Association football (Soccer) Books

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Book SynopsisThe untold story of Real Madrid: one of the most incredible turnarounds in sports and business history. Real Madrid is the most successful sports team on the planet. The soccer club has more trophies than any other sports team, including 11 UEFA Champions League trophies. However, the story behind the triumph goes beyond the players and coaches. Generally unnoticed, a management team consisting mostly of outsiders took the team from near bankruptcy to the most valuable sports organization in the world. How did Real Madrid achieve such extraordinary success? Columbia Business School adjunct professor Steven G. Mandis investigates. Given unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, Mandis is the first researcher to rigorously ana- lyze both the on-the-field and business aspects of a sports team. What he learns is completely unexpected and challenges the conventional wisdom that moneyball-fueled data analytics are the primary instruments of success. Instead, Real Madrid's winning formula both on and off the field, from player selection to financial management, is based on aligning strategy with the culture and values of its fan base. Chasing the most talented (and most expensive) players can be a recipe for a winning record, but also financial disaster, as it was for Real Madrid in the late 1990s. Real Madrid's management believes that the club exists to serve the Real Madrid community. They discovered that its fans care more about why the team exists, how their club wins, and whom it wins with versus just winning. The why, how, and whom create a community brand and identity, and inspire extraordinary passion and loyalty, which has led to amazing marketing and commercial success--in turn, attracting and paying for the best players in the world, with the values the fans expect. The club's values and culture also provide a powerful environment for these best players to work together to win trophies. The Real Madrid Way explains how Real Madrid has created and maintains a culture that drives both financial and on-the-field success. This book is an engrossing account of the lifetime of one of the greatest clubs in the most popular sport in the world, and for business and organization leaders, it's an invaluable inside look at a compelling alternative model with lasting competitive advantages that can deliver superior and sustainable returns and performance.Trade Review"This book will be one of the most influential books on sports ever written. It doesn't matter if you are a soccer or Real Madrid fan, you will look at sports and business in a different way after reading this book." --Billy Beane, executive vice president of baseball operations and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics "The fact that Steven Mandis was given complete access into the inner sanctum of the richest football [soccer] club in the world testifies to the trust Real Madrid placed on Steven's head, which is quite amazing. This is the definitive, comprehensive survey on the essential workings of this famous club. It is an eye-opening account, clinical and done with a sensitive touch." --Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of Manchester United 1986-2013 "With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, this book is the most complete study of any sports team ever done, analyzing both on the field and off the field performance-- which leads to fascinating conclusions." --David Stern, NBA commissioner emeritus "The book magisterially penetrates through all the mystique of Real Madrid, football [soccer] and sports. This is the ultimate look behind the regal velvet ropes and steel curtains both in the boardroom and locker room at the most successful and valuable team in sports, Real Madrid." --Ray Hudson, soccer commentator for beIN Sport, retired English professional soccer player, and former MLS coach "This book expands on and challenges aspects of Soccernomics and The Numbers Game because of Mandis's access and organizational considerations and reexamines and questions facets and applications of Moneyball." --Francisco Perez Cutino, whose graduate research at Cambridge University is referenced in Soccernomics "This is much more than a book about a soccer team. If you love the NFL, MLB, or NBA, this book is a must-read because it will change the way you view your favorite team." --Geoff Pope, cornerback for 2008 New York Giants, XLII Super Bowl Champions "No Real Madrid book, or sports book for that matter, has ever been written like it. Mandis's unique background in business and academics and outsider's perspective produces an essential book for any Madridista's library collection." --Gabe Lezra, founder and editor-in-chief emeritus of ManagingMadrid.com "The Real Madrid Way delivers ground-breaking insights about the success formula for a legendary sports franchise. An in-depth exploration of organization culture provides a great balance to the role of sports analytics and makes this a must-read leadership book for anyone interested in sports management." --Vince Gennaro, director of the Masters of Science in Sports Management program at Columbia University, author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball, and president of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) "Mandis explains the incredible power of community brands--where a global community feels so deeply passionate about the brand that the brand is synonymous with one's identity, values and much more." --Andrew Messick, CEO of IRONMAN "The Real Madrid Way explains how Real Madrid has created and maintained a culture that drives both financial and on-the-field success. An educational and inspiring example for sports fans and executives alike." --Lindsay McGregor and Neel Doshi, cofounders of Vega Factor and New York Times bestselling coauthors of Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation "Mandis has created a gripping narrative exploring how Real Madrid has done the seemingly impossible: used a strong culture and shared values to overcome the problem of the too-much-talent effect. The book is a must for anyone interested in culture, leadership, and high performance." --Adam Galinsky, chair and Vikram S. Pandit Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and coauthor of Friend & Foe

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Book Synopsis''The definitive chronicle of changing times for so many who love the sport'' Ian Herbert, Daily Mail''The Yearbook stands for authority and integrity'' Martin Tyler''The first reference book you should turn to'' Daily TelegraphThe Utilita Football Yearbook 2024-2025 is the market-leading book of football statistics, featuring everything you need to know about domestic and international football.Since its first appearance in 1970, The Football Yearbook has heralded the start of each new season and served as the sport''s book of record, faithfully chronicling decades of both tradition and evolution.Now in its 55th year of publication, the Yearbook celebrates that legacy and undertakes to do what it always does - to meticulously record the season just gone and look forward to the season about to start, all within more than a thousand pages of pure footballing facts and figures.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive illustrated guide to FIFA Women's World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023 that no football fan should be without.The most high-profile event on the women's football calendar, the FIFA Women's World Cup will take place between 20 July and 20 August 2023, at venues across Australia and New Zealand, with 32 teams competing for the most prestigious international prize in world football.Suitable for fans of all ages, contents include:• Team-by-team profiles • Star players to watch • A guide to every venue • Fill-in tournament progress chart • FIFA Women's World Cup records and stats • Qualification round-upAnd much, much more besides.Table of ContentsIntroduction • Welcome to Australia & New Zealand • The Stadiums • The Road to Australia & New Zealand • The Final Draw • Meet the Teams • FIFA Women's World Cup Superstars • FIFA Women's World Cup Records • Fill-in Tournament Schedule.

