Former Salford Captain Malcolm Alker With Julie Stott – Foreword by Adrian Morley
If ever a rugby league player was the heart and soul of a club, it is Salford City Reds’ talismanic hooker Malcolm Alker. A man who twice turned down big money moves – including one to Australia’s NRL – was fired by an all-consuming, blistering determination to make the original Red Devils a major force in Super League. Yet that dream blew up in his face when a tumultuous and bitter exit from the club plunged him into depression and tainted many of the memories he held dear.
In The Devil Within, an autobiography by turns astonishing and amusing, Alker reveals all about his controversial departure from the Willows; his feelings about those he left behind, the alcohol-fuelled brawl in America that cost him the captaincy; and his many highs and lows as a player, skipper and assistant coach. A battler known for his integrity on and off the field, Alker also lifts the lid on his own experiences with drugs – legal, social and Human Growth Hormone; the prescription drug abuse that he insists is blighting rugby league; and dalliances with illegal betting.
With a fight – physical or metaphorical – on almost every page, The Devil Within is a frank and brutally honest confessional of a life on rugby league’s front line.
ON SALE MAY 7 – PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY NOW
Malcolm will be holding his Book Launch 12th May 10am Waterstones The Trafford Centre. regardless of his exit please remember what Malcolm did for our club not off the field but ON it he put his heart and soul into the shirt.

I'll be there for one. 10:00am on the dot.

It is quarter-final weekend,you know.We may not have a home draw and it may be an early kick-off for the BBC to cover the game.

.............Like I said, I'll be there, 10:00am on the dot.

Cheers for this, was gonna start a thread about this for Malc.

As a Saints fan, Malc, was my favourite non Saints player. So am really looking forward to reading the book. Personally, I think any RL fan will find this a good read.

Already on the calender

If ever there is a player who has sullied his good name by a few actions it's Malc, knowing what has gone on out of principle i'll not be buying the book as I doubt it will give an unbiased account of what has gone on.

Michigan Red , how can you proclaim to "know what went on" are you in a position to enlighten us. . With the greatest respect you need to come down fromyour moral high horse , please tell me of one sporting autobiography that isn't 1 persons view of what happened. ? If you take time to research Malc has made several statements claiming he is no angel and has made mistakes. Fair enough if you don't want to purchase the book but don't be coming on here after it's release picking holes in his version of events.

It's time the whole club moved on from the boring Alker situation. He was a solid player for the club and will be remembered as such but the fascination some people have with him is baffling.

im sure it will be a good read, be good that it will document what has happened at salford in the last 10 or so years as the books we currently have about our club finish in the year 2000
Im Sure Mal will paint a picture which suits him but as long as he his honest about his mistakes then its fair enough for me

Just hope there are no spoilers on here as im going to buy the book and i want to make my own mind up about specific incidents and not read them on here word for word ect

I agree Walshy sometimes i feel he might be Jesus christ himself they way people go on, yes he was Mr Salford for a long time but the club has moved on for the better imo and so has he

Who says he is the messiah , it's clear the loyalty towards Malc is coming from only a handful of supporters which IMO this is what's wrong with our support , little empathy and quick to move on , despite the fact we had a lad whom despite being born in Wigan shed blood,sweat and tears for SALFORD ..name me another player from the past 30 years who did the same , Ian blease and Andy Burgess maybe. I hope a few detractors on here choke on there pessimism . As for you Bobby your forever bleating about how wonderful the club are.. You do know Malc was found not guilty of any misgivings. But hey don't let that get in the way .

I will buy his book but please don't preach to us because people may have differing views. I believe it will be an honest account of his life's ups & downs at Salford but allow people who buy the book to judge how good he was?

Not wanting to get into an argument, but he did openly admit on the radio to giving a team mate a "good kicking". I'd consider that as a wrongdoing, and I doubt it's the sort of thing that's going to get the team pulling together well.

I know enough about what he has been involved with when at Salford off the pitch to make an informed oppinion of him. Brilliant player who without doubt for the vast majority of his career gave his all for Salford.

From somebody looking from the ouside in there needed to be a parting of waves between him and the club, Malc left the club because his one year contract as a coach wasnt renewed so yeah he wasnt sacked for any misgivings saves having to prolong the process of sacking him, him appealing it, the club investigating argument counter argument all the expense that that intails and we can both agree that we dont want salford to bancrupt themselves over an internal dispute, just let his contract run down he moves on and so do we.

But like Iain Said he did admit to giving one of his team makes a "good kicking" on the radio but we will read more about that in the book about who when where and why, im sure he will be honest rather than "he just looked at me funny"

I do bleat about how good certain parts of the club is but unfortunatley it is being held back by cerain people in certain areas HOPEFULLY Malc will highlight this weaknesses and the spotlight will fall on them to respond in a proffessoinal way by moving the club forward

fair point Iain as I aluded to previously Malc held his hands up regarding the stripping of the captaincy . I'm not here to cause bad blood or hold Malc as the oracle . I just feel bitterly disappointed with the lack of support from the Salford followers to a guy who according to the record books is a club legend.

Fair point Bobbie ,the book should at least provoke some debate on here in the upcoming weeks , more so should Leeds kick us out the cup and our season is looking likely to be over all ready.

What support do you want people to give him? I, and it seems most Salford fans, have made a judgement call that their support for the club far outweighs any personal allegiance they may have towards a former player and as such, it is right he has moved on and is no longer with the club whatever happened off the field.

Will you be buying the book walshy ? Just a question , maybe my passion is misplaced here but I hope his book can put some rumours too bed.

To be honest im looking forward to read about the stuff that arnt about the rumours as we all kind of know what happned anyway it just allows us to cross a few t's and dot a few I's the bits us fans dont know but the club take for granted when it comes to playing staff like drugs and illegal betting, if there is a mention about spot betting like salford conceeding trys just before half time it will go along way to explain why we have been and continue to be blighted by this event

Yeah Malc sweat blood and tears and played with his heart on his sleeve putting in some great performances, but to hold him in such high regards as a legend simply doesn't sit right with me. The term legend is used far too much in sport these days and for Alker to be mentioned in the same breath as Charlton, Hesketh, Watkins and Fielding doesn.t sound or even look right imo. Even if Malc had Legendry status here at Salford it should be stripped with immediate effect with the admittance of drug taking which obviously makes him a cheat, which also automatically makes you question him as a person. Legends carry an aura of brilliance in their presence on and off the pitch to which imo Malc fails in both camps, if they gave legendry status for effort then Malc would surely be top of the list, i'm not knocking him as a player i'm simply failing him as a legend. I'm ecstatic this book is being released i'll definately buy it and hope he expresses how inept our management really is.

He isn't the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy

Don't take this wrong way, but are you smoking Malc off Cavendish street?

Not being funny Ave it ,but is that the mentality these days, Do i have to have had sexual relations with Malcolm to be supportive and passionate about not only his loyalty to the club but for his honesty? . Trust me when you read the book you will suddenly realise that a lot of gossip about Jacksonville was way off the Mark. And I can guarantee one thing the Simms out brigade will be delighted .

12th May Waterstones ,Trafford Centre 10am.

I Can imagine Malc going after Simms in the book a little being our director of football he tecnically would be the top of the department cant quite see Malc taking instruction from him and proabably the person who stuck the knife in at the end.
SS has been very queit over the last few weeks perhaps the impending release of the book has caused him to take more of a backseat role when runnig the football department allowing Viva and Sean Long to talk in the media.

Will be a facinating read for everyone.