Association football (Soccer) Books
Pitch Publishing Ltd Scotland in the 60s: The Definitive Account of
Book SynopsisThe 1960s heralded a golden age of players who wore the dark blue of Scotland. Law, Gilzean, Baxter, Greig and Johnstone are just some of the names still familiar to supporters today. Bookended by heavy defeats against the Auld Enemy, the decade witnessed just one other defeat in the annual fixture against England and contained both the most-celebrated and horrific of Wembley encounters. The '60s also included a brief spell with Jock Stein as manager and the only Scotland international to date to be decided in extra time. Valiant but ultimately failed World Cup campaigns included memorable matches against Italy, West Germany and Czechoslovakia; an embarrassing loss to the amateurs of Norway was offset by a six-goal spree in Spain a matter of days later. Set against the backdrop of the Swinging Sixties, Scotland in the 60s looks at each of the 64 matches played by the national side during the period and the consequences of those results. Extensive newspaper and video archive research is complemented by the memories of the players who took part and the reminiscences of supporters and journalists who were there.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Highs; Lows and Bakayokos: Everton in the 1990s
Book SynopsisThe 1990s, what a time to be an Evertonian! After a decade of success in the 1980s which saw cup and league wins, the 1990s brought brushes with relegation, financial ups and downs, a club drifting without purpose; it was a decade that saw Everton fall irrevocably off the pace, abandoning a long-held position as a member of English football's elite. There were still some games which won't fade from the memory, silverware and moments of unadulterated elation. Highs, Lows and Bakayokos explores a period of transformation for one of the game's oldest and grandest clubs; evaluates the causes of Everton's troubles; examines why peers raced away, grasping the opportunities presented by the new Premier League era; and ultimately sets out to rescue and redefine an unfairly maligned decade and its emotional intensity and capacity to thrill that has perhaps been all-too-absent for Evertonians in the recent era of stability.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Fifty Shades of White: Half a Century of Pain and
Book SynopsisFifty Shades of White is Gary Edwards's fifth book; and he returns with more fabulous, rib-tickling tales that come with half a century of following one of the most talked about football clubs in the world. Like the time he was asked to accompany a four-and-a-half-foot tall monk with a large hearing aid, who hadn't previously left his abbey for 25 years, to a Leeds United game as part of a BBC documentary. Or the time he escaped from hospital, still in his hospital gown and attached to a catheter, a blood bag, several needles and with two tampons stuck up his nose to travel 70 miles up the A1 in a thunderstorm for a relatively meaningless Leeds game at Darlington. There is a fascinating, controversial and hilarious insight into Leeds United's former owner Ken Bates, gleaned from being a special guest at his birthday and Christmas parties for eight consecutive years. Fifty Shades of White gives a unique fan insight into the club and a life devoted to Leeds United.
£9.74
Pitch Publishing Ltd Arsenal Greatest Games: The Gunners' Fifty Finest
Book SynopsisFrom the thousands of matches ever played by Arsenal, stretching from a muddy field on the Isle of Dogs in the 19th century to the Premier League era and the pristine perfection of the Emirates Stadium, here are 50 of the club's most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all! Expertly presented in evocative historical context, and described incident-by-incident in atmospheric detail, Arsenal Greatest Games offers a terrace ticket back in time, taking in their first FA Cup win in 1930, 1930s dominance of domestic football under the great Herbert Chapman, through to the great 1971 double-winning side; on to the exploits under George Graham in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and Arsene Wenger's revolution and his all-conquering invincibles of 2004. An irresistible cast list of club legends - Frank McLintock, Charlie George, Thierry Henry, Ian Wright, Dennis Bergkamp - comes to life in these thrilling tales of goalscoring feats, great comebacks, Wembley glory and the odd glorious yet crushing disappointment. In all, a journey through the highlights of the Gunners' history which is guaranteed to make any fan's heart swell with pride.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd If Only: An Alternative History of the Beautiful
Book SynopsisIf Only: An Alternative History of the Beautiful Game is a fiercely original counterfactual history of football. It is often tempting to believe in the grand sweep of history; to conclude that the triumphs of football's greatest teams were simply inevitable. The truth, however, is that history can turn on what appear, at first glance, to be infinitesimally small events. Behind all those triumphs lie the countless disappointments of teams that were denied glory by a cruel bounce, the width of a crossbar or a dubious refereeing decision. Challenging the perception that the outcome of great clashes could never have been any different to what they were, If Only reflects on what our football history could have been, what it might have been and, in some cases, what it probably should have been. Boldly turning football history on its head, If Only imagines a world in which Scotland win the first-ever World Cup, Derby County are champions of Europe and 1966 isn't the only year that England win anything.
