Association football (Soccer) Books
Mascot Books, Inc Boca Juniors: A History and Appreciation of
Book Synopsis
£15.29
C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd African Soccerscapes: How A Continent Changed the
Book SynopsisFrom Accra and Algiers to Zanzibar and Zululand, African football today reflects the history and culture of those who play the game and how they have shaped it in a distinctively African manner. Football may obey global rules, but the influence of magicians and healers, the nurturing of different tactics and styles of play, and local forms of spectatorship give football in the continent a cultural and sporting imprint all of its own . In African Soccerscapes Peter Alegi explores how football was influenced by colonialism, the growth of cities, independence, and global capitalism. Regional differences and the links between sport, culture and politics feature prominently in his book. In the independent era football offered a rare form of 'national culture' in ethnically diverse nations and symbolized pan-African unity and solidarity through the anti-apartheid struggle and the campaign for more guaranteed places for African teams in the World Cup finals. Huge numbers of Africans play overseas, disproportionately rewarding European leagues at Africa's expense, and this phenomenon is discussed, as are the recent privatization of the African game, football development programs and the growth of women's football.Trade ReviewNobody understands the background to African soccer better than the Italian-American historian Peter Alegi. This World Cup is his moment. His African Soccerscapes crams daunting erudition, gleaned over many years of study of African football, into under 200 pages of history. -- Financial TimesPeter Alegi's African Soccerscapes is simply the best available overview of the history. Concise and to the point, you'll be through it before the round of 16 begins, having covered all the basics without forgetting the pleasures and the passions that animate African football. -- The GuardianA fascinating history of African football, from empire to the post-colony. -- Sunday Independent (South Africa)Table of Contents1: The White Man's Burden: Football and Empire, 1860s-1919 2: The Africanization of Football, 1920s-1940s 3: Making Nations in Late Colonial Africa, 1940s-1964 4: Nationhood, Pan-Africanism, and Football after Independence 5: Football Migration to Europe Since the 1930s 6: The Privatization of Football, 1980s to Recent Times Epilogue: South Africa 2010: The World Cup Comes to Africa
£19.00
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Soccer Grannies
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Bitten by Wolves: Stories from the Soul of
Book SynopsisBitten by Wolves takes us on a glorious yet tumultuous journey through the modern history of Wolverhampton Wanderers. From lifting league titles and pioneering European club competition to twice going bankrupt and languishing in the Fourth Division, Wolves have experienced extreme highs and lows. The author spent a year speaking to former players, staff, supporters and others who witnessed or played a part in some of the most successful, turbulent and defining moments in the club's recent history. Wolves have always been about much more than the results on the pitch. It's the club's place in the Wolverhampton community that underpins its identity. Today, Wolves are going through existential change under the ownership of a Chinese investment conglomerate. The author has gained behind-the-scenes insight into the current ownership and management while revealing how Wolves became the club it is today. Filled with fascinating untold stories and eye-witness accounts, Bitten by Wolves tells the definitive story of the club's evolution.
£999.99
The History Press Ltd Harold Jarman
Book SynopsisHarold Jarman is a Bristol-born sporting legend. A highly talented winger for Bristol Rovers, he made almost 500 League appearances for the club, scoring over a century of goals. Although he has taken on many different roles for clubs in the UK and the United States, his heart has always belonged to Bristol he returned initially as youth team manager, then caretaker manager (saving the Rovers from relegation) before coaching and managing the youth and reserve teams During the summer months between 1961 and 1972, Harold also enjoyed playing professionally for Gloucestershire County Cricket club, delighting crowds with his skill and particularly his astute fielding. In this book, Mike Jay and Ian Haddrell explore a remarkable life, accompanied by fascinating pictures, many unpublished from Harold's own collection.
