grateful!
I’d also like to thank those people who have contacted me already with the nice things they’ve had to say about the book. If I could ask one thing it’s that you post a review on either amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. Both if you feel like it! It really does help you know!
Here are a few links to reviews already posted up. I’ll add more as and when I have them. And if you stumble across any I haven’t listed, please do send them to me.
Laters
Dougie
16 October 2007
I am delighted to announce that my brand new book March of the Hooligans is published by Virgin Books in the US and Canada today, October 16.
Please click on the book cover for further information or feel free to email me at dbrimson@uk2.net.
06 October 2007
Not that much to report at the moment. The PR machine for March of the Hooligans is in full swing ahead of publication date on October 16 and all being well, I'll be able to post the full itinerary for my forthcoming trip to the US within the next week or so. Media interest certainly seems to be strong and there is talk of appearances on a couple of the big sports TV shows so it will certainly be exciting!
Credit for this must go to the good people at Virgin who put together a quite brilliant press pack. Not only did it include a copy of the book and the usual PR stuff about me and my work, but a copy of Green Street on DVD and to grab the attention even harder, a fake half-brick wrapped in a note saying 'courtesy of Dougie Brimson'!
It's not a new idea, but it certainly worked with all kinds of people mailing me asking for extra information and requesting interviews. On top of all that, the myspace and facebook campaigns have been instrumental in spreading the word to potential readers and this has resulted in pre-sales being extremely strong.
Whilst I'm thrilled that everything is going in the right direction with regard to the book, I am equally delighted that the message it contains regarding the threat hooliganism poses to the MLS has already begun to have an impact. I can't say too much about that at the moment but I will be meeting with various people whilst I am in the US and hopefully, the outcome will be a positive one.
Away from March of the Hooligans I am currently discussing my next book and should be able to confirm details of that fairly soon. I am actually extremely excited about this as it's a project very dear to my heart.
Laters
Dougie
27 August 2007
Well, what a few weeks it has been! So much has happened that it's hard to know where to start!
The most important thing is that we now have a new addition to the extended Brimson clan as my daughter Rebecca and her husband Lee presented us with our first grandson, George, on 24 August 2007. He is a right little cracker by all accounts so as you can imagine we are all pleased as punch!
On top of that, my son Ben completed his initial training at the Army Foundation College and following a quite amazing and very impressive passing out parade, is now a fully fledged British soldier serving with the Army Air Corps. To say we are proud of him is an understatement and having served 18 years with the military myself, all I can do is hope he has half the fun I had. Although from what I can tell so far, he's already having twice the fun! He's certainly earning a lot more than I did when I enlisted although to be fair, that was a bloody long time ago!
Work wise, I delighted to announce that progress on the movie adaptations of both The Crew and Billy's Log is progressing apace and we should have firm news on those fairly soon. Just as importantly for those who keep asking, I am indeed negotiating deals to write the sequel to Top Dog (which is of course, the sequel to The Crew) as well as to Billy's Log.
On the non-fiction front, I am thrilled to announce the imminent release of my new book, March of the Hooligans, which examines the fledgling soccer culture in the MLS and explores the potential for hooliganism to take a grip on the game in America.
As a fan of all things American, this has been a really interesting project for me to work on and I have really enjoyed myself. Not least because it's been fascinating to look beyond Beckham-mania and see what is really going on amongst the fans of the game in the US. Most of which, I have to say, is extremely positive.
Publication date is October 16 and all being well, I will be heading for both New York and Los Angeles on a short promotional tour around that date. What I should mention however, is that March of the Hooligans will NOT be for sale outside the US & Canada. Not yet anyway.
If anyone would like further information, please mail me at dbrimson@uk2.net
That's it for now I guess. I'll try to be more regular with the site updates from now on. I promise!
Laters
Dougie