£9.49
Pitch Publishing Ltd Aberdeen Greatest Games: The Dons' Fifty Finest
Book SynopsisFrom the controversy that surrounded Aberdeen FC's first cup semi-final, through the triumphant European golden era of the 80s to their long-awaited return to glory with their League Cup win in 2014, here are 50 of the club's most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all. Aberdeen's isolation as a northerly football outpost has helped to forge their own remarkable story, as reflected in the games covered in this book. The Dons have a rich 115-year history that has been defined by their achievements on foreign shores rather than by battling local rivals. An irresistible cast list of club legends - manager Alex Ferguson, Gordon Strachan and Joe Harper, Willie Miller, Jim Leighton and Duncan Shearer - comes to life in these thrilling tales of goalscoring feats, Hampden glory and triumphs on foreign fields. As the club enters a new era, with relocation from their spiritual home of Pittodrie edging ever closer, Aberdeen Greatest Games reflects on unforgettable moments in the club's history that are guaranteed to make any fan's heart swell with pride.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Kloppite: One Man's Quest Turn Doubters into
Book SynopsisWhen Jurgen Klopp was appointed Liverpool manager in October 2015, the world took notice, and Reds fans were united in optimism for the first time in years. The charismatic German eventually took the club to European and world success, but the foundations were laid in his first two years at Anfield, and Kloppite (first published in 2017 and updated in 2020) explores how the bespectacled coach set about reigniting the LFC flame in that period - not only trying to change the fortunes of the once-dominant club, but also making the people believe again. After his successes at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund, Klopp left Germany to take on his greatest challenge as he sought to return the Merseysiders to the summit of English and European football. The hot-seat at Anfield has often been described as one of the toughest jobs in football, and Klopp was tasked with overcoming the adversity of fan expectations, competing against some of the game's best managers and biggest spenders, and turning doubters into believers.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd From a Field to Anfield: A Footballer's Journey
Book SynopsisFrom A Field to Anfield is the inspirational story of Nick Tanner's against-the-odds rise from the uncompromising grassroots football scene in Bristol to the glamour of then-champions Liverpool. Nick's story is not one of spending years mollycoddled in an academy system and having success handed to him, but of graft, days spent working in a factory before making it to the top, and being sold to Bristol Rovers by non-league Mangotsfield United for a couple of floodlight bulbs. Nick was a member of the last Liverpool squad to win the title, was in the stands at Hillsborough in 1989, and scored a Merseyside derby goal at Goodison Park, so his tales naturally include Anfield legends and A-list events with Kenny Dalglish and the rest. Equally, though, his is an inspirational story for any budding footballer about just how far hard work and relentless dedication can take you if you are willing to put in the yards. Nick also opens up on the personal impact of his career-ending injury, along with his various ongoing struggles.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Arsenal Match of My Life: Gunners Legends Relive
Book SynopsisMore than 20 Arsenal legends join together to offer a unique insight into the most magic moments in the history of one of the world's biggest clubs. Gunners greats from David Seaman to Bob Wilson and Theo Walcott to Charlie George take us behind the dressing-room door, enabling fans of all ages to relive these amazing memories through the eyes and emotions of the men who were there, pulling on the famous red-and-white shirts. Contained in these pages are previously untold stories from fan favourites including Ray Parlour on winning the Premier League title at Old Trafford and scoring the winner in the FA Cup Final in the space of just four days and what Arsene Wenger did to transform the club. Lee Dixon reveals how he and his team-mates toasted their remarkable last-gasp 1989 title win at Anfield by swigging Kenny Dalglish's champagne while George Graham offers a rare look back at his amazing Highbury career as both player and manager. Double winners Frank McLintock and George also relive the never-to-be-forgotten 1970/71 season and super-fan Piers Morgan offers a unique account of following Arsene Wenger's Invincibles.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd From Orient to the Emirates: The Plucky Rise of
Book SynopsisThis is the story of Burnley Football Club's remarkable recovery from the brink of oblivion, made without the help of ultra-rich benefactors. It concerns the fall and rise of a small-town club, once renowned for its advanced playing style, tactical and coaching innovations and flourishing youth policy. From Orient to the Emirates tells how this former leading club was brought to its knees during the mid-80s by adverse economic circumstances and imprudent management, how it narrowly escaped relegation to the Vauxhall Conference in 1987 - and with it probable liquidation - to once again become a force at the top of English football. The story is largely told in the words of those who took part in this incredible 30-year journey - the directors, managers, players, support staff and supporters. It is an uplifting account of success achieved very much against the odds, founded on indomitable spirit, canny planning and, above all, hard graft. As Burnley's brilliant manager, Sean Dyche, puts it: "Maximum effort is the minimum requirement."
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Scotland - Glory; Tears & Souvenirs
Book SynopsisScotland - Glory, Tears & Souvenirs is an offbeat collection of memories, mementos, rants and aspirations relating to Scotland's national football team. A 'look back in hunger' on the post-war era, with emphasis on the 1970s to date. A reminder of the way football was, the way it is now and the way we'd like it to be! There's Switzerland 54, Denis Law, trading cards, match programmes, Archie Gemmill, Argentina 78, beermats, Kenny Dalglish, vinyl records, Spain 82, Ally McCoist, the Tartan Army, Italia 90, the Kirin Cup, Jimmy Hill, France 98, Panini stickers and James McFadden. Nostalgia and a warped sense of humour are what gets Scotland supporters through in a nightmare world where all our near-neighbours now get to 'go to the ball' - France 2016, at least - while we await the arrival of a Fairy Godmother and a defence that doesn't leak goals. There's no room for wallowing in self-pity, though. Read this therapeutic comfort blanket of a book, cheer at the good bits and laugh at the bad. We shall overcome...
£14.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Stuck in a Moment: The Ballad of Paul Vaessen
Book SynopsisFor some players, the final whistle heralds the beginning of an infinitely more difficult chapter in their lives. Some simply find it impossible to cope, replacing one addiction with another. Not well known is the story of Paul Vaessen, perhaps the most powerful and tragic tale of them all. Paul was the Bermondsey boy who rose from working-class roots to overnight fame in Turin when in April 1980, as an unknown 18-year-old, he scored one of the most dramatic goals in Arsenal's distinguished history. But all too soon Paul would discover how fragile and fickle the world of football could be as he experienced unforgiving injuries, loss of form and merciless barracking by his own fans. Just three years down the line, he was on the scrapheap, discarded by the game he'd devoted his young life to, and descending quickly into the only other world he knew, that of drugs. Paul would spend his lonely final days reliving his moment of glory with anybody willing to listen, that one moment in which he had effectively become stuck.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Blues & Beatles: Football, Family and the Fab
Book SynopsisDuncan Ferguson. David Moyes. Paul McCartney. A father and a son. A passion for Everton, and a passion for The Beatles. Blues & Beatles is a story of football and music across the generations, showing in touching and hilarious detail how a young boy inherited his father's obsessions - and would one day pass them on to his own sons. A journalist like his father, Neil Roberts has special access to his beloved football club, so his heartfelt memoir includes glimpses within the inner sanctum of Goodison Park as well as every unforgettable Everton moment since the 1980s, all soundtracked by the Fab Four. Along the way, Neil meets his heroes - including musical as well as Everton icons - and reveals intriguing connections to Dixie Dean and a famous Victorian footballer. But above all, Blues & Beatles is a story of football and music shared by father and son. Described by Everton fans' website Blue Kipper as "a fantastic read [which] covers every Everton 'moment' from the 70's to date carefully captured in detail."
