The Kaiser Conspiracy (lost unfinished Dermot Morgan novel; 1990s)

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Franz Beckenbauer, who was a key character in the unfinished novel.

Status: Lost

The Kaiser Conspiracy is an unfinished Dermot Morgan novel. Written during the 1990s, the novel's plot centred around the kidnapping of German footballer Franz Beckenbauer. It was one of three football-related projects Morgan was working on until his sudden death in 1998 prevented any from being completed.

Background

During his lifetime, actor and comedian Dermot Morgan was a major fan of football.[1][2] Most notably, he discussed his love of Chelsea, determining his support to be "his religion", while also being a fan of UCD.[1][2] His biggest claim to fame was starring during the mid-1990s in Father Ted, playing the eponymous Roman Catholic priest who was exiled to Craggy Island.[3][2] During his time filming for that show, Morgan had also begun work on three football-related projects.[2] The first was Re-united, a sitcom starring Morgan as a retired footballer adjusting to life as a journalist while flat-sharing with a fellow former player.[4][2] He had also worked on a screenplay for Miracle of the Magyars, a proposed football drama film based upon the controversial events surrounding the build-up towards the 1955 international friendly between the Republic of Ireland and Yugoslavia.[5][2]

His third project was a novel titled The Kaiser Conspiracy.[2] According to Morgan's son Donnchadh, the novel detailed the story of German footballer Franz Beckenbauer being kidnapped.[2] Beckenbauer's football career lasted from 1964 to 1983, where he is considered one of the greatest football players of all-time.[6] He the only person to have lifted the World Cup as both a captain and manager, having done so in 1974 and 1990 respectively.[6] Little else is known about the novel, although it most likely would have been a thriller, as Donncladh stated his father wanted to write a "Frederick Forsyth pastiche".[2] Work on the novel and the other two football projects stopped abruptly when Morgan suddenly passed away from a heart attack on 28th February 1998, aged 45.[2]

Availability

Donnchadh stated in an interview with The 42 that his father had completed a draft of the novel.[2] However, this draft, alongside Morgan's work for his other unfinished football projects, has yet to see the light of day.[2] Nevertheless, Donnchadh notes the possibility the draft could resurface one day providing someone has the energy to properly honour Morgan's legacy.[2]

See Also

References