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Book SynopsisFor most supporters of Sunderland AFC, the history of their club would probably be best represented by the names of the mid 1930s team, particularly Gurney and Carter, undoubted Wearside football legends. The name of Charlie Buchan also looms large even today in the tale of a football club whose history can be cut like a knife. Although Charlie Buchan might still be a revered fi gure on Wearside, his team mates aren''t and yet the 1912/13 season, which is the subject of this book, produced arguably the fi nest Sunderland team ever to grace the famous red and white striped shirts. It came the closest the club has ever come to winning the double, almost became the first English football club to achieve it in the 20th century, yet the names of Albert Milton, Frank Cuggy, Jackie Mordue and the rest of Sunderland''s league champions and FA Cup finalists that season have long since been cast into the annals of the club''s history. Even the football club''s near talismanic and perhaps finest ever captain Charlie Thomson is seemingly forgotten. The was team guided by Bob Kyle, Sunderland AFC''s longest serving manager, he too also forgotten. This book looks at the matches and the characters that shaped an immensely successful 1912/13 season. Although they were crowned league champions, perhaps an enduring highlight, although it ultimately ended in defeat, was the now legendary FA Cup final which took place at The Crystal Palace in April 1913, before a world record crowd. For the first time in the 20th Century England''s top two football teams contested for the most coveted domestic knockout cup competition in world football and what a tale it tells; an iconic match. Finally, to give the book a social context and a flavour of the times, we have captured the main news stories of the 1912/13 period which includes some momentous incidents such as the sinking of the Titanic; another iconic event.

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Book Synopsis*****Shortlisted for Sports Entertainment Book of the Year in the Telegraph Sports Book Awards 2021 'A manifesto to cure modern football's cornucopia of ills.' - i paper 'A brilliant book.' - Ian Wright With diving players, abusive fans, feckless agents and the dreaded VAR, football has taken a wrong turn. Now, Chris Sutton, the nation's most forthright football pundit, takes an un?ltered look at 25 aspects of the modern game that need to be changed right away - and offers practical and, at times, controversial solutions.From the standard of referees to the lunacy of the managerial merry-go-round, from shameful racist abuse to exploitative ticket prices and the shocking treatments of ex-players with dementia, How to Fix Modern Football leaves no stone unturned in.As a former top-level player, Chris knows the game inside out. Now observing from the commentator's perch, his perspective is shot through with passion, humour and occasionally a little anger.Sutton is a man on a mission, determined to get under the skin of the game he loves and to call out exactly what's going wrong.

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Book Synopsis''Brilliant'' Guardian''Exuberant'' Financial Times''Colourful'' The TimesIn June 1986 Diego Maradona, considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time, proudly hoisted the ''86 Mexico World Championship Cup in his hands.Now over thirty years on from that magical game, and after a life in sports marked by controversy, Maradona tells, for the first time, the untold stories behind that one-of-a-kind World Cup. Mexico ''86 was the pinnacle of Maradona''s career, and in this book he reveals all about every game, what happened afterwards in the locker room, the months leading up to the World Cup, when the team had to go to Mexico City a month early to avoid the overthrowing of the technical director by the Argentine president, Alfonsin, the mystery behind ''El Gran Capitán'' Passarella (''78 World Cup Champion), the strategies and tactics that revolutionised the game, training in a country that was recovering fTrade ReviewBrilliant -- Barney Ronay * Guardian *An exuberant narrator, bursting with telling details . . . enjoyable . . . Maradona's authentic voice of unreason and the best story in World Cup history carry you through -- Simon Kuper * Financial Times *Characteristically colourful -- Matt Dickinson * The Times *Open, honest contemplation * When Saturday Comes *The book's greatest strength is that it feels unmistakeably like 1986 all over again . . . I loved this book. I loved its nostalgia * Irish News *

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Book SynopsisEvertonians know what it is to experience greatness. Since the club first came to life in 1878 there have been titles won, European adventures and trips to Wembley. The fans have seen records broken, legends make their mark, matches of undeniable class. Every decade that Everton have been in existence has yielded moments of wonder, games that supporters at the time have cherished for their entire lives and which fans of subsequent generations have looked back on with undeniable pride. From the earliest days, when St Domingo's first morphed into something recognisable as a modern football club, the whole span of Everton's narrative is covered here. Those earliest title wins, those earliest finals, Dean, Lawton, Hickson, the Holy Trinity, Latchford, the glory of Kendall, the agony of Wimbledon, the joy of Royle and restoration under Moyes. Everton Greatest Games is more than just a selection of the moments that have stirred the soul of Blues. It is the story of Everton, the tale of how a church team grew into an English giant.

