Albert Quixall was a pioneer of the modern game. His quiff and Billy Fury looks made him identifiable to that new phenomenon: the teenager. He was literally one of the first poster-boys of the game, his face adorning many a bedroom wall. He had a rebel streak, wore his shorts shockingly short compared to the old guard, styled his hair as opposed to slicking it down with Brylcreem. Like a Beckham of his day, his name filled column inches and his "golden-boy" footballing career fuelled speculation and sold newspapers. His record transfer fee of £45,000 in 1958 brought him under an intense spotlight, and added pressure to a star who never quite lived up to the hype.
But as well as the stardom and glamour, tragedy is woven into the life of Albert Quixall, from both a personal and professional viewpoint.