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Bournemouth Match of My Life: Cherries Relive
Book SynopsisMore than 20 AFC Bournemouth legends come together to relive the magical moments from the most memorable matches in the club's illustrious history. From Ted MacDougall on his record-breaking nine-goal haul to hat-trick hero Callum Wilson and the Cherries' historic first top-flight victory, this book brings to life treasured memories for fans of all ages. Bournemouth Match of My Life includes the celebrated conquerors of Cup holders Manchester United and players who won the battle to save the club in the 1990s. Here are previously untold insights on the 2014/15 Premier League promotion from captain Tommy Elphick and an emotional Yann Kermorgant. And club legend Steve Fletcher picks out his favourite memories from his never-to-be repeated 728 games in the famous red-and-black shirt. Carl Fletcher reflects on the League Two play-off final win over Lincoln at Cardiff's majestic Millennium Stadium, while Keith East recalls holding Bill Shankly's all-conquering Liverpool to a draw in front of a packed Dean Court - all the stars winding back the clock to revisit unforgettable memories of the Match of Their Lives for the Cherries.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd In Sunshine or In Shadow: A Journey Through the
Book SynopsisDerek Dougan was no ordinary footballer. A flamboyant Northern Irish goalscorer, his unwillingness to accept injustice and mismanagement won him as many enemies as friends. Shortly after being asked to collaborate on a new autobiography, a project undone by Dougan's sudden death, David Tossell set out to retrace his life through a series of over 70 interviews. The result is a definitive account of a contradictory icon with a unique place in the evolution of modern British football. Dougan demanded a transfer on the eve of an FA Cup final, quoted Voltaire and fell out with various clubs. As chairman of the PFA, he fought for freedom of contract; as a club executive, he introduced shirt sponsorship; and 'The Doog' saved Wolves from extinction. In Sunshine Or In Shadow reveals the darkness and light of Derek Dougan, the drive and demons that kept him fighting to the very end.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Six Stickers: A Journey to Complete an Old
Book SynopsisAdam Carroll-Smith never completed a football sticker album as a kid. Try as he might, he was always a few stickers short. Six Stickers tells the story of Carroll-Smith's bid to complete his childhood album and rediscover his love for the game. After uncovering one of his long-lost, almost-finished albums, he decided now was the time to break that duck. Disillusioned and out of love with the modern game, he attempts to track down and photograph the six players missing from his Premier League 1996 sticker book. Featuring previously unpublished interviews with the subjects of the book, Carroll-Smith looks back at their time in football and how their lives have developed since; he also looks back at a time when English football was going through a transitional phase, prior to Euro 96 and at the dawn of the modern era, and examines the changes of the last 15 years.
£9.49
Pitch Publishing Ltd Wednesday v United: The Sheffield Derby
Book SynopsisWednesday v United: The Sheffield Derby presents a vivid account of one of the most passionate rivalries in football. Looking back to the Victorian era and the start of the Steel City divide, it features a decade-by-decade history of the derby in the context of the changing times. With an enhanced focus on the modern era, the derby rivalry is brought right up to date with a spotlight on the latest games. Richard Crooks describes how the fortunes of the two clubs have ebbed and flowed over the years. Individual derby matches are highlighted, providing emotive examples of each club's highs and lows, recalling the wildly contrasting rollercoaster ride undertaken by red and blue factions. The great games, players and managers are all to the fore. Using contemporary written and broadcast material together with the author's first-hand account and experiences, Wednesday v United brings home the intensity that is the hallmark of the Sheffield divide.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Wingin' It: The Mark Walters Story
Book SynopsisWingin' It is the ultimate story of hope over hate, the insightful autobiography of a footballer who beat the bigots. Due to the colour of his skin, Mark Walters always felt he needed to be twice as good as other players in order to succeed. But Mark drew inspiration from the way the late Cyrille Regis handled his racist detractors, and went on to fulfil his potential by flaunting his dazzling ball skills for England. While a starry-eyed kid in Birmingham, he somehow escaped the clutches of evil paedophile Ted Langford, although his mate wasn't so fortunate. He became an idol of the Villa Park terraces, though his move to Scotland was almost halted by a bloodthirsty mob who pelted him with bananas and pigs' feet. But Walters stood firm to become one of England's most popular exports. After a third successive league title, a GBP1.25 million move to Liverpool reunited him with Graeme Souness. Mark rewrote the record books at Anfield, but would ultimately call his decision to head south 'the biggest mistake of my career'.
