A talented yet ferocious player, and one of the acknowledged ‘bad-boys’ of rugby, Mark Jones’ on-field brutality was a direct consequence of the off-field torment he suffered with a debilitating stammer.
In Fighting to Speak, his revealing and uplifting autobiography, Jones explains how his frustration with his stutter led to a self-loathing and the internalising of an explosive hate that only playing rugby could release – with his unfortunate opponents often on the receiving end of his rage.
Sent off six times and banned for over 33 weeks for violent conduct during his career, the dual-code Wales international and Great Britain RL forward was desperately unhappy and detested the thuggish reputation he’d created. After one exceptionally ugly incident, when he broke another player’s eye socket, Jones realised that in order to defeat his demons and control his bad behaviour he needed help to conquer his stammer.
Mark Jones fought and won the hardest battle of his life with a steely determination and has now found the inner peace and dignity he’d longed for as a young man. He has decided to tell his story in order to seek redemption for his violent past on the rugby field, and to help others overcome their stammers.
Fighting to Speak reveals the journey of a miner’s son with a stutter who succeeded to play rugby at the highest level and defeat his demons.
Table of Content
Acknowledgements
Preface by Glyn Llewellyn
Foreword by Kingsley Jones
1. Personality Crisis (x3)
2. Stand Up! (Banged Up!)
3. I’m an Upstart(er)
4. Teenage Kick(ing)s
5. (Playing With) The Rude Boys
6. Neat(h)! Neat(h)! Neat(h)!
7. Rockaway (Miami) Beach
8. Anarchy in the U(Know who)
9. Psycho (Thriller
10. ‘A’ Bomb in (Twickers)
11. Working for (the Let-Down)
12. Looking After Number(8)
13. Highway to (Hull)
14. Smash It Up! (Bash It Up!)
15. (Hitting Rucks) and Alcohol
16. (Pooler) Über Alles
17. Holidays in the (Qatar) Sun
Epilogue
Career Statistics
About the author
Anthony Bunko is an author and playwright from Merthyr Tydfil who has co-written two highly acclaimed autobiographies: Mike ‘Spikey’ Watkins – 2 Hard to Handle (St. David’s Press, 2014) and Phil Steele – Nerves of Steele (St. David’s Press, 2016).
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