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Book SynopsisPromotion-Winning Canaries gives fans the opportunity to relive all the good times at Carrow Road as Norwich City progressed through the leagues. Detailing the post-war seasons when City went up as champions, runners-up, in third place or via play-off drama, every promotion-winning player is profiled, with insight from many at the heart of the action. Spanning contrasting eras, from the late 1950s to the Premier League, here are all the facts and figures, characters and stories behind some classic Canaries campaigns. Exclusive star interviews reveal the atmosphere in the dressing rooms, and what it was like to play in the club's most important historical matches. Learn how the famous 1959 FA Cup team used the disappointment of their semi-final replay defeat to spur them on to promotion. Discover the influence of Martin O'Neill in 1981/82 and the impact of Darren Huckerby in 2003/04. Looking back on the greatest seasons of all, Promotion-Winning Canaries offers a trip on the Norwich City rollercoaster - with all of the ups, minus the downs!

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Book SynopsisRemember when Zinedine Zidane lifted the World Cup in 1998? Kylian Mbappe doesn't. The forward wasn't born when the French team first became world champions. But it was Mbappe's unique talent that helped France reach the summit of world football once again in 2018, erasing years of failure, rancour and shame. For Les Bleus, the road between these two highs was blighted by bitterly painful lows. Zidane's headbutt; a players' strike; infighting and recriminations; even sex scandals and blackmail. Mbappe witnessed it all as he honed his prodigious talent in the banlieues of Paris, and his story embodies France's journey from disaster to triumph. In Sacre Bleu, Matthew Spiro traces the rise, fall and rise again of Les Bleus through the lens of Kylian Mbappe. Featuring a foreword by Arsene Wenger and interviews with leading figures in French football, Spiro asks what went wrong for France and what, ultimately, went right.

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Book SynopsisMore than 300 never-before-seen photographs of Rangers FC's great games and greatest heroes from the Black & White Era. The biggest collection of Rangers team line-ups ever assembled. Aimed squarely at the sports nostalgia/gift market. These photos have lain in the DC Thomson archives and have never been seen by the public. Explanations and scene-setting introductions to all photos.The Rangers bookis a large hardback gift book with high production valuesand pin-point picture clarity.

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Book SynopsisGot, Not Got: The Lost World of Leeds United is an Aladdin's cave of memories and memorabilia, guaranteed to whisk you back to Elland Road's fondly remembered 'Golden Age' of mud and magic - as well as a Whites-mad childhood of miniature tabletop games and imaginary, comic-fuelled worlds. The book recalls a more innocent era of football, lingering longingly over relics from the good old days - United stickers and petrol freebies, league ladders, records, big-match programmes and much more - revisiting lost football culture, treasures and pleasures that are 100 per cent Leeds. If you were a Junior White, one of the army of obsessive soccer kids at any time from Don Revie's lads first lifting the title to the '91 championship, then this is the book to recall the mavericks - Bremner and Giles, Gray and Currie, Sheridan and Strachan - and the marvels of the Lost World of Football.

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Book SynopsisGot, Not Got: The Lost World of Leicester City is an Aladdin's cave of memories and memorabilia, guaranteed to whisk you back to Filbert Street's fondly remembered 'Golden Age' of mud and magic - as well as a City-mad childhood of miniature tabletop games and imaginary, comic-fuelled worlds. The book recalls a more innocent era of football, lingering longingly over relics from the good old days - Foxes stickers and petrol freebies, league ladders, big-match programmes and much more - revisiting lost football culture, treasures and pleasures that are 100 per cent Leicester City. If you were a Junior Fox, one of the army of obsessive soccer kids at any time from Gordon Banks lifting the World Cup to the early days of the Premier League, then this is the book to recall the mavericks - Worthington, Weller and Walsh, Lineker, McAllister and Shilton - and the marvels of the Lost World of Football.

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Book SynopsisIn 1894 a group of friends had an idea and it led to the creation of Ajax, a football club for the people of Amsterdam. More than one hundred years later and that club has become an institution for youth development, a school of ideas that underpins the modern game and a club synonymous with the Total Football ideal.The Dutch superpower created a way of playing that is now accepted as the norm by European titans AC Milan, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United - as well as a host of national teams.The Ajax Way tells the full history of the club while looking at the reaches of Total Football: the way of playing perfected by Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff. It traces the club''s rise as a social hub for the people of Amsterdam to the creation of a team that would win three consecutive European Cups in the early 1970s; and added a fourth in 1995 under Louis Van Gaal.It reveals a host of footballing greats -

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Book SynopsisWith this book, coaches are given the necessary knowledge to plan and deliver player-centred practices that are both relevant and realistic to the game. These practices will challenge players as well as encourage them to be creative, independent decisionmakers. A range of different practices are provided, which can be used as given or easily adapted to meet players' needs. These practices can be used to develop a range of playing skills and can even be combined to create sessions for a complete training curriculum for the season. Finally, with this book, coaches will gain a better understanding of the crucial role that they play in the players' long-term development, helping them to appreciate the skills they already have while identifying other areas in which to improve. The Intelligent Soccer Coach is a book that coaches will return to time and again for inspiration and ideas that will ensure both the coach and the players continue to develop.

