Many of you will remember Gregory Howe, who in 2007-9 was the oldest Brit with an ATP singles ranking. Well, he has been writing a book about the lower reaches of the professional circuit (something that has been very much missing in tennis despite a number of such books being written about other sports like football, baseball and boxing), and the good news is that it has been picked up by an independent sports publisher, with contracts signed. If all goes well, it should be out next year.

The book mainly covers 2006-8, the period over which he picked up singles points. Running through the narrative, apparently, are quotes from this board (again, almost exclusively from that period) - Greg says "I feel like it adds another angle to the story and it's great to show how the tennis world goes far beyond what regular people imagine."

He has approached me because the publishers have asked him to contact the 'online users' quoted to get at least an unofficial ok. Given that this is a public forum, they probably don't absolutely have to do that but I can imagine that they would prefer to know if anyone might object now rather than get complaints after publication!

Greg says: "All the comments are appropriate (and often hilarious) and the names used aren't their real ones. But nevertheless, out of courtesy I would like to let the users know that I'm quoting them and to make sure everyone is fine with that."

He has gone through his current manuscript and the other forumites quoted are as follows:

* Akhenaten
Drew
ForeverDelayed
* Freerider
Gazzpash
Happycynic
Jamatthews
John
Johnnylad
Nicknack222
RobC
Salmon
* Sheddie
* Steven
Talp
* Vandenburg
* Wolf

If you are on that list and don't have any objections to things you said on here about Greg from that period to be quoted, please reply on this thread or PM me. You are welcome to PM me if you have any concerns but don't worry if you don't get a quick reply - I'll see what issues (if any) are raised, get back to Greg if necessary and then reply individually or collectively as appropriate. 

I'll PM anyone on the above list who doesn't reply quickly but 2006-8 was a decade ago so I realise that a number of people on the above list don't post here any more, though I don't know how many still visit from time to time without posting. If you know any of the no-longer-posting people here, can contact them outside the forum and could ask them to check this thread in the next couple of weeks, that would be very helpful. I get the impression that if anyone can't be found, the quotes will probably be used anyway (given that it is a public forum and no full real names will be used) but out of courtesy at least, the more people we can get hold of, the better.

2018 will also be the 30th anniversary of Greg's first attempt to play Satellites (which were more or less what Futures are now), though it looks like the ITF didn't start recording qualies results until 5 years later. He has been injured this year but still hopes to play at least one Futures event in 2018.

Edit: added *s on those who've replied so I can keep track once this thread becomes multi-page.

-- Edited by steven on Tuesday 26th of December 2017 05:49:34 AM