We all love the glitz and the glamour of football that we see on the box its what gets us drawn into the beautiful game but for many of us, whilst we may harbour dreams of playing the game, the nearest we are ever going to get will be looking to emulate the worlds best in your local leagues and hilariously failing for most of this time, with stories that last a lifetime. Park Life details four seasons in the Rhondda Valley region of Wales and in particular the shenanigans and characters that make up the Maindy Conservative Football Club as they begin their journey in football as a bunch of friends that went from a five-a-side kick-around to taking on that daunting yet fulfilling task of playing Sunday morning football with players filled with hangovers and questionable quality that no one really cares about.

If you've ever played local football, you'll know that it draws you in, whether its the smell of the deep heat in the dressing room before the game or the on the pitch rivalry that is often fierce and volatile on the pitch, yet a mutual respect once the game is over. Peter's book captures all of this and more amid the fascinating insight, often told in his own voice. The first season captures the emergence of the side and its start to life within local football as they begin their journey and its introduction to the characters that make up their journey, first off the field as they form the backbone of the club and doing those menial tasks that need doing at every club in finding a pitch, getting entered into leagues and all that local football equates too. From there we get into the season as they initially find it difficult but soon start to pick up with the odd win.

What is enjoyable and really is a feature of the book is the introduction of the players that draws you into their own journey and relating them to your own experiences. Peter really captures the voice of the players in his own style and it's an honest and witty read that does what it should and make you want to carry on reading again and again.  Season Two captures the beautiful game perfectly as we go from match to match and story to story as Maindy embark on a Cup journey that ends in triumph and with more tales of boozy nights before and after games that really do bring a fantastic insight into why we love playing the game and why friendships are formed that last a lifetime and all the stories that go with it. 

The joys of Season Two and the Cup win are tempered in Season Three as whilst they once again reach the Cup Final, the finale of the chapter charts their contentious loss to Pentwyn FC but once again, whilst their is a sadder ending to the season, the essence of local life is captured wonderfully by Peter and continues an insight into the stories and characters but also the game as they chase another season of glory. You can never get too much of hearing about a season and by Season Four, you are still utterly thrilled by the high jinks of local football and of Maindy Conservative Football Club. In a brilliant nod to my local area that just continued to sell the joy of this book is their triumphant tour to Ashby-De-La-Zouch and getting into the spirit of what goes on tour stays on tour. The triumph of the book is the way it is told and Peter has a knack for telling a fascinating story that will capture the imagination of many a fan of football. Forget the need for the glitz and the glamour of the professional game, the stories are there for all in local football and this is where independent books like this should be celebrated for what they often are, a brilliant masterpiece that only falls down in wanting more and more of it.

There is something about real-life that seems to capture the imagination and whilst we all love the standard sports books about the rich and famous and what we see in front of our eyes on the TV or on social media, getting down to the nitty gritty of real life is something that we can all relate too. Peter Roberts' Park Life is a brilliant read that will have you wanting to read more about the joys of local football in the Valley's of the Welsh Rhondda region. It's a brilliantly funny story that if I had to have one criticism is that of its length and that I could have read many more pages and wanted too and I was disappointed to get to then end of. It left you wanting more and that is the mark of a good book in that it left more out there. It was written to perfection and has been captured to the point by the author.