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Book SynopsisHarry Kane: The Ultimate Fan Book takes you into the England superstar's world like no other book. Feared and respected as a goalscorer across England and Europe, Harry has been a prolific marksman where ever he has played. Born in London on 28 July 1993, he made his debut, for Tottenham on 25 August 2011, aged 18. He captained England to their first FIFA World Cup semi-final for 28 years in Russia and went onto winning the FIFA World CUp 2018 Golden Boot as top scorer with six goals. Written in a lively style and filled with fun features, fantastic photographs and enlightening quotes, Harry Kane: The Ultimate Fan Book celebrates his greatest moments and most famous goals, including the goals which have made him one of the world's most watchable superstars. Table of ContentsIntroduction • The Young Harry Kane • Growing up in a sporting family • On trial at Arsenal, aged 11 • Local boy makes good • Turning professional at Tottenham • Learning on loan • UEFA Euro U19 semi-finalist • Champions League Star • Harry Kane at Home • FIFA U20 World Cup • Harry Kane's Super Skills • Great Tottenham Goals • UEFA EURO 2016 Frustration • Training with Harry Kane • The Pride of North London • Harry Kane in Numbers • Harry's Club-mates • Harry's fans • Great England Goals • Champions League 2018-19 • Harry Kane – A Coach's Dream • Global Superstar • Footballer of the Year • Harry Kane – Record Breaker • Harry Kane at the 2018 FIFA World Cup • Harry Kane – Facts, Honours and Awards • What Next for Harry? • Harry Kane Quiz.

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Book SynopsisIs Gascoigne Going to Have a Crack? tells the story of Spurs in the 1990s, expertly guiding you through this exciting but chaotic time.The 1990s are often seen as an era of misery for Tottenham Hotspur. They were undoubtedly that; at the moment that English football became commercially driven and outwardly focused the club fell in relevance from being one of the unofficial ''Big Five'' in the 80s to mid-table also-rans by the start of the 2000s.However, this is not a fair reflection of the fortunes of the club during the decade. The Gascoigne-inspired run to the 1991 FA Cup victory, the Gallic flair of David Ginola and the incredible excitement generated by the signing of Jurgen Klinsmann produced moments of unbridled joy and excitement.From Sheringham to Sugar and Venables to Vega, this book journeys through a fascinating decade with a season-by-season account that incorporates the views of players and supporters who lived through a decade that co

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Book SynopsisBirmingham City On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the club's distinguished history, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Blues diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From its beginnings as Small Heath Alliance in 1875 right through to the modern era and golden goals at Wembley, here are all the rollercoaster highs and lows. The club won the first ever Second Division title in 1893; Blues were the first English team to compete in European competition and the first to reach a European final. Birmingham City have twice won the League Cup and twice reached the FA Cup final. Relive the day in 1963 when Blues beat Villa to win a first major trophy, remember when Darren Carter's penalty clinched promotion in Cardiff, and when Obafemi Martins shocked Arsenal to recapture the League Cup. Recall the exploits of legends such as Joe Bradford, Gil Merrick and Bob Latchford, Trevor Francis, Michael Johnson and Christophe Dugarry.

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Book SynopsisPlaying for the Shirt is a stunning showcase of the greatest known collection of match-worn West Ham United shirts.The book features a beautiful array of match-worn shirts from 1951 to the present day, from the old heavy cotton shirts of yesteryear to the high-tech shirts made of lightweight, breathable fibres for today’s athletes. In hunting down these precious cotton and polyester gems, lifelong Hammers fan Mick Clifford embarked on a journey to preserve the club’s past for fans of all ages.This eye-catching book is filled with superb photographs of worn shirts from the most famous players ever to don the celebrated East London club’s claret and blue colours – legends such as Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking, Tony Cottee, Frank McAvennie, Paolo Di Canio, Julian Dicks, Dimitri Payet and Mark Noble.Playing for the Shirt captures moments in time, with a fascinating insight into how the West Ham shirt evolved. Each match-worn shirt tells a different story.Trade Review"It really is a super coffee-table type book of real quality writing and photography. Massive thought has gone into the presentation and layout… Rating: 10/10 (as I can’t give 11/10!)" -- Mark Watkins * Dare Radio *

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Book SynopsisA League of Their Own provides readers with a closer look at the FIFA Club World Champions, such as FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Manchester City. Readers will catch a glimpse into the history of these clubs while also learning about the individual philosophies of some of the top coaches. This book discusses different tactical philosophies as well as how these tactical approaches have been adjusted by some of soccer's greatest coaches, such as Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Luis Enrique, and Louis van Gaal. Finally, readers will be taken through case studies of each individual team with a step-by-step analysis of how these tactical setups are successful and how they can be exploited. Each case study will provide a discussion of how each team sets up when in attack, defending, and in transition.Not only addressing how and why these tactical setups are powerful, this book also breaks down and specifies just how lesser teams can exploit the subtle weaknesses by adjusting their attacking, defending, and transition strategies. Winning the tactical battle on the pitch creates endless possibilities, and perhaps evens the playing field to continue intrigue of the game.

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Book SynopsisProvides an account of Ferenc Puskas: his growing up in Soviet-occupied Hungary, travelling the world with the national side and army team Honved, and his different achievements in the game of football.

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Book SynopsisOne of Britain''s greatest ever footballers, Bobby Lennox epitomises an era in which Celtic were the best and most successful football club in the UK. In May 1967, he and his fellow Lisbon Lions achieved footballing immortality when they lifted the European Cup - the first British side to do so. Lennox''s 300 goals for Celtic and Scotland make him the second-highest goalscorer in Celtic''s history and the highest since the Second World War. With the Scottish national side, Lennox famously scored the second goal in Scotland''s stunning 3-2 victory over England at Wembley in 1967, when the Scots became the first country to defeat the then world champions. In this definitive autobiography, Lennox recounts with his famous dry wit and openness, his part in these extraordinary achievements, revealing aspects of his career which, until now, he has never previously made public.