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd Stoke and I: The Nineties
Book SynopsisStoke and I: The Nineties charts the fortunes of Stoke City Football Club through the decade that spawned Britpop, Euro 96 and Cool Britannia. Key moments such as the title-winning season of 1992/93, the Autoglass Trophy victory and the emotional farewell to the Victoria Ground are recounted through the eyes of a fan growing up in the last decade before football changed beyond recognition. Memories of players and matches, from the great to the awful, sit alongside hilarious tales of playground Potteries derbies, embarrassing school football trials and the author's attempts to become pen pals with Jon Dreyer. Featuring selected highlights from Neil James's popular 'Trouserdog' column in The Oatcake fanzine, plus a wealth of new material and new insights from key figures such as Lou Macari, Mike Sheron and Peter Coates, Stoke and I: The Nineties is a personal take on a fascinating period in the history of England's second-oldest league club.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Give Us Tomorrow Now: Alan Durban's Mission
Book SynopsisGive Us Tomorrow Now offers an entertaining and powerful narrative of a manager striving to satisfy legions of fanatical supporters and an impatient boardroom. Success and stability had long proven elusive objectives for Sunderland managers attempting the task of 'waking the sleeping giant'. In the summer of 1981, a new dawn shimmered as Alan Durban was persuaded to relinquish his comfortable Stoke post and enter the white heat of North East football mania. This disciple of Brian Clough battled to lay enduring foundations and find an on-field blend amidst constant boardroom interference and an intense media spotlight. A restless hierarchy failed to back their manager's judgement, and the lack of a cup run heightened boardroom impatience to boiling point. The book explores Durban's long-term vision and strategy - and how, heartbreakingly, his embryonic 'tomorrow team' would never be granted the chance to reach maturity.
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd Stanley Park Story: Life, Love and the Merseyside
Book SynopsisStanley Park Story: Life, Love and the Merseyside Derby charts the recent history of the longest continuous running derby game in English football. Liverpool and Everton have now contested the fixture every season since 1962. Using a mixture of fact, fiction and personal experience, Jeff Goulding has crafted a compelling tale spanning three generations of two families, Red and Blue. Their lives become intricately woven together through 50 years of this unique sporting rivalry. The story explores the changing fortunes of each team and the relationship between the two sets of supporters, which evolves over the years. The life and times of Jimmy, a Blue, and Tommy, a Red, form the basis of the drama which unfolds against a backdrop of thrilling sporting encounters, social and political upheaval and catastrophe. Ultimately, the story is one of a love so strong it reaches across the park to forge a timeless bond between the two families.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Darkness and Light: My Story
Book SynopsisDarkness and Light: My Story is the heart-wrenching and soul-stirring autobiography of footballer and two-time cancer survivor, Joe Thompson. His mother's battle with mental illness and father's descent into a life of drugs and crime saw him battle adversity from birth. Football opened up a new world of opportunity when Manchester United signed him, aged nine. Joe spent six years living every boy's dream but was left devastated when the club released him at 16. He bounced back to forge a career in the Football League, before his life was thrown into turmoil. At 23, he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. Six months of chemotherapy followed, which eventually rid his body of the disease. He had been given a second chance at life, but three years later he was given the shock news that his cancer had returned. An 18-day stay in an isolation unit reduced him to skin and bone, but he vowed that he wouldn't be beaten. For a second time, Joe gave cancer the boot and he has since made an incredible return to professional football.
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd Trailing George Best: The Manchester Haunts of
Book SynopsisTrailing George Best: The Manchester Haunts of United's Greatest takes a forensic look back at the locations in and around Manchester where George Best worked, rested, partied and played during the Swinging 60s and the dubiously stylish 70s. Despite the questionable fashions, it was the best of times. George Best lived in the city for nearly 15 years and this book chronicles, with numerous images, the places where he lived, the avenues and alleyways he explored, the boutiques he managed, the nightclubs he both frequented and helped to run, and of course the football grounds where he ran amok. Having tracked down the people who knew George best during this period - people who lived with Best, the pals he hung out with, colleagues who worked with him, his business partners and personal managers - lifelong Manchester United supporters Stuart Bolton and Paul Collier unearth the stories that other writers could not reach.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Mad Dog Gravesen: The Last of the Modern
Book SynopsisThomas Gravesen was one of the last footballing mavericks, once dubbed 'a grenade with the pin pulled out'. Hailing from rural Denmark, he fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a top player but never lost his unique identity, earning a reputation for his bizarre antics and eyebrow-raising behaviour. Gravesen lined up for Real Madrid's glamorous Galacticos and enjoyed colourful spells at European giants Hamburg, Everton and Celtic. Remembered as a cult hero at all of his past clubs, he is a truly fascinating individual. After abruptly ending his career and disappearing, he re-emerged years later in bizarre circumstances in Las Vegas. Did he really lose $54 million at cards? Did he really bring dynamite to training, and spend his summers in a dark basement? Known as a 'unicorn' due to his mysterious life, this is a fascinating, helter-skelter journey into the mind of 'Mad Dog'. Team-mates, coaches and friends recount what it was like to be swept up in the surreal whirlwind of the most unorthodox individual they've ever encountered.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd In His Own Words: Life on the Inside
Book SynopsisRecounted candidly In His Own Words: Life On the Inside looks back on the footballing life and times of Peter Mendham, Norwich City's larger-than-life former midfielder. He offers a no-holds-barred account of football in the 80s - and also of the incident that led to a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of his girlfriend. Peter gives his viewpoint on some of the stars he has played with and against, and on a decade in football characterised by falling gates, hooliganism and poor television coverage for fans who didn't follow the fortunes of the game's biggest clubs. The Mendham case remains one of the highest-profile trials ever to have involved a British footballer - his punishment and fall from grace standing in stark contrast to a playing career at the highest level, winning medals at Wembley for two clubs. Peter recounts his experiences in football and his time endured at Her Majesty's pleasure in a frank, occasionally blunt manner that will give readers an insight into a life of ups and downs.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Natural: The Jimmy Greaves Story
Book SynopsisJimmy Greaves remains the greatest goalscorer in English football history, with a record of 357 top-flight goals that may never be surpassed. Teenage sensation at Chelsea and England debutant at 19, he became - after an unhappy spell at AC Milan - a legend at Tottenham Hotspur. But despite 44 international goals in 57 games, his England career was defined by the heartbreak of missing the 1966 World Cup Final. A shock move to West Ham brought an acrimonious end to his Spurs days and, a year later, he retired from the game, aged only 31. What followed was a desperate descent into alcoholism, followed by a remarkable battle to win back his family and self-esteem. Reinventing himself as a popular TV personality, his instincts in front of camera proved as natural as those in front of goal. Having taken his final drink in 1978, Greaves has remained sober from that day. Drawing on interviews with family, friends, colleagues and opponents, Natural: The Jimmy Greaves Story is the definitive biography of one of England's most loved footballers.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Bottled: English Football's Boozy Story