£9.49
Cornerstone Back from the Brink
Book SynopsisQuite apart from his all too public struggle with alcoholism, the story runs through the surreal highs and calamitous lows of a life lived habitually on the edge of chaos.It is not just a football story.Trade ReviewAs survivor's tales go, this is brutalist epic...McGrath's narrative has a stark honesty. -- Sean O'Hagan * The Observer Sport Monthly *Continuing the trend of brutal honesty which was popularised by Paul Gascoigne's autobiography, McGrath's book is difficult to read for anyone with an ounce of human kindness, especially those who marvelled at his ability from the Old Trafford terraces... Beautifully written. * Manchester Evening News *Laceratingly honest...remarkably unflinching * Mail on Sunday *A startling, harrowing read... far removed from the churn-em-out footballing autobiographies...This is an uncompromising tale, wonderfully told, about one of our most talented and disturbed sporting heroes. -- Hugh Farrelly * Irish Independent *Heartbreaking...poingnant -- Robert Philip * Daily Telegraph *
£10.44
Vintage Publishing Garrincha The Triumph and Tragedy of Brazils
Book SynopsisThe World Cup Finals, Sweden 1958. Brazil vs the fearsome USSR.In the opening three minutes - ''the greatest three minutes in the history of football'' - one man wrote himself into the record books. Brazil went on to win the cup, and, in Garrincha, a star was born. Garrincha was the unlikeliest of footballers - with a right leg that turned inwards and a left that turned out, but with a ball at his feet he had the poise of an angel. He played for the love of the game, uninterested in money, and ignoring tactical advice. And he was as wild off the pitch as he was mesmerising on it - mischievous, audacious and dripping with sex appeal. It was his affair and subsequent marriage to the singer Elza Soares that caught the imagination of a nation - their mouth-watering combination of soccer and samba made them the toast of 1960s Rio. But by the age of forty-nine, Garrincha was dead, destroyed by the excesses that made him so compelling. Funny and mTrade ReviewCastro's biography is funny and moving, zealously researched and lovingly told. This excellent new translation by Andrew Downie means English readers can properly appreciate one of the most incredible lives in the history of sport -- Alex Bellos * Daily Telegraph *Passionate, fascinating and surprisingly moving ... a worthy tribute... According to Gazza, Gascoigne has limited interest in books. He should be persuaded to make an exception for Garrincha. He would learn more about himself than by reading his own autobiography -- Josh Lacey * Guardian *[A] powerfully atmospheric and beautifully rendered life of one of Brazil's greatest ever players... A sad and fantastic book -- Harry Pearson * When Saturday Comes *[Castro's] research is exhaustive and exemplary -- Brian Glanville * Sunday Times *A compelling page-turner, warts and all * Scotland on Sunday *
£15.29
Transworld Publishers Ltd Carra
Book SynopsisFor the Anfield faithful, Jamie Carragher represents everything that is great about Liverpool Football Club, prompting the Kop to sing ''we all dream of a team of Carraghers''. The club''s vice-captain, longest-serving player and one of a select band of players to have made more than 500 appearances for the Reds, Carra never gives less than 100 per cent for the cause. He is the embodiment of old-fashioned football values - a rarity in the modern game - honest and uncompromising.In Carra: My Autobiography, the Liverpool defender takes us deep into the heart of Anfield, into the club''s past glories and its uncertain future. In his typically down-to-earth style, Carra reveals what made him discard his blue Evertonian roots to become a fully fledged Red, how he mended his wild ways to become a true professional and a multiple trophy-winner, and the truth about a succession of managers - Evans, Houllier, Benítez - in the hottest seat in football. A Scouser through and through, Carra also has some forthright views on the England team, and tells why he rejected calls to return to the international fold.Full of sensational stories and controversial opinions, of glory and heartbreak on and off the pitch, Carra: My Autobiography is a football book unlike any other. The authentic voice of Anfield, Carra is one of the Bootroom Boys in true Liverpool tradition, and is as committed