Leading the Way

By John Davis

The author is a dedicated follower of Castleford Tigers in the sport of rugby league and has previously published 23 books featuring this club and sport in general. His full portfolio adds four fictional books covering animal adventures plus another four books detailing interesting memoirs and thoughts and how he has overcome the odds. This book, released in autumn 2020, features elements of all three of these categories by covering a plethora of facts in the subject of leadership in a light-hearted fashion

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781447570837

John Davis

Author, self-taught electrical engineering designer, worked for 50 plus years, finally retired and always wanted to write a book put his fingers to the keyboard. The words of this book poured out from his life experiences, lost loves, friends, grandparents and family. A fictional book with touches of true life and life long characters from his past.

Book preview

Leading the Way by

Dr John Davis

First Edition Published in September 2020 Copyright © 2020 Dr John Davis

ISBN - 978-1-71654-399-9

All rights reserved

The moral right of the author has been asserted Published by Dr John Davis through www.lulu.com

The reader is asked to note that the author has severe disabilities and health conditions which have made it necessary for him to organise a number of very dedicated people to pull together to enable this work of art to be transmitted from his mind to the printed page. His team has made every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of this book. The assistance of volunteers has been imperative to its fruition and all those involved should be congratulated for their respective individual contributions. The author is therefore very appreciative for the unstinting commitment of Rosie Balmer, Christine Cains, Paul Davis, Paul Harding, Val Kendall, Paul Tatterton and Graeme Way.

This book is dedicated to those very loyal and reliable people who have enabled me to overcome the severe constraints of chronic health problems.

978-1-4475-7083-7

CONTENTS

Preface

The author has produced many other books which are detailed in this preface.

Completed publications are available from www.lulu.com at £9.99 each and can be categorised in the following three sections, each book below containing a very brief description of its content.

Section One Castleford Tigers and Sport

Contains a series of fifteen books published simultaneously plus eight further books published subsequently in a comprehensive and thorough analysis of Castleford Rugby League Football Club in which text, statistics, tables and poetry provide the reader with a great deal of information to peruse at their leisure. A couple of the books also touch upon sports other than rugby league.

Castleford Challenge Cup Campaigns to 2015

Provides a detailed analysis of the illustrious Challenge Cup competition to 2015 with particular emphasis on Castleford’s participation from 1927, not least this club’s appearances in semi-finals and finals when some heart-wrenching disappointing experiences in history have contrasted sharply with the four glorious occasions when Cas lifted the Challenge Cup.

Days of the Tigers 1926-2015

Provides a thorough consideration of Castleford’s results in competitive fixtures from 1926 to 2015 by day of the week, by month and by each date of the year as well as covering other topics utilising this theme, for example season opening matches and a happy diary.

Castleford Tigers 1926-2015: Performances and Accomplishments

Analyses Castleford’s record by competition against each opponent between 1926 and 2015 and details various accomplishments of both players and the team throughout the history of the club.

Tigers’ Top Tens 1926-2015: Constituents of Rugby League

Discusses top ten names of Castleford personnel relating to vital aspects of rugby league including appearances, tries, goals, defence and many more, whether factual or the thoughts of the author, designed to engender constructive debate.

Tigers’ Top Tens 1926-2015: Teamwork

Considers Castleford’s top ten for a series of themes including matches and seasons both of a triumphant nature and of those generating a disappointing memory in history.

Castleford Tigers 1926-2015: Results

All Castleford’s competitive results from 1926 to 2015 are listed by season together with a comprehensive statistical analysis and some key commentary.

The Jungle Pecking Order: Where are the Tigers?

Analyses how high Castleford should be placed in considering the teams which have graced the sport of rugby league to the end of the 2015 season, arguing that the club possibly warrants a play- off position as judged by the 2019 structure of Super League.

Defining Moments for Castleford Tigers 1926-2015

Identifies the vital moments in history of Castleford Rugby League Football Club, beginning with their inception into the professional ranks in 1926 to the end of the 2015 campaign and provides a comprehensive list of scores in all finals in the sport of rugby league.

Castleford RLFC1926-2015: The Leeds/Manly/Wembley Connection

Documents Castleford’s connections with near-neighbours Leeds, the far-off Manly club in Australia and the famous Wembley venue to 2015 and illustrates Cas’ performances versus Leeds over the 1926-2015 period.