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Book SynopsisWest Ham United: From East End Family to Globalised Fandom is the story of the evolution of West Ham. It charts how a works football team was transformed into a club that represented east London's working classes, only to be transformed again in the late 20th and early 21st centuries into a global brand with supporters in every habitable place on Earth. Starting as the Thames Ironworks Ltd works team, they changed their name to West Ham United in 1900, shortly before moving to the Boleyn Ground in Upton Park. For nearly a century they were supported by local working-class men from across the East End of London until a series of economic, social, cultural, geographical and technological changes brought the club a global fanbase. Through surveying West Ham United fan groups across the world, this book attempts to explain this phenomenon and to get a sense of what the club means to those who originally came from the East End, as well as to those who have no biographical connection to the area.

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Book SynopsisWhen the final whistle was blown at Upton Park on 10 May 2016, it was more than a football match that had ended. West Ham United's victory over Manchester United was the club's spectacular swansong after 112 years at its spiritual home. The Boleyn's Farewell: West Ham's Final Game at Upton Park delves into one of the club's most historic nights, with insight from players, fans and others who were there. Everything from the atmosphere before the game, Winston Reid's winner and the digitised Bobby Moore switching off the stadium lights, the build-up and aftermath of the game, as well as the on-pitch action are recounted and celebrated within these pages. This was an evening that would come to define a generation and is unforgettable for many West Ham supporters. While the Boleyn Ground no longer stands, memories of the stadium and the Hammers' glorious farewell performance will endure. The Boleyn's Farewell is the definitive account of one of the most significant matches in West Ham's long history.

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Book SynopsisGolden Generations: The Story of the 2006 FIFA Men's World Cup tells the tale of one of the most action-packed international tournaments in recent memory. From Philipp Lahm's extraordinary goal just six minutes in, to Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt, it was a World Cup that had it all. With all six confederations represented for the first time since 1982, there was a truly global feel to this World Cup. There were subplots attached to almost every nation at the tournament. Germany were in the midst of a rebuild, the Italians had the cloud of Calciopoli hanging over them and France and England were nearing the end of an era with their talented squads. Even the debutant nations were filled with household names, from the Touré brothers and Didier Drogba with the Ivory Coast to Dwight Yorke dropping into midfield to captain Trinidad and Tobago. Golden Generations explores the plots and subplots that defined the 2006 World Cup, from the tournament's beginnings to the legacy it left behind.Trade Review"As it says on the back book cover, 'it was a World Cup that had it all'... A great read!" -- Mark Watkins * Dare Radio *

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Book Synopsis'Magnificent, moving, often funny and deeply researched account . . . Is this just a book for those who know football? Far from it: this is a story of glory and the impermanence of fame' Sunday Times (Book of the Week)'Like Alf Ramsey's 1966 team, this book has depth, it has riches and it's a winner - the finest piece of sports writing I have read in ages and a superb piece of contemporary history' Peter Hennessy England. 1966. The World Cup.Duncan Hamilton watched England beat West Germany as an eight-year-old boy in the company of his father and grandfather. He recalls 'Wembley, spread out in the sun; the waving flags; the delirious, joy-of-all-joys moment of the final whistle; the trophy sparkling in the late afternoon light'.But, seeing the whole game again during the misery of the first Covid lockdown, finally made him realise what Alf Ramsey and his players had no inkling of, which was what came next for them. How, for many of those boys of summer, almost everything after that shimmering moment amounted to an anti-climax or a setback. How '66 was not a beginning, a guaranteed path towards more success, but a slow decline and fall, and also a disproportionate number of disappointments. And how the triumph of '66 was dulled through constant repetition, the same images always flashed before us.Hamilton recognised, too, how many myths and misconceptions had grown around the match. He decided to revisit '66, tracing the very roots of a story - as well as the hidden figures within it - that really began during the era of post-War austerity.Answered Prayers provides, at last, a full account of English football's greatest achievement and the failures that followed it. We see the institutional inability to appreciate Ramsey and his players, who were taken for granted; the political machinations of the blazered fools who ran the Football Association; the short-sighted blunderers of the Football League.With his matchless insight and descriptive power, Hamilton tells history afresh and shows us, for the first time, the scale of what was won and what was lost.PRAISE FOR DUNCAN HAMILTON'Hamilton has a perceptively humane understanding of men for whom football was never just a game' Guardian'A marriage of prose and detail so fine and fastidious that it takes the breath away' Independent'Justifiably prize-winning' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewTerrific. As good on post-war Britain as Peter Hennessy. Informed and heart-breaking. -- Stephen FrearsAn expert observer of different forms of Englishness, he treats sportspeople as three-dimensional humans. * Financial Times *Absorbing. Like all the best football books, Answered Prayers is not just about football; it's about hope and despair, friendship and enmity, and the character it takes to handle them. * Guardian (Book of the Week) *Magnificent, moving, often funny and deeply researched account . . . Is this just a book for those who know football? Far from it: this is a story of glory and the impermanence of fame. * Sunday Times (Book of the Week) *Like Alf Ramsey's 1966 team, this book has depth, it has riches and it's a winner - the finest piece of sports writing I have read in ages and a superb piece of contemporary history. Duncan Hamilton's great gift is the blending of character, mood and moment. Even Ramsey might have showed a spasm of emotion were he here to read it. -- Peter HennessyThis may well be one of the best books ever written about football. * Choice Magazine *Brilliant...Hamilton, arguably Britain's greatest sportswriter, tells [Ramsey's] tale with his wonderful panache. He is the master of the vivid phrase... Dry humour is never far from the surface in this book's pages. * Daily Express *Hamilton has a gift for treating sportspeople as humans * Financial Times (Book of the Year) *A highly poignant, history of England's World Cup victory in 1966. * Daily Express (Book of the Year) *The finest sports book of the year by one of the country's most garlanded sports writers. * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisWith this book, soccer coaches need not scramble to prepare their practice sessions because they will find a wide variety of training sessions for developing their youth players right here. And the sessions are all adaptable, making them suitable for players ages 10 and up, at any playing ability. In the book, the reader will find coherent, structured 60- to 90-minute sessions plans. The work of constructing training sessions has already been done. The clearly defined session titles enable the reader to quickly identify the ideal training session, its purpose, and its proposed outcomes. All the sessions facilitate progressive learning, enabling coaches to develop their players successfully. Also included with each session are questions and challenges meant to help the coach monitor and assess players' progress. With this book, all soccer coaches will have at their fingertips the most suitable training sessions to develop winning players.

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Book SynopsisIan Rush was born in St Asaph, Wales. He joined Liverpool from Chester City in 1980 and other than his single season with Juventus (1987-88), played for the Reds until 1996, making his final bow as a player in 2000. Rush's achievements include being Liverpool's all-time greatest goalscorer, the record Welsh international goalscorer, the leading 20th-century goalscorer in the FA Cup and all-time record FA Cup Final goalscorer, the joint-highest goalscorer in the League Cup, and winning five League Championships, three FA Cups and a European Cup. Not to mention Footballer of the Year, the European Golden Boot, various PFA Player of the Year awards and an MBE for services to football. Following retirement as a player he achieved the UEFA Pro Licence and has since become one of the most respected coaches in the game, working with strikers under Gerard Houllier at Liverpool and currently as Elite Performance Director with the Welsh FA Trust.Trade ReviewHits the spot like a Rushie toe-poke in front of the Kop * Four Four Two *For fans of the Reds this book will not disappoint. Discussing the many highs and lows he encountered, there is much to appreciate * Irish Examiner *Intriguing * Glasgow Herald *

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Book SynopsisJulie Welch is the critically lauded author of Those Glory, Glory Days, 26.2: Running the London Marathon and Out On Your Feet: The World of Hundred-mile Walking.Rob White is a professional photographer. The Ghost of White Hart Lane is his first book.Trade ReviewDeeply personal - a touching, heartfelt story -- Gary ImlachA special book about a special man * Independent on Sunday *One of the most affecting sports books of the year -- Matt Dickinson * The Times *A gorgeous and moving story -- Tom English * Scotland on Sunday *Colourful and, at times, moving * Four Four Two *

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Book SynopsisRational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is one of the most widely used counselling approaches in the world and is one of the original forms of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Sport and Exercise is the first and only book to date to examine the use of REBT in sport and exercise. It brings together leading international experts and practitioners to reflect on the use of REBT in sport and exercise, and examine the techniques used. Each chapter contains a case study, contextualising theory into practice, giving a rare and detailed insight into the use of REBT across a diverse range of issues. Some of the topics covered include: the theory and practice of REBT REBT intervention for competition anxiety the use of REBT interventions in Paralympic soccer the use of REBT in managing injury and loss using REBT to address symptoms of exercise dependence REBT intervention to improve low frustTrade Review"Mental health issues in athletes is a growing area of concern. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Sport and Exercise is a good book, that is well explained, evidence-based, and practical. Case-studies give a feel to how this therapy works in practice." Professor Andy Lane, HCPC Registered Psychologist, Director of Research Excellence and Associate Dean at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. "As a sport psychologist I use several frameworks to help sports participants manage themselves better in and out of the competitive arena. This book has become one of my go-to resources when I want to explore an REBT approach with a client. Each chapter offers evidence based solutions brought to life through case studies and an engaging text." Dan Abrahams, HCPC Registered sport psychologist, best-selling author, and host of The Sport Psych Show podcast."Mental health issues in athletes is a growing area of concern. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in Sport and Exercise is a good book, that is well explained, evidence-based, and practical. Case-studies give a feel to how this therapy works in practice." Professor Andy Lane, HCPC Registered Psychologist, Director of Research Excellence and Associate Dean at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. "As a sport psychologist I use several frameworks to help sports participants manage themselves better in and out of the competitive arena. This book has become one of my go-to resources when I want to explore an REBT approach with a client. Each chapter offers evidence based solutions brought to life through case studies and an engaging text." Dan Abrahams, HCPC Registered sport psychologist, best-selling author, and host of The Sport Psych Show podcast.Table of Contents1. The Use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in Sport and Exercise: An Introduction 2. The Theory and Practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) 3. A Short-Term Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Intervention for Competition Anxiety with a Trampoline Gymnast 4. Anxiety, Unhealthy Jealousy, and Exercise Avoidance: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Intervention 5. “It Will be the End of the World If We Don’t Win This Game”: Exploring the Use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Interventions in Paralympic Soccer 6. Managing Injury and Loss: The Use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with a Collegiate Football Player 7. The Use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to Address Symptoms of Exercise Dependence 8. Mixed Martial Arts and the Paradox Between Self-Improvement and Self-Acceptance: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Intervention 9. The Use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with an Anxious Sub-Elite Fencer 10. Rebounding from Injury and Increasing Performance with Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) 11. A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Intervention to Improve Low Frustration Tolerance in an Elite Table Tennis Player 12. Applying Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Resilience "Credos" with a South-East Asian Elite Squash Player 13. Delivering Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Education in Youth Rugby Union 14. “Is it Really That Bad?”: A Case Study Applying Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with an Elite Youth Tennis Player 15. “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)”: The Use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to Increase Function and Reduce Irrational Beliefs of an Injured Athlete 16. Using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to Combat Performance-Debilitating Unhealthy Anxiety in an International Level Karateka