Book SynopsisBottled tells the story of English football's complicated relationship with booze through the experiences of the players who found themselves in crisis when they could no longer put it down - from George Best and Paul Gascoigne to Tony Adams and Paul Merson, as well as many others who escaped the headlines. Footballers play under intense pressure in the unforgiving glare of the media spotlight. But what do their stories tell us about ourselves? Are some challenges they face specific to a player's lifestyle? With insights from those at the sharp end, here is an examination of footballers in need and the help available from the industry. Untangling the complex web of links between alcohol and the beautiful game, Bottled explores the stories that characterised the origins of many of England's clubs, as churches and breweries vied for the souls of young men. From trashed hotel rooms to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous via the China Jump club, Bottled navigates the journey from the stars to the gutter and, sometimes, back again.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Football. Cancer. Life. Death.: An Uplifting
Book SynopsisThe unconventional and surprisingly uplifting real-life account of football fan Michael Heinicke's experience with cancer. Interspersed with 25 years of exhilarating and heartening memories of life as a Burnley FC supporter, the book takes you back to his first match, as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old boy. The depth of detail woven into Michael's accounts of Burnley matches through the decades - from the old, decaying terraces of Division Four to the euphoria of a Wembley promotion to the Premier League - will strike a chord with football fans everywhere. Back in the present day, his descriptions of medical appointments and chemotherapy treatment will unexpectedly have you laughing out loud. Michael was 32 and the father of three young children when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2014. His story breaks down conventional cancer myths and shows us that sometimes, for a lucky few, life's curveballs can be more positive than negative, bringing a tale of hope to that unfathomable and unbearable cancer diagnosis.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Taking No Prisoners: The Legend of Frank Barson,
Book SynopsisFrank Barson's life story is one of hardship and hard-won fame, his tough tackling and prowess in controlled aggression earning him a reputation that lives on today. Rising from the factory floor to become a footballing giant, Barson lifted the fortunes of Aston Villa and Manchester United while earning more cautions than anyone before or since. Born in Sheffield's industrial district of Grimesthorpe, his no-nonsense football style was forged in the 20s when learning his trade with Barnsley FC's renowned Battlers. Even in an era of ruthless tackling he stood out as a notoriously powerful player, yet his frequent clashes with authority belied his status as an extremely intelligent player, an inspiration to his colleagues and a true leader. Although Barson only earned a single England cap, commentators and colleagues alike would bemoan the fact that he was not captaining the national side. Football's infamous 'hard man' set standards in deadly, focussed aggression which players such as Norman Hunter and Roy Keane have since striven to emulate.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd I Can't Help Falling in Love: Growing Up as a
Book SynopsisI Can't Help Falling in Love with You offers a personal, heartfelt yet tellingly critical survey of the changing world of football fandom. Greg Whitaker's coming-of-age memoir provides an emotional insight into the modern game from the perspective of a bona fide fanatic who has experienced all the highs and lows of football's last 20 years. Framed through the eyes of a die-hard follower of Hull City AFC and England, it explores the ways in which the global phenomenon of football fandom has developed since the end of the 90s - for better and for worse. By revisiting the most influential matches of his football-supporting life, Whitaker endeavours to explore the changing face of football alongside his own shifting relationship with his passion. Effortlessly documenting social change as he looks back over the decades, he builds a case-study insight into the game's 21st-century zeitgeist. Ultimately, Greg seeks an answer to the troubling question: has our love of football developed into an addiction?
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Me and My Big Mouth: When Cloughie Sounded Off in
Book SynopsisFrom late September 1973 until the winter of 1974, British football's most controversial figure penned a regular column in TV Times, the weekly television listings magazine. Wide-ranging, entertaining and remarkably prescient, 'Clough Sounds Off' dates back to a tumultuous time in his managerial career - when Old Big 'Ead went from Derby to the football wilderness via Brighton and Leeds. The columns covered a surprising range of subjects, not only reflecting the game as Brian Clough viewed it at the time but also signposting the direction in which he saw it heading. Sharp and funny, yet always delivered with the brutal honesty for which he was renowned, they highlight exactly what made Clough's voice so compelling. Me and My Big Mouth reproduces many of these opinion pieces for the first time since their original publication, together with the background stories against which they were written. It is a fresh and welcome addition to the library of Clough literature, offering a unique insight into the mind of a most remarkable manager.
£9.74
Pitch Publishing Ltd Scotland: Club; Country & Collectables
Book SynopsisScotland: Club, Country, Collectables continues the authors' offbeat look at the issues and idiosyncrasies associated with Scottish international football. It's a celebration of the good, the bad and the mementoes treasured by fans irrespective of results. There's a flavour of the contributions made by our clubs - the players who became legends, those who tried hard, and others who merely tried our patience. A sideways look at Scottish football culture includes opposition teams and past tournaments, statistical overviews and memories full of typical Scottish weltschmerz and schadenfreude. The Road to Euro 2020 is covered, with clues offered as to whether Scotland can qualify for our first 'finals' in over 20 years - or will we achieve the rare distinction of being a host that fails to make it to our own party? While some Scotland supporters may only have tears for souvenirs, Club, Country, Collectables has everything from match programmes and trading cards to badges and beer labels, postcards, postage stamps and replica jerseys.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Bristol City Match of My Life: Robins Legends
Book SynopsisTwenty Bristol City legends tell the stories behind their favourite ever games for the club - enabling fans of all ages to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men who were there, pulling on the famous red shirt. Bristol City Match of My Life leads the reader through the highs and lows in the words of the players who made the fans' dreams - and, at times, nightmares - a reality. The heart-stopping accounts include the celebrated conquering of mighty Liverpool during the 90s, promotion to football's elite back in the 70s and also the dark days of the 80s when the club almost went out of existence. This powerful collection of stories by City heroes such as John Galley, Geoff Merrick, Mike Gibson, Bob Taylor and Louis Carey is a must for every generation of City fans. Covering the 60s to the present day, the footballers' own stories create an evocative record of the changes within the game. Only one thing never changes, and that's how much this wonderful club means to each player.
£12.74
Pitch Publishing Ltd Redprint: Overcoming Manchester United's Identity
Book SynopsisIn 2013, when legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement, Manchester United seemed the dream job for any football manager. Champions of England, the biggest and most profitable club in the world. What could possibly go wrong for his successor, who would be appointed with the clear intention of continuing the club's rich tradition? Redprint explores, in forensic detail, the six turbulent years at Old Trafford since Ferguson walked away. Despite record levels of expenditure, a succession of different managers with different philosophies and concerns about the changing identity of the club, United continued to compel throughout this period of underachievement. Wayne Barton examines each of the managerial reigns since 2013 and discusses their successes and failures in a historical and contemporary context to ask the question - are Manchester United closer to regaining their glory, or are they simply repeating mistakes of years gone by?
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Rangers v Celtic: The Gers' Fifty Finest Old Firm
Book SynopsisRangers v Celtic is Glasgow's contribution to the world's great football derby matches. Otherwise known as the Old Firm, these clashes always attract fervent crowds and huge TV audiences worldwide. Author Jeff Holmes has watched dozens of these battles from the terraces and stands of Ibrox Stadium, Celtic Park and Hampden, and knows exactly what victory means to the hundreds of thousands of Rangers supporters scattered across the globe. Here, he brings to life 50 of Rangers' greatest triumphs against the old rivals, from their first victory in 1893 to a Christmas cracker in 2018. There are iconic matches aplenty and heroes galore, including the great Davie Meiklejohn, who started the rout in the 1928 Scottish Cup Final. Read about the time Rangers thrashed their opponents 8-1 in 1943 - and about Sir Alex Ferguson's favourite ever goal, by South African wing king Johnny Hubbard, back in 1955. Relive the feats of Bob McPhail, Davie Wilson, Ralph Brand, Ally McCoist and Davie Cooper - Rangers greats who knew how to win an Old Firm match!
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd We Conquered All of Europe: Red Odyssey II
Book SynopsisWe Conquered All of Europe: Red Odyssey II charts the re-emergence of Liverpool FC as one of the most feared and respected teams in European football. In 2015, Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield and set about rebuilding a sporting empire. In order to succeed he would need to transform its legions of fans from doubters into believers - and, in the process, would take them on the greatest of sporting odysseys. Jeff Goulding chronicles the whole journey through the eyes of the people who lived it, the supporters. Also included are key insights from former players, as well as eyewitness accounts of some of the most incredible moments of the Klopp era. Relive the humbling of Barcelona's Messi and Suarez. Absorb the electric atmosphere on the Kop as the Reds pulled off the seemingly impossible, and journey with the fans as they conquered all of Europe. Red Odyssey II takes the reader through it all - the highs and the lows - and describes how Klopp awakened one of football's sleeping giants.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Because it's Saturday: A Journey into Football's
Book SynopsisBecause it's Saturday is a compelling portrait of life in the professional grass roots of football, far from the glitz and glamour of Premier League superstars. Why does anyone travel from Grimsby to Accrington on a wet Tuesday night in November to watch players battling on a muddy pitch with more gusto than grace? How do teams survive in half-empty stadia, and how does a Cotswolds village side owned by an ex-hippy challenge the likes of Luton for promotion? Award-winning writer Gavin Bell spoke to the owners, managers, players and supporters of eight lower-league sides, over the course of a season, to discover the fierce passions and loyalties that sustain clubs unlikely to win anything other than the devotion of their fans. Going beyond the fields of dreams, Bell explores the communities for whom these clubs are more than football teams. From gritty northern towns blighted by post-industrial decline, to ivory towers of academia and a seaside resort riven by a fans' civil war - it's a rollercoaster ride of a season.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Applauding The Kop: The Story of Liverpool
Book SynopsisApplauding the Kop is the definitive story of Liverpool FC's goalkeepers. Through a series of remarkable interviews, it reveals the pressure and demands of playing in the prime position for one of the most successful sides in world football. The book offers honest observer accounts of the greatest goalkeepers to ever pull on the number-one jersey at Anfield, and first-hand anecdotes from those who trained at the club. Get an insider's view on the likes of Bruce Grobbelaar, Jerzy Dudek and David James. The players share funny, emotional and alternative viewpoints of their more illustrious team-mates at Liverpool and elsewhere, offering a rare glimpse of life in the most extraordinary leagues and teams in Europe. Applauding the Kop provides a unique insight into the personalities of many goalkeeping greats, and tells the tales of others who were less successful, detailing the events that dictate how they are perceived. Each player had a very different journey in their quest to reach the pinnacle of the game.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Manchester City Minute By Minute: Covering More
Book SynopsisManchester 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 in this unique by-the-clock guide. From City's early years and domestic domination of the mid-1960s to the glorious modern era, the book covers everything from Ernest Mangnall's early trophy-hunters to Wilf Wild's league and FA Cup legends, Joe Mercer and Pep Guardiola. Revisit City's most spectacular modern feats and learn things you didn't know about the club's proud history. From goals scored in the opening seconds to those last-gasp extra-time winners that have thrilled generations of fans at Maine Road, the Etihad and around the world, Manchester City Minute By Minute is packed with memorable moments. With goals from the likes of Sergio Aguero, Colin Bell, Dennis Tueart, Shaun Goater and hundreds of others - the book is filled with thrilling memories from kick-off through to the final whistle.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Great Pie Revolt: A Gastronomic Guide to the
