In the third volume of the acclaimed Turf Wars series, journalist and broadcaster Steve Tongue looks at the history of football in the West Midlands, where the world's first Football League was dreamed up and administered more than 130 years ago. Fierce rivalries had already emerged by then, and have remained as strong as anywhere. Aston Villa and Birmingham City (as Small Heath Alliance) were founded within a year of each other, only a few miles apart, as were equally bitter neighbours West Bromwich Albion and Wolves. And just as in London and Lancashire, turf wars were fought off the pitch too. In Burton and Walsall, the biggest local clubs once amalgamated to carry the name of their town forward. But what an outcry there was in the Potteries when Stoke City and Port Vale almost did the same. This is the story of them all, large and small, and non-league too with a colourful cast of characters - Stanley Matthews and Billy Wright, Major Frank Buckley and Ron Atkinson, William McGregor, Jimmy Hill and 'Deadly' Doug Ellis among them.
The Untouchables: Anfield's Band of Brothers chronicles the rise and fall of one of Liverpool's greatest teams. Rising from the ashes of war, they developed into a band of fierce characters, so formidable they were considered untouchable. Meticulously researched and lovingly told, the book breathes new life into a fascinating, long-forgotten story.
A nostalgic look at Scottish football and mementoes from 1946 to 1986 when the game was at its (almost) egalitarian and entertaining best. It was a period with a wide spread of trophy winners: eight different teams were crowned champions and Scottish clubs regularly impressed in all three European competitions.
His Name is McNamara is the riveting story of the life and career of football manager and former player Jackie McNamara. Jackie played for a series of clubs but is best known for the trophy-laden decade he spent at Celtic, culminating in a spell as club captain and a Scottish international career. His departure from Celtic in 2005 was controversial and abrupt, taking the football world by surprise when he signed for Wolves despite a last-minute attempt by the club to keep him in Glasgow. After spells at Aberdeen, Falkirk and Partick Thistle, he finished playing and moved into management with Thistle, Dundee United and York City. Jackie pulls no punches as he gives us the inside track on a career at the highest level of the game and the battling qualities he needed to succeed. It was those qualities that he drew on when his life was threatened by a brain aneurism in early 2020. His Name is McNamara is a story of success and survival.
England Rugby On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the national team's distinguished history with an entry for every day of the year. It contains all the highs and lows of 150 years of international rugby, from Tests, tours and tournaments, including grand slams, triple crowns and the unforgettable 2003 World Cup win.
The Top Ten of Everything Chelsea revisits the club's long and colourful past in dozens of ranked lists, including the most inspirational skippers, the greatest London derby wins and the most popular terrace chants. Fun, informative, witty and thought-provoking, the book is guaranteed to spark lively debate among Blues fans everywhere.
The 2020/21 football calendar was like no other. The first full Premier League season played during a global pandemic saw the schedule shortened with games played seemingly every day between September and May. The stadiums were empty, revenues fell and coaches had to adapt as players tested positive for Covid-19, but the beautiful game carried on. Football in a Pandemic takes an in-depth look at the tactics and strategies used during this unique season, whether a side was competing at the very summit, clinging to survival or somewhere in between. From high pressing, to low-block defending, patient build-up play and quick-fire counter attacking, UEFA A-licensed coach Sam Hudson puts the game plans under the microscope, highlighting the many intricacies and micro-tactics used by some of football's finest coaching minds.
Never Surrender: The Life of Douglas Jardine is the enthralling story of England's most controversial cricket captain, forever associated with bodyline bowling on MCC's tour to Australia in 1932/33. Despite his privileged upbringing and amateur status, Jardine's steely personality and win-at-all-costs ethos was more akin to the professional game. Confronted with the run-making genius of Australia's Don Bradman in 1932/33, Jardine resorted to a form of intimidatory bowling that helped England regain the Ashes, but his tactics shocked Australia and brought relations between the two countries to the point of collapse. To restore harmony, Jardine was disowned by the MCC cricket establishment and shunned thereafter, but now - in a more modern, competitive age - his reputation has undergone a rehabilitation, not least in Australia. Drawing on fresh material, award-winning cricket author Mark Peel reappraises an outstanding leader whose care for those he valued knew no bounds.
How much do you really know about world soccer? Put your knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. From Ardiles to Zidane, from Aguero to Zlatan, this book provides hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment.
How much do you really know about Manchester United? Put your knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the great United sides, providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment.
How much do you really know about Tottenham Hotspur? Put your knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the great Spurs sides, providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment.
How much do you really know about West Ham United? Put your Hammers knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the great West Ham sides, providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment.
Soul and Glory takes you on a journey through football history spanning four unforgettable and unique decades. Using beautiful images, this is a celebration of the game, from the packed-out terraces to the glory and despair on the pitch. Legends such as Best, Greaves, Moore, Gascoigne, Bobby Charlton and Stanley Matthews all feature.