on the page as in every game he has played.Trade ReviewTypically a product of honesty and dedication. The Kop dreams of a "team of Carraghers". Journalists wouldn't mind a game full of them -- Jonathan Northcroft * The Sunday Times *Top man, top memoirs... At last, an autobiography of Premier League standard * FourFourTwo *Startlingly forthright... his memoirs are a perfect gauge of his intelligence -- Paul Hayward * Guardian *Carragher's memoirs are every bit as forthright and single-minded as you would expect -- Tony Barrett * Liverpool Echo *This fine autobiography strengthens the belief that he is a football fan doing something he adores while enjoying the recognition of those he admires most -- Peter Sharkey * Yorkshire Evening Post *
£999.99
Headline Publishing Group My England Years The Autobiography
Book Synopsis''For me, he is England''s greatest ever player'' - Gary Lineker''Sir Bobby was a hero to millions, not just in Manchester or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world'' - Manchester United FCSir Bobby Charlton is widely acknowledged as the greatest player ever to wear an England shirt. He won a record number of caps and scored a record number of goals. Here, in the second volume of his bestselling autobiography, Sir Bobby talks in detail about his phenomenal career with England. During the 12 years he played for his country, he was involved in some of the greatest England games of all time: the 9-3 thrashing of Scotland, the 1962 and 1970 World Cup games against the Brazilians, the classic 1970 World Cup quarter-final against West Germany and, of course, the triumph of the 1966 World Cup. His story encompasses drama, passion, goals, controversies, classic matches, world-class players, and moments of footballing genTrade Review'Hailed as one of the best football autobiographies ever... If you love the beautiful game, this is unmissable' * Daily Mail *'Compelling...beautifully co-authored' * Leo McKinstry, Sunday Telegraph *'As in volume one, the combination of Charlton's story and the work of James Lawton is unstoppable' * Sunday Times *'That the book doesn't quite live up to My Manchester United Years isn't a criticism - that it almost reaches the same heights is a sign of just how good a follow-up it is' * FourFourTwo *
£11.69
Taylor & Francis Ltd Peak Performance for Soccer
Book SynopsisIn this book, over 40 of the world's leading practitioners working in elite soccer over 6 continentsshare advanced knowledge of the environment as well as a scientific understanding of the game and players. This book explores those traits at an intricate level through shared experiences of some of the best performance coaches working in elite soccer. The content in this book is derived from practical and evidence-based concepts that have been applied at the elite level.Uncovering the coaching strategies as well as contemporary issues in elite soccer, this comprehensive textbook illustrates what it takes to thrive as a performance coach at the top level. Collaborating with the industry leaders in soccer, the chapters address a myriad of topics such as: the multiple roles and responsibilities; youth development; strength and conditioning application; nutrition and recovery strategies; tracking and monitoring fitness and fatigue; powerfuTrade Review"Peak Performance for Soccer provides great insight into the true environments of professional soccer" – Jordan Milsom, Head of Fitness & Conditioning, Aston Villa FC"Alex and Adam have done a magnificent job covering all aspects of an elite soccer environment. It’s a must read"– DaMarcus Beasley, Former Professional Soccer Player for Manchester City, Rangers, PSV. 4 x World Cup appearances (2002,2006,2010,2014)"Peak Performance for Soccer does an excellent job providing readers with detailed insight for working with coaching staff to enhance training – this is an essential read for anyone working in soccer" – Patrick Kisnorbo, Head Coach, Melbourne City FCTable of Contents1. Role of the Practitioner2. From Academy to Professional3. Needs Analysis and Testing4. Strength, Power and Injury Prevention5. Conditioning6. Player Monitoring and Practical Application7. Wearable Technology8. Recovery and Nutrition9. Return to Play 10. Periodisation11. Coach and Staff Integration
£29.99
Amberley Publishing Tracking the Hooligans
Book SynopsisExplore the history of football violence on the UK's rail network.