Book SynopsisFew things convey the identity of Britain's towns and cities more vocally than football and food, yet put them together and they become incompatible foes. Balti pies served out of tin trays and rubbery burgers that cost north of a tenner are typical of the over-the-counter fare that welcomes fans through the turnstile. But it doesn't have to be that way. As Britain embraces a craft revolution of locally made produce we, the travelled football fans, have the unique opportunity to experience the country in a way few others can. We can feast on cockles and mussels on the south-east coast, tuck into smack barm and pey wet in Lancashire and drink our way through an explosion of craft distillers and breweries all in the name of the club we love. The Great Pie Revolt is the definitive guide to the cafes, market stalls, takeaways, microbrewers, pubs and bars that pride themselves on their locality. It is proof that when paired properly football and food are a match made in heaven, but both are in dire need of a spectator-driven revolt.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Lost Shankly Boy: George Scott's Anfield
Book SynopsisThe Lost Shankly Boy is an enthralling tale of triumph over adversity and hope amid despair. It tells the story of George Scott, a poor boy from a fishing village in Aberdeen, who dreamed of a career in football and ended up rubbing shoulders with one of the game's managerial greats, Bill Shankly. He would assemble a team to rival the famous 'Busby Babes' - his very own 'Shankly Boys'. With Tommy Smith and Chris Lawler already at the club, he would add Gordon Wallace, Bobby Graham and a 15-year-old George Scott - 'the lost Shankly Boy'. Scott provides a fascinating insight into modern Liverpool's formative years and Shankly's Anfield. His is an untold story of a dream crushed and of a career rebuilt in Scottish football and taken to new heights in the South African Premier League. The Lost Shankly Boy speaks to every kid who dreams of football glory. It is a never-say-die tale of passion, commitment and hard work that will resonate with anyone who has ever tasted the pain of rejection - only to rise again and grow stronger.Trade Review"George Scott and Jeff Goulding have done a sensational job of making us root for the displaced young boy who wanted to make his family proud but came up against a league of legends that refused to budge from their first team places. Part cautionary tale, part personal journey, the book had me rooting for every character within the Liverpool family and that’s saying something as I’m an Exeter City supporter." -- Matt Riley * GoodReads *"The blood for a solid storyteller in Mr George Scott runs literally and figuratively red. With Liverpool reaching the precipice once again in 2020, and in a period to take stock of the greatness of Mr Shankly, even for those who declare to know Anfield and the Kop inside out will benefit from this delightful account of a touchable history." * The Sportsman *"It's a compelling story, which includes an extraordinary array of anecdotes about Scott staying in digs with Anfield legend Tommy Smith, returning to Aberdeen FC and running rings round Rangers great John Greig, being employed as a security guard in a South African shanty town and working as a sales rep when he met Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor." * The Press & Journal *"A gripping story of a young man's quest to become a professional footballer, his fightback from a series of challenges - including a hair raising brush with death in South Africa - and ultimately of a bond between player and manager that has spanned a lifetime. All of it told with an easy-going style that at times takes you closer to the history of the Shankly era than ever before." -- Dave Usher * The Liverpool Way *"This book is an account of life at a Liverpool FC before YNWA had even arrived and The Beatles had only just formed. It also tells of the precarious and fleeting nature of a footballer's life if he is not quite at the top grade - Scott himself didn't quite make the cut with the first team. In the days of no substitutes, the very success of the fast-emerging Liverpool made it hard for Scott, or anyone else, to break into that team, no matter how good they were and how hard they worked and trained. Scott explains how hard it can be to maintain your enthusiasm and positivity when you just cannot break through and are not given the chance, despite scoring 71 goals in 183 occasions in which he represented the club." * Tomkins Times *"An honest tale of the beginnings of the Shankly era at Liverpool, seen through the eyes of a talented yet humble boy. A brilliantly told story, with a stellar cast, yet the real star is George Scott and the impact that his short career at Liverpool had on the rest of his life. Jeff Goulding manages to encapsulate George Scott's incredible story and transport you so vividly into the fabled boot room, that you can smell the dubbin on the boots." -- Stuart Horsfield * These Football Times *"Parts of his book will make you howl with laughter while others will have you reaching for a box of tissues to mop up the tears. We can only be thankful that The Lost Shankly Boy was eventually found and encouraged to tell us all about his amazing journey." * Christopher Wood, LFC History *"George Scott was a Liverpool player for five years, but his extraordinary story shows how Bill Shankly managed his entire career." -- Chris McLoughlin * Reach Sport *"George's book captures every emotion. You will laugh and you will cry as his story, so brilliantly written, takes you from humble beginnings to the heart of Liverpool's rise to world fame, both culturally and on the football field. It is a pleasure to read as George's inspirational story unfolds. Bill Shankly insisted on working with people of good character. This book illustrates why George Scott was part of Shanks' Red Revolution." -- Kieran Smith * Liverpool FC Historical Group *"I loved every page. Took me back to the earliest of my years as a Liverpool supporter." -- Peter Moore * Former CEO, Liverpool FC *"The George Scott story fills in the gap between what life was like for the men who became legends and those who didn't quite make it. It illuminates what the life of Reserve players was like and how they had to cope with life after Liverpool." -- John Pearman * Red All Over the Land *
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Second Yellow: The Further Adventures of our
Book SynopsisSecond Yellow: More Adventures of our Footballing Heroes brings you more funny, fascinating and downright baffling tales gleaned by authors John Smith and Dan Trelfer from their unflagging research of over 240 footballer autobiographies. Together, they have pored through the works of genuine legends, cult heroes and players they can only dimly recall from their 1983 Panini sticker albums to find stories and facts that will delight, shock and confuse - sometimes all at once. There's the chairman who owned a ventriloquist's dummy called Algernon. There's the Liverpool legend who set a team-mate's wife's hair on fire. There's the Arsenal star who confronted some innocent fans with a samurai sword. And there's the Ipswich hero who took on Sylvester Stallone in an arm-wrestling contest - possibly inspiring Stallone's half-forgotten epic Over The Top. This book covers all the bases of the typical footballer's life: love, violence, gambling, horrific injury, banter (it's mostly banter) and, apparently, pigeons.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Who Ate All the Squid?: Football Adventures in