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisFutsal: Skills, Strategies and Session Plans is a comprehensive guide to one of the fastest growing indoor sports in the world. Credited by football superstars for its invaluable skill development, futsal is both an exciting sport in its own right and a technical tool that has propelled players such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the top. This practical book offers expert advice and session plans, addressing how these practices not only enhance futsal performance, but also aid the development of football players. Focusing on increased time pressure, less space, multiple decisions and more touches on the ball, the wide variety of activities will provide players from grassroots to the elite level with a fun, fast and competitive challenge. Featuring over fifty session plans inspired by work with the England national team, along with contributions from some of the world's top futsal coaches, this technical guide offers a unique insight into the sport.

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Book SynopsisA long-overdue full-length biography of one of England's timeless greats

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Book SynopsisBill Struth is the most celebrated Manager in the history of Rangers Football Club. In his 34 year tenure, he led the club to 30 major trophies and nurtured many of the club''s greatest players. To them, he was simply ''Mr. Struth'' - a father figure who guided them with the principle that, ''... to be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football.''If these words set the ideals for his players to attain, his own personal life was clouded by moments of indiscretion which were to influence the course of his life and career. Drawing on family accounts and Rangers archives, the book explores his early life in Edinburgh and Fife, as well as his celebrated years in Glasgow. It recounts his career in professional athletics and in football with Heart of Midlothian, Clyde and ultimately, Rangers. It reflects on the legacy of the Struth era and his influences that remain at Ibrox today.

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Book SynopsisAmerica’s first true European soccer champion and the captain of the U.S. men’s national team relates his journey from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to the pinnacle of world soccer.Pulisic’s rise from his childhood in Pennsylvania to captain of the U.S. national team in the coming World Cup and Champions League glory is ultimately a story about a lifelong determination to realize a dream. Growing up in an area without role models, Pulisic would look to European stars for inspiration and to European soccer as his ultimate goal.In this book Pulisic talks candidly about his journey so far, revealing the extraordinary excitement of fulfilling some of his goals and the great challenges involved. He also shares experiences from behind the scenes playing for club and country, his most memorable career moments, moving to a new country without knowing the language, training drills he’s used over the years to hone his skills, and his daily life as a soccer

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Book SynopsisData Analytics in Football provides students, researchers, and coaches with a firm grounding in the principles of modern performance analysis. It offers an insight into the use of positional data, exploring how they can be collected, modeled, analyzed, and interpreted. Introducing cutting-edge methods, the book challenges long-held assumptions and encourages a new way of thinking about football analysis. The book seeks to define the role of positional data in football match analysis by exploring topics such as the following: What is positional data analysis, and how did it emerge from conventional match analysis? How can positional data be collected, and which technologies can be used? What key performance indicators based on positional data should be used? How can traditional match analysis be complemented by using positional data and advanced KPIs? How can these new methods evolve in the future? Based on data collectTable of Contents1. Where Is the Revolution? 2. A Historical Perspective on Positional Data 3. Technological Background 4. Collecting Data in the Bundesliga 5. In Search of the Holy Grail 6. Betting and Sports Analytics 7. Match Intensity 8. From Media to Storytelling 9. Key Properties of Long-Term Success in Football 10. The Key to Success 11. Reasons For Dominance 12. FCB Versus FCB 13. Home Advantage 14. Managerial Influence 15. All on Attack 16. Laws of a Derby 17. Women Vs. Men – Draw in Tactical Performance 18. Experimental Tactics Research 19. Positional Data Meet Sport Psychology 20. Summary

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Book SynopsisPhysiological and Functional Assessment of Professional Football Players presents a science-based approach to enhance athletes' performance and prevent muscle injuries. Professional football players undergo a rigorous competitive season with frequent and numerous competitions, exposing them to significant stress that can detrimentally affect their performance and lead to serious injuries in extreme cases. In order to avert such negative outcomes, coaches and team staff must formulate preventive training programs tailored to the unique characteristics and needs of each player.The execution of these individualized training programs necessitates a comprehensive assessment of players' health status, evaluation of their functional and fitness performance, analysis of their muscular structure, identification of muscle imbalances or movement dysfunctions, and detection of potential injury risk factors. Furthermore, it is imperative to monitor the weekly training and competiti