£999.99
Headline Publishing Group Whistle Blower
Book SynopsisThe outspoken and hard-hitting autobiography of one of the most highly-rated, recognisable and controversial football referees of modern times.Mark Clattenburg found himself in the centre circle, whistle in hand, at the start of 450 Premier League matches during a highly eventful 13-year career in football''s top flight. He has shaken hands with, issued red and yellow cards to, and been sworn at by hundreds of players. He has been screamed at and shared jokes with dozens and dozens of managers. And he''s felt the wrath of thousands upon thousands of irate fans.His autobiography is the ultimate guide to what it''s really like to be in the referee''s spotlight. It offers numerous intriguing insights into the daily trials and tribulations, the acute stresses and strains, of a top-flight referee. Clattenburg takes the reader into the referee''s room, the players'' tunnel and out on the pitch to experience precisely what a referee goe
£18.00
Bonnier Books Ltd Robbie Fowler: My Life In Football: Goals, Glory
Book SynopsisBorn in Liverpool in 1975, Robbie Fowler became a club icon by the time he was eighteen. Now, he takes us through the games that have shaped his life and football philosophy, more than 25 years after he first signed as a professional.Engaging, personal and revealing, Robbie opens up about his astounding achievements, the price of fame and the regrets and struggles of being a professional footballer. From Hillsborough to Madrid, via the cup treble, that goal line celebration, Houllier, Benítez, Klopp and more, Robbie explains his thinking about the modern game. Inviting readers inside the dressing room, he shares stories of legendary teammates like Rush, McManaman and Gerrard, as well as his rise to football's top table. What inspired him to play the beautiful game? How did he get back up after the injuries that blighted his career? What gave him the drive to keep going and pursue his dreams?My Life in Football is the inspiring story of a local boy who became a legend.
£8.54
John Blake Publishing Ltd They Think It's All Over: Funny football quotes
Book SynopsisGet ready for top-drawer delivery, as They Think It's All Over laces up its boots and races up the wing to bend in cross after cross of perfect football banter, including... the funny:'I love Blackpool; we're very similar - we both look better in the dark' - Ian Hollowaythe plain stupid:'Whichever team scores more goals usually wins' - Michael Owenand the genuinely deranged:'It's not fair to say Lee Bowyer's a racist; he'd stamp on anyone's head' - Rodney Marsh...to tell the story of the beautiful game, through the hilarious (sometimes intentionally, sometimes not) words, actions and (mis)behaviours of players, managers, commentators and pundits. It is the perfect gift for football fans of all teams, everywhere and anywhere. Back of the net!
£9.49
Pitch Publishing Ltd Newcastle United Match of My Life: Magpies Stars
Book SynopsisNewcastle legends from across the decades offer a unique insight into the most magical moments in the history of the North East giants. Magpies greats from Alan Shearer to Bob Moncur and Les Ferdinand to Nobby Solano take us into the inner sanctuary of the dressing room, with previously unheard stories from their favourite matches in the famous black-and-white stripes. Shay Given lifts the lid on how Mike Ashley forced him to put in a transfer request when he was on the cusp of becoming Newcastle’s record appearance-holder. Rafa Benitez reveals the secrets of his love affair with the Toon Army, while Nikos Dabizas recalls ‘going from heaven to hell’ in the space of just a few days by scoring an iconic late winner in a Tyne–Wear derby before falling victim to Dennis Bergkamp’s wonder goal. ‘Sir’ Les Ferdinand takes us back to the glory days of Kevin Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’, and Malcolm ‘Supermac’ Macdonald recalls asking Bobby Robson for his autograph as a schoolboy, only to sign for him years later.
£16.99
Soccer Books Ltd European Football International Line-Ups and Statistics: Volume 1: Albania to Belgium
Contains the complete statistics for all of the matches played by the national football teams of Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belarus & Belgium from the first game played through to the end of the 2015 calendar year. Featuring comprehensive records of the date, venue, referee & attendance, plus individual player information as well.
£999.99
Conker Editions Ltd 101 Manchester City Matchworn Shirