There are those seasons which remain indelibly inscribed in the memory. Simply unforgettable. The 2006/07 season remains one of those for fans of West Ham United. Doomed with nine games to play, the Hammers produced a near miracle, and The Greatest Escape is the story of it: the highs, lows and controversies that were the 2006/07 season.
Tales from the Touchline: Football Memories from a Referee and Fan is the story of a football fan and his experiences as a referee. A fan of Dundee United for many years, John Gunn's playing career was virtually non-existent, being limited to schoolboy level. He moved home from Dundee to Elgin in 1979 and began his refereeing journey, which took him from amateur levels to the Scottish Football Association's Senior List. Ten seasons at the very top of Scottish football saw John encounter the game's real characters, plenty of daft decisions and a whole raft of humorous incidents. After hanging up his whistle, John returned to the stands as a supporter of Dundee United and his contacts within the game provided him with even more stories to tell, many regarding his own team's fortunes - including how Eddie Thompson took over from legendary ex-manager Jim McLean. Tales from the Touchline has a mix of football's politics, characters, blunders and a good dose of humour thrown in for good measure.
Sachin and Azhar at Cape Town is the story of an incredible partnership between Tendulkar and Azharuddin in the Newlands Test of 1997. Replying to 529, India slumped to 58/5 against Donald, Pollock, McMillan and Klusener. What followed was an exhilarating counter-attack from both ends, seldom seen in Test cricket. With Nelson Mandela watching on - he met the players during lunch that day - the pair added a magical 222 in 40 overs, treating the lethal bowling attack with disdain. Arunabha Sengupta and Abhishek Mukherjee relive the partnership, recounting and analysing every stroke, but as they do, they also bring to life the cricket, history and society of the two countries. Covering a multitude of topics as diverse as apartheid, Mandela and Gandhi, Indians in South Africa; cricket isolation and non-white cricket in South Africa, rebel tours; the television revolution and commercialisation of cricket; with other historical details and numerical analysis of the game supporting the text, this is a fascinating snapshot of cricket at that time through the prism of that impressive sixth-wicket stand.
Inglory, Inglory Man United chronicles the travails of United in the 1980s from the perspective of a diehard schoolboy Red Devil. Warrington-born (equidistant from Manchester and Liverpool for those who might not know), young Jamie Magill could legitimately have opted for the multiple-title winners from Anfield... but where was the fun in that? Who wanted the suet puddings of league championships and European Cups when you had the souffle of Ron Atkinson that might rise in the FA Cup every now and then? And who really cared about Europe before the Champions League? This is not just a story of pills, thrills and bellyaches; tears before crispy pancakes, fizz bombs and Juliet Bravo. It also provides an insight into who you are: a glory boy or a loyal supporter? Sticker or twister? Dumb, complacent roundhead or romantic cavalier? The fluffy dice you want to roll is better than the championship medal you don't have. The 1980s were a disaster, in terms of silverware; but they were fabulous entertainment for those who were there: soap opera storylines all the way. Not convinced? These five words should entice any United fan: Michael Knighton and Ralph Milne.
Late December Back in '63 tells the story of an unforgettable day in top-flight English football - when 66 goals were netted in just ten fixtures on Boxing Day 1963. The author brings each match to life through archive reports and images, exploring how such a staggering tally of goals was scored. This was the age of attacking formations, just before the era of more defensive disciplines, but what other factors were at play? The book examines and tests the veracity of various myths that surround that extraordinary day. Along with club line-ups, match reports, programmes and images from the fixtures, Late December Back in '63 takes an in-depth look at the careers of the various characters who played their part. It also offers a snapshot of where the national sport stood less than 20 years after World War 2 and the socio-economic changes taking place in the 'Swinging Sixties'. You'll get a picture of the state of the game less than three years before the summer of 1966 and how our future World Cup heroes were doing in their careers.
This is the story of Celtic's love affair with the Scottish Cup, a trophy that has formed part of the club's identity since 1889. Romance, drama and passion are all bound up in Celtic's annual quest for the cup, involving great players, from the Sandy McMahon era to the days of Scott Brown.
Knife in the Fast Lane charts the history of care for sportspeople from the expert view of an orthopaedic surgeon with over 40 years' experience. Bill Ribbans takes you inside the life of a surgeon operating on some of sport's biggest names, interwoven with fascinating, surprising and controversial subjects from the annals of sports medicine.
Tommy Lawton: Head and Shoulders Above the Rest is the biography of one of English football's finest forwards; a devastating goal-getter for Burnley, Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Arsenal, England and others. He was deadly in the air or with either foot and renowned for his sportsmanship, during a career punctuated by the Second World War.
It's an embarrassing truth for many football fans that it was only when professional football was eventually forced to close down that we recognised Covid-19 as a genuine threat to our way of life. Maybe just as shameful was the fact that once lockdown became normalised, it didn't take long for chatter to start about when the game might begin again. This book begins by charting what happened in the weeks leading up to that point, placing football in the context of furloughs, some new-found community awareness and dithering politicians. At the heart of the book are seven case studies of teams. From Burnley in the Premier League, down through the divisions to grassroots football, Project Restart looks at the hopes and fears of supporters and the actions of those charged with keeping their beloved clubs afloat. It looks at how we almost adjusted to the eerie echo of games on TV with no crowds and finishes by trying to address the biggest question in town: what will football look like in a post-Covid future?
Why Are We Always Indoors is the ex-editor of Match of the Day's personal chronicle of 105 days without MOTD during the coronavirus pandemic. Musings and anecdotes about sport, TV and music are set against an increasingly disturbing backdrop of ever-growing casualty figures and governmental failures.
The Thin White Line: The Inside Story of Cricket's Greatest Scandal tells the story of the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, which sent shockwaves through the sport. It stunned the wider sporting world and confirmed the reputation of the News of the World's Mazher Mahmood as the most controversial news reporter of his generation. It was the start of a stunning chain of events that saw the News of the World shut down, Pakistan captain Salman Butt and bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir banned and sent to prison, before Mahmood himself ended up behind bars. This gripping, forensic account takes the reader through the twists and turns of those fateful days late one August and beyond. For the first time, it shines a light on the tradecraft of the News of the World team and how they exposed the criminal scheming of the cricketers and their fixer Mazhar Majeed. It reveals how deeply fixing had penetrated the Pakistan dressing room, and lifts the lid on the black arts of investigative reporting which would eventually prove Mahmood's undoing.
Liverpool Matches of My Life provides a unique perspective on 50 iconic Liverpool games spanning the author's lifetime, from 1960 to date. It highlights many great matches that have gone down in Anfield folklore. Are Liverpool the greatest English team of the last 60 years? Judge for yourself as you read the story of this wonderful club.
Celebrating a Century of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is the definitive history of the greatest horse race in Europe. Inaugurated in 1920 on the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, the Arc is the end-of-season championship that has conferred legendary status on Ribot, Sea Bird, Allez France, Dancing Brave, Zarkava, Sea The Stars, Treve and Enable.
Who Ate All the Squid? chronicles the season Ian Porterfield, a former Chelsea manager and Sunderland FA Cup legend, took charge of a struggling South Korean football club. Can he revitalise the team by luring a trio of players with Premier League experience out to East Asia? Can the Brits adapt to life in Korea as they battle personal demons?
The authorised biography of Ken Shellito, the first and only Chelsea manager to enter the job after rising through the ranks at Stamford Bridge. Ken's anecdotes - some harrowing, others hilarious - paint a fascinating portrait of how the game was played in the 1950s and how it evolved into today's commercialised era of glitz and glamour.
Second Yellow: More Adventures of our Footballing Heroes brings you more funny, fascinating and downright baffling tales gleaned from over 240 footballer autobiographies. From arm-wrestling Sly Stallone to setting a 1980s wag's hair on fire, it's an illuminating study of the often unbelievable world of the footballer, both on and off the pitch.
You've heard of David Beckham: the world-famous celebrity, actor, model, entrepreneur, philanthropist and charity ambassador. But what about the footballer behind the brand? Drawing on exclusive interviews with former Beckham team-mates, acclaimed author Wayne Barton explores Beckham's contribution as one of the greatest players of his generation.
Flight to Bogota charts an infamous episode in sports history, when UK footballers turned their backs on club and country before the 1950 World Cup for a sporting El Dorado. England's Neil Franklin led the rebellion, only to return home with his career in tatters. But the players' vociferous defence of their behaviour enlightened a shocked nation.
Today, La Boca teems with tourists, drawn like moths to a flame for the sizzling steaks, street theatre and brightly painted pastel-coloured homes. On matchday the noise from the barrio's most famous landmark, the unique La Bombonera stadium - home of Boca Juniors - reverberates around the working-class neighbourhood. The cathedral of world football has provided the canvas for some of the sport's greatest artists to create their masterpieces. Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest-ever exponent of the beautiful game, Juan Roman Riquelme, the last number ten, and Carlos Tevez are just three of the legends to wear the iconic shirt. Blue & Gold Passion chronicles the history of the famous Buenos Aires institution, from its foundation by five Italian immigrants in 1905 to the 2018 Copa Libertadores clash with arch-rivals River Plate, which made worldwide headlines. All the glory, the idols, the trophies, the highs and lows are covered in this first comprehensive English-language celebration of one of the world's greatest football clubs.
Champions Under Lockdown: Jurgen and the Holy Grail is the story of Liverpool's remarkable 2019/20 season. With the Reds on the brink of a first league title in 30 years, a global virus pandemic almost crushed their dream of a 19th championship. But Liverpool rose again to claim their holy grail. This is the story of the champions under lockdown.
The inspirational, against-the-odds story of a small football club and how it sustains a nine-month challenge for promotion before the global pandemic stops the team in its tracks. When the season restarts, Wycombe finds itself in the play-offs behind closed doors, an unprecedented opportunity through unprecedented turmoil.
Arsenal FC Minute by Minute takes you on a fantastic journey through the Gunners' matchday history. Relive all the breathtaking goals, heroic penalty saves, sending offs and other memorable moments. From Thierry Henry to Cliff Bastin, from Ian Wright to Charlie George, all the club legends are here. An absolute 'must' for Arsenal fans.
How to Run a Football Club is the story of our national game. Told through a journey up the pyramid, from the muddy pitches and ramshackle changing rooms at grass-roots level to the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, the book explores that common theme that links the game at all levels - the simple love of the sport.
What Was Football Like in the 1980s? provides a fascinating and insightful perspective on the game in a decade when football faced major challenges on and off the field. Richard Crooks explores the good, the bad and the ugly of '80s football, leaving no stone unturned.
England On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the national football side's rollercoaster history, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Lions diary. From 1872's first international to the Premier League era, there's an entry for every day of the year.
The King of Dens Park is the authorised life story of Alan Gilzean, the legendary, world-class Dundee, Spurs and Scotland footballer. Exclusive insights provided by his family, closest friends and colleagues add to the author's own experience to reveal Gilzean the man and the player, dubbed 'Nureyev in Boots'.
Manchester City Minute By Minute takes you on a fantastic journey through the Citizens' matchday history. Relive all the breathtaking goals, heroic penalty saves, sending offs and other memorable moments. From Sergio Aguero to Colin Bell, from Dennis Tueart to Shaun Goater, all the club legends are here. An absolute 'must' for City fans.
What would the late, great Bill Shankly have made of the current Liverpool side? There's a great deal he would have hated about the modern game, but there's a lot about today's Liverpool he would have liked. With Jurgen Klopp instilling a team ethic and re-engaging the fans, the Reds have restored something of 'Shanks's Holy Trinity' - that union between players, manager and supporters - at least as much as a 21st-century conglomerate will allow. Although he grew up as a socialist during the Great Depression, Shanks was never shy to spend big and used methods ahead of his time. Shanks, Yanks and Jurgen shows how the values he acquired from his pit-village background formed key elements of the Liverpool way. When wounded by tragedies and tricked by con men, the club briefly lost direction. Recovery was started by Liverpool's astute new owners and completed by an inspirational manager, but also by returning to aspects of Shankly's template - albeit in a modern context. Bob Holmes explains how Shanks's philosophies still resonate today.
Prenumerera på vårt nyhetsbrev för att få fantastiska erbjudanden och inspiration för din nästa läsning.
Genom att registrera dig accepterar du vår personuppgiftspolicy.