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Book SynopsisSport in East Germany is commonly associated with the systematic doping that helped to make the country an Olympic superpower. Football played little part in this controversial story. Yet, as a hugely popular activity that was deeply entwined in the social fabric, it exerted an influence that few institutions or pursuits could match. The People's Game examines the history of football from the interrelated perspectives of star players, fans, and ordinary citizens who played for fun. Using archival sources and interviews, it reveals football's fluid role in preserving and challenging communist hegemony. By repeatedly emphasising that GDR football was part of an international story, for example, through analysis of the 1974 World Cup finals, Alan McDougall shows how sport transcended the Iron Curtain. Through a study of the mass protests against the Stasi team, BFC, during the 1980s, he reveals football's role in foreshadowing the downfall of communism.Trade Review'A lively and informative history of football in the GDR from the bottom up. By employing Germany's most popular sport as a lens through which to understand the complex workings of power and people, everyday life and culture under the East German dictatorship, McDougall masterfully demonstrates the value of sport for the modern historian.' Kay Schiller, University of Durham'Football may have played little part in making East Germany a European sporting superpower but as Alan McDougall explains in this splendid new book there was a voluntarist ethos to the game that made it dynamic at both regional and national levels. Football mattered because it was popular and it was popular because it mattered. This is the best account of football behind the Iron Curtain since Robert Edelman, written with clarity, style and wit.' Tony Mason, De Montfort University'If Olympic sport was the GDR's perfect child, football was its unruly but ever popular sibling. In this extensively researched, stylishly written and highly accessible survey, McDougall has provided an English-speaking audience with its first full-scale account of the people's game in East Germany. The result is an excellent and essential contribution to our understanding of GDR society and the peculiarities of football in the wider transnational context of Cold War sport.' Christopher Young, University of Cambridge'… represents an excellent example of research using football to illustrate the colourful ambiguities of everyday life in the GDR.' David Brentin, Central Europe JournalTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Football reconstructed; Part I. Players: 3. Footballers' lives; 4. The national team; 5. Club football at home and away; 6. Football and the Stasi; Part II. Fans: 7. Spectatorship in the Ulbricht era; 8. Fan culture in the Honecker era; 9. The 'wild East': hooliganism in the GDR; 10. 'Crooked champions': the BFC problem; Part III. The People's Game: 11. Football and everyday life; 12. Women's football; 13. East plays West: amateur matches across the Iron Curtain; 14. Football for all? The provision of facilities; 15. Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis special issue addresses the complex reality of English community football organisations, including Football in the Community (FitC) schemes, which have been attending to social agendas, such as social inclusion and health promotion. The positioning of football as a key agent of change for this diverse range of social issues has resulted in an increase in funding support. Despite the increased availability of funding and the (apparent) willingness of football clubs to adopt such an altruistic position within society, there remains limited empirical evidence to substantiate footballâs ability to deliver results. This book explores the current role of a football and football clubs in supporting and delivering social inclusion and health promotion to its community and seeks to examine the philosophical, political, environmental and practical challenges of this work. The power and subsequent lure of a football club and its brand is an ideal vehicle to entice and capture populations that (normally) ignore or turn away from positive social and/or health behaviours. The foundations of such a belief are examined, outlining key recommendations and considerations for both researchers and practitioners attending to these social and health issues through the vehicle of football. This book was originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society. Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Corporate social responsibility and social partnerships in professional football 3. Little United and the Big Society: negotiating the gaps between football, community and the politics of inclusion 4. Growing the football game: the increasing economic and social relevance of older fans and those with disabilities in the European football industry 5. Fit Fans: perspectives of a practitioner and understanding participant health needs within a health promotion programme for older men delivered within an English Premier League Football Club 6. Effect of a health-improvement pilot programme for older adults delivered by a professional football club: the Burton Albion case study 7. ‘I just want to watch the match’ - a practitioner’s reflective account of men’s health themed match day events at an English Premier League football club 8. Ethnographic engagement from within a Football in the Community programme at an English Premier League football club 9. ‘Motivate’: the effect of a Football in the Community delivered weight loss programme on over 35-year old men and women’s cardiovascular risk factors 10. Assessing the impact of football-based health improvement programmes: stay onside, avoid own goals and score with the evaluation!

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Book SynopsisCarmen Pomi s' life is terrific life story, linking a fascinating individual to the events of the 20th century: two world wars, the advance of women's rights; society in France; migration; culture and society in post-war America.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive career autobiography of Terry Venables, the most successful living England manager

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Book Synopsis''Alan''s book is like his game: incisive, thoughtful, intelligent and consistently hits the target'' Gary Lineker''A brilliant, articulate, thoughtful man with a wonderful sense of humour: Smudge encapsulates all he is and knows in this fantastic book that will capture the hearts of every football fan'' Tony Adams''It was different back then, at least through Arsenal eyes. This was a young, exciting team full of hope and desire, led by a manager bristling with ambition . . .''Anfield ''89. Copenhagen ''94. Two of Arsenal''s greatest triumphs in the modern era. Both matches defined by the goal-scoring prowess of one man - Alan ''Smudger'' Smith.Smith''s rise in football was vertiginous: playing for Alvechurch in the Southern League one year, competing in the top flight twelve months later. His first three years at Leicester were characterized by a successful partnership with Gary Lineker. When Lineker left for Everton, SmitTrade ReviewAlan's book is like his game: incisive, thoughtful, intelligent and consistently hits the target * Gary Lineker *A brilliant, articulate, thoughtful man with a wonderful sense of humour: Smudge encapsulates all he is and knows in this fantastic book that will capture the hearts of every football fan * Tony Adams *Very enjoyable and typically honest account by my old mate on a fine career * Lee Dixon *

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