It Happened in a Final: Cas 33 v 2 Wigan

Builds upon the exciting Mick Morgan commentary of the 1994 Regal Trophy Final when Castleford destroyed Wigan at Headingley 33-2 by detailing this match and placing it in the context of history by considering all the finals involving these two sides and much more.

Never to be Forgotten: Memoirs of a Cas Follower to 2015

Provides a comprehensive account of the author’s recollections and experiences following Castleford from his earliest memories in 1965 to the end of the 2015 season and emphasises the matches involved in Cas winning silverware.

100+ Castleford Victories 1926-2015

The author selects over 100 Castleford victories to 2015 incorporating all eras and triumphs of the club.

Super League XVI: Diary of a Tiger in 2011

A detailed diary illustrates the highs and lows of the 2011 rugby league season from the viewpoint of a Castleford Tigers fan.

Super League XIX: Historical Perspective and Tigers Diary of 2014

A week-by-week diary follows the performances and results of Castleford Tigers within the sport of rugby league throughout the 2014 campaign, which culminated in a Wembley appearance and a near Super League Leaders crown.

From Leeds to Poole: Sporting Memories 1965-2015

Summarises year by year the author’s recollections of the highlights of many sports in the half century to 2015 and covers the major sporting events from football’s World Cup Final at Wembley in 1966 to Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal in Sydney in 2003 and includes the author’s sporting activities.

Lock Lane to Australia: 102 Sporting Venues featuring Castleford

Covers Castleford’s performances and record against the various opponents faced on each of the 102 grounds on which this rugby league club played across the world in the 1926-2016 period and includes detailed summary statistics.

My Rugby League Challenge Cup Experiences 1964-2016

Discusses the author’s experiences year by year from 1964 to 2016 following Castleford in the Challenge Cup competition in the sport of rugby league and highlights the nadirs and particularly the zeniths.

Tigers Top of the Tree: Developments 2016-17 with a 2018 Addendum

Updates each of the author’s previous books featuring Castleford Tigers by covering the 2016 and 2017 seasons in detail and providing a summary of Cas’ 2018 campaign.

Sporting Tension….What If? 1963-2018

The author selects a memorable sporting occasion when tension was the order of the day for each year from 1963 to 2018 and considers the context of the eventual result. It also includes an annual table documenting the UK and US political leaders and the top music of the time.

Castleford’s Matches of the Day/Month/Year 1926-2018

The author chooses a match of the day, month and year to encourage all Castleford supporters and to illustrate the journey of this rugby league club by highlighting the various zeniths throughout its history from 1926 to 2018.

Heads or Tails: Castleford’s 38 Matches in Finals

Considers various aspects of all Castleford’s matches in finals throughout the club’s history from the Challenge Cup Final in 1935 to the Super League Grand Final in 2017.

Tigers’ Terrific Tens 1926 to March 2020

Contains a plethora of Castleford Tigers’ highlights throughout the history of the club.

Castleford’s Super League Story 1996 to March 2020

Presents results and commentary each season for Castleford’s Super League experience in addition to providing various summary statistics.

Section Two Fiction

This consists of four books involving animal adventures.

Neddy and Eye

A story which describes how a foal is saved in Devon and later helps the police to solve a crime committed in Liverpool by utilising the assistance of a magic eye which transmits information from a patient in York District Hospital.

Animal Friends Society

Describes how ten animals unite and have a number of adventures in support of morality.

The Terrific Trio

Describes how the Irish Wolfhound, Albert, links up with two West Highland Terriers, Sophie and Mr Sophie, to enjoy helping humans with animal therapy.

The Sensational Six

Irish Wolfhound Albert and his five dog friends travel to Africa on a mission of mercy to help young elephant Edgar find his herd. They are eventually successful but not before negotiating intervention by lions.

Section Three Autobiography and selected Topics

Comprises four books which detail the interesting and inspiring journey of the author’s life and includes some of his thoughts on a variety of subjects.

My Participation Memoirs: 1964-2018

The author describes the various sports and activities in which he has participated throughout his life from Under 11 rugby league in Leeds to jogging when health issues ruled him out of contact sports, mention also being given to a number of games and pursuits both indoors and outdoors designed to prompt the reader to reflect on his or her interests and achievements.

How About This ….?

A variety of topics are considered and commented upon with the aim being to motivate the reader to consider his or her thoughts and so enhance debate.

A Foot in Both Camps: Defying the Odds

The author explains how health issues from birth and