ayris

1975. Eight year old John Sissons watches his beloved West Ham win the FA cup just as his friend Kenny tumbles out the front door of the house opposite, blood all over his face.

Fourteen years later we find both boys - their childhoods ripped apart by the unforgiving streets of London’s East End - in a showdown with local gangster Ronnie Swordfish.

The stakes couldn’t be higher and the decisions they make might just cast a shadow over their lives forever.

Abide with me is the story of two boys forced to walk blind into the darkness of their shattered lives and their struggle to emerge as men.

It’s also a story of loyalty, of community, and of powerful friendships shaped by adversity and celebrated on the football terraces of England.

With power, sensitivity and wit, Ian Ayris has crafted one of the most authentic snapshots of working class life you will ever read.