Just Champion: The Stories Behind Rangers' 2020/21 Title Triumph tells the tale of a league title win against all odds. Rangers were ridiculed in 2018 when they appointed rookie manager Steven Gerrard. But slowly, and methodically, he transformed the side into a machine, and one that would completely dismantle Celtic's hopes of landing an unprecedented tenth successive title. Now, 25 members of the Rangers family - from ex-players to loyal supporters - tell the story of how the title came home to Ibrox. Mark Walters, Marco Negri, Ally Dawson and Lisa Swanson are among the players featured, as is former director John Gilligan. The impressive cast list also includes comedian and broadcaster Andy Cameron MBE, former MP Sir Brian Donohoe and even one of Her Majesty's Ambassadors. TV stars, restaurateurs, coaches and entertainers all share their stories, and what connects them is an unequivocal love of Glasgow Rangers. You will laugh, cry and marvel at each of the unique tales in this book.
Programmes! Programmes! Football and Life from Wartime to Lockdown is a fascinating archaeological dig through a collection of 2,000 programmes. From air raids to noodle partners, it unearths 'golden boys' and obscurities, great goals, villains, cartoons, stadiums and lots more. The kaleidoscope rotates to show how the game and our times changed.
Few people have made such an impact on so many areas of football, in so many parts of the world, as Gordon Jago. Jago - a tall, thoughtful centre-half with Charlton Athletic - made his biggest impression as a manager. In England, he created the foundation for the greatest Queens Park Rangers side in history - leading to speculation linking him with the national job - before transforming the identity of one of the country's most notorious clubs, Millwall. Jago resigned from the Den out of principle after a controversial episode of BBC TV's Panorama and moved to the US. He spent time in Florida before settling in Texas. From there, he was engaged in the political side of the North American game and was involved in discussions for America's hosting of the 1994 World Cup and the creation of the MLS. After retiring from coaching, Jago remained heavily involved with the Dallas Cup - a key part of the cultural heritage of the North American game - and was rewarded for his services to youth football with an MBE in 2006.
The World at Your Feet takes us on a rollercoaster footballing world tour. Hartley has cleared the goats off a pitch in Africa, played against racist fans in Ukraine and watched a match in North Korea. He rails against the excesses of the modern game but never loses faith. He is a true football traveller.
No Longer Naive is a history of African football at the World Cup. For many years, African teams were labelled naive in their approach to football, but gradually they shook off that reputation, culminating in the continent hosting the World Cup in 2010. However, things haven't always run smoothly, with issues off the pitch still stifling progress.
Stoke City: Minute by Minute takes you on a tumultuous journey through the Potters' remarkable history. Relive all the breathtaking goals, heroic penalty saves, Wembley wins, game-changing incidents, sending offs and other memorable moments. Revisit Stoke City's most spectacular modern feats and learn things you didn't know about the club's past.
From 1890 to 1958, Sunderland were part of football's elite with a 68-year unbroken run in the top flight. The shock of a first relegation in 1958 was matched by the elation of a first promotion in 1963/64. Starting with that season, the book celebrates every occasion Sunderland went up. What was the secret to each Black Cats promotion? And who did the fans have to thank? Rob Mason gets the inside story through exclusive interviews with players and managers who were at the heart of the action. Moments of magic and mystery are revealed as the story of each season unfolds. From Charlie Hurley's much-loved 1963/64 side, through to the second Bob Stokoe side to win a trophy at Sunderland in 1976, Ken Knighton winning promotion in his first season as a manager and the teams of Denis Smith and Peter Reid - who each won promotion twice - then on to the 'Sund-Ireland' era when promotion was won under Mick McCarthy and then Roy Keane, all the great days and great games are here to cherish and enjoy.
My Seventy Years of Spurs is veteran sportswriter Norman Giller's unique story of Tottenham Hotspur over the seven decades he has followed the Lilywhites. Norman saw the legendary 'push and run' side lift the league title in 1950/51, then as a press-box reporter he chronicled Tottenham's historic league and FA Cup double in 1960/61. He has been an eyewitness to all their triumphs and tribulations right up to the surreal 2020/21 season. Join him on a trip down White Hart memory lane in the company of each of the 21 managers who have been in charge during his 70 years as a supporter and reporter - from Arthur Rowe in the 1950s to the current master of the new Lane, Jose Mourinho. The book is introduced by Steve Perryman, captain of back-to-back FA Cup-winning Tottenham teams, who holds the club appearances record. My Seventy Years of Spurs provides an intimate and informative insight into the club from a renowned sportswriter who truly knows his Spurs.
Bob Bond takes us on a nostalgic journey through football history, from the first FA Cup Final played at Wembley Stadium through to the modern era. This captivating collection of match cartoons is sure to delight parents and grandparents with a yearning for days of yore, but it will also fascinate younger fans who were raised in the digital age.
What is it like to support a small team in a city where a footballing giant lurks? Leandro Vignoli spent 50 days on the road, getting up close and personal with the fans of 13 football clubs from ten of Europe's big cities to bring you the inside story. This book isn't about glitz and glamour - it's a celebration of each club's identity peppered with a sprinkling of history. From St Pauli's social activism to Millwall's struggle with hooliganism, from Rayo Vallecano's working-class roots to Torino's glory and tragedy, from the Catalan identity to East Germany's socialist past, no stone is left unturned as Vignoli visits teams in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Lisbon, Paris, Turin, Glasgow and London. Each chapter has a game as a backdrop alongside interviews with fans. A football fanatic himself, Vignoli weaves a narrative filled with passion and understanding that gets to the root of what it's really like to support an underdog side dwarfed by a footballing giant.
In 1976, young Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Graham Tutt had the world at his feet. Then in an instant his dreams were shattered by a career-ending collision seen by millions on TV. What happened next has never been told before. Persistent double vision scuppered a comeback attempt, leading to hurt, depression and bitterness. Moving to South Africa, Tutt witnessed the horrors of apartheid while playing in the country's first mixed league. After surviving some hair-raising experiences, he settled in America and played professional soccer, ran soccer camps for thousands of young people and was inducted into the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame. He also found love and contentment along with forgiveness after tracking down a figure from his distant past. Never Give Up: The Graham 'Buster' Tutt Story is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart-achingly sad. It speaks not just to athletes but to anyone who has suffered a major setback in their life.
An Ode to Four Four Two examines how coaches in Europe, and particularly England, settled on the 4-4-2 formation to build iconic teams which would dominate both domestically and in Europe. Some of the biggest clubs in world football used the system to devastating effect; while smaller clubs employed the formation to outperform expectations.
The Fix: How the First Champions League Was Won and Why We All Lost is an engrossing examination of the 1992/93 UEFA Champions League - from humble beginnings on a Faroese hillside to its ultimate conclusion in a French courtroom. The Fix considers the economic and political forces that created the Champions League and what was sacrificed for it.
Former Gloucestershire Media Sports Writer of the Year Rob Harris has been playing village cricket for almost 40 years. In inner cities some kids join street gangs in search of respect, but in Rob's childhood the gangs were village cricket clubs and the weapon of choice was a Gunn & Moore bat. Won't You Dance for Virat Kohli? is an honest, funny and colourful account of sporting obsession and how a childhood passion for cricket can dominate grown-up thoughts, dreams, relationships - and weekends. This is the story of one humble club cricketer's misguided search for personal respect and fulfilment in the strangest of places, foregoing holidays and family time to spend long summer days lounging around village greens with other screwed-up 'weekend warriors', whilst secretly wishing he was somewhere - anywhere - else. It is a book that will resonate with anyone who knows and loves grass-roots cricket.
Does the sight of half-scarves enrage you? Does transfer-deadline day make you want to throw a brick through the TV? Do the opening bars of goal music make your ears bleed? If the answer is 'yes', then this could be the book for you. Since English football's very own 'Year Zero' in 1992, the game has changed beyond recognition, rejecting the rough-and-ready days of the past. And like any change, not all of it has been welcome. The quality of the 'football product' might be better but it's come with spiralling levels of debt, yawning inequality and Neymar advertising batteries. These, and many other ills of the modern game, form Jim Keoghan's exploration of the nation's favourite pastime. Navigating a world populated by dodgy owners, celebrity referees and Ray Winstone's floating head, he searches for an answer to the question: Is it Just Me or is Modern Football S**t?
Wimbledon has long stood at the pinnacle of British and world tennis. But, as Kevin Jefferys shows in this ground-breaking new study, Britain has a rich history of international standard play beyond SW19, in top-level tournaments and Davis Cup competitions at iconic venues such as Queen's Club, Eastbourne and Edgbaston. The book traces the fluctuating fortunes of a dozen or so tournaments that have brought the world's finest players to English shores during the 140-year history of lawn tennis. Taking a tour around different regions of the country, the author sheds fresh light on the best-known events and on largely forgotten but once high-profile tournaments held in Bristol, Torquay and Scarborough. Both a record and a celebration of England's tennis heritage, the book is packed with stories about memorable players and matches, full results for singles finals and anecdotes about quirky or controversial incidents, ranging from the courtside fire that halted a tournament final to the anti-apartheid protests that disrupted a Davis Cup tie.
No Breaks: A Lost Season in British Speedway is a story of survival. Once Britain's second most popular sport, speedway has been banished to industrial estates and forgotten by the mainstream media. There was fresh optimism ahead of 2020, until the coronavirus crisis stopped the season in its tracks. This is the story of speedway's tumultuous year.
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