Book SynopsisWhen a struggling Korean football club wants to transform its fortunes, who does it turn to? A former Chelsea manager and a trio of players with Premier League experience, of course. Who Ate All the Squid?: Football Adventures in South Korea charts the year Ian Porterfield managed faltering K League giant Busan IPark. The Sunderland FA Cup legend lured three players from English football out to Korea: striker Jamie Cureton, an ex-England youth international who turned down Manchester United; Andy Cooke, a former Burnley and Stoke City forward who started his career building cowsheds; and Jon Olav Hjelde, who bolstered Nottingham Forest after achieving UEFA Champions League heroics with Rosenborg. How will the players cope with South Korea's unfamiliar culture and language? Can the Brits overcome personal demons, including car crashes, divorces and alcoholism? And does a British football revolution really stand a chance of succeeding in Northeast Asia? The book also casts a humorous glimpse at the world's game inside South Korea.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Where the Cool Kids Hung out: The Chic Years of
Book SynopsisWhere the Cool Kids Hung Out is the story of the UEFA Cup's glory years, when it was a tournament that boasted a stronger field of teams than its senior siblings, the European Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. Since then it has drifted into its poor current form as the Europa League, the Champions League having siphoned off most of Europe's biggest clubs. Yet the UEFA Cup enjoyed some very stylish years, no more so than during the two-legged final period. It was an era when Ipswich Town swept to glory, Liverpool conditioned themselves to conquer the continent, Tottenham Hotspur twice captured the cup and Dundee United came agonisingly close. It was also a time when Borussia Monchengladbach made their name, Real Madrid regenerated as a force and Serie A came to dominate. Drawing on an encyclopaedic knowledge of the tournament plus interviews with players, journalists and fans who lived and loved the competition, Steven Scragg brings you the definitive account of the UEFA Cup's halcyon days.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Scottish Cup: Celtic's Favourite Trophy
Book SynopsisThe Scottish Cup: Celtic's Favourite Trophy is the story of Celtic's love affair with football's oldest prize. The club first won the cup in 1892, an achievement that meant so much to the young side and their struggling, oppressed community. In the years that followed this special trophy became entwined with the club's identity through many unforgettable moments. Jimmy Quinn scored the first hat-trick in a Scottish Cup final in 1904, there was Patsy Gallacher's extraordinary goal in 1925, a record attendance when Celtic lifted the cup in 1937, Willie Wallace's brace of goals en route to Lisbon in 1967, two remarkable comebacks in the 1980s, and Odsonne Edouard's heroic turnaround in 2019. The book goes beyond the cup finals, recalling the tough games in the early rounds, including the more spectacular encounters with Rangers and Aberdeen. 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.
£15.29
Pitch Publishing Ltd Close Quarters: An Extraordinary Season on the
Book SynopsisClose Quarters is the inspirational, against the odds story of Wycombe Wanderers, the poorest club in League One, and how it shapes into a side that 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. Led by the longest-serving boss in professional football, the charismatic Gareth Ainsworth, this becomes an astonishing campaign, witnessed up close by award-winning sportswriter Neil Harman thanks to his special access. Harman gets to the heart of the team, joins them in the dressing room, on the coach, in the medical room and in team meetings to chart this unparalleled challenge. He gets the inside story of Ainsworth's rise from a working-class upbringing on the back streets of Blackburn, through a rumbustious playing career, to a one-club manager moulding Wycombe while dealing with an American takeover that could make the difference between the club's life and death. Close Quarters is a book that resonates, not just with Wycombe supporters, but fans of underdog clubs everywhere.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd Tortured: The Sam English Story
Book SynopsisTortured: The Sam English Story is the fascinating yet tragic tale of a footballer destined to become one of the greatest goalscorers in Scottish football history, but who by his own admission became 'an embarrassing, grizzly peep show'. English was a veritable goal machine at Yoker Athletic in the late 1920s, netting nearly 300 in three seasons, and was soon being chased by a posse of big-name clubs. Legendary Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman offered him a blank cheque, but 22-year-old English chose Rangers. He hit 44 league goals in his debut season - still a record today - but tragedy struck early in the campaign. In the first Old Firm match of the season, Celtic keeper John Thomson lost his life after bravely diving at the feet of the entirely blameless English. In an instant, English became one half of a tragic accident and his life changed forever. He moved to Liverpool, but was haunted by the fatality and its accompanying demons. He was cast as a villain and made a pariah. His life would be defined by that one tragic incident.
£17.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Pride: The Inside Story of Derby County in the
Book SynopsisPride: The Inside Story of Derby County in the 21st Century is the fascinating story of one of Britain's most tumultuous football teams, as told by the people at the heart of the club. Ryan Hills gained exclusive access to almost 50 former players, managers and board members to bring you the Rams' modern history. The move to Pride Park in 1997 was supposed to mark an exciting new chapter for the club. But despite initial success, things started to go wrong. Relegation from the Premier League caused huge financial strife, leading to the arrest of three board members. On the pitch, a single promotion brought the worst season in Derby's history and a 362-day wait for a win. Since that fateful season, the club have been on a cyclical and so far fruitless mission to return to the Premier League, while dressing-room turmoil, car crashes and a man named Bobby have stood in their way. Pride gives you the inside track on a football club that refuses to accept obscurity, as revealed by those who know it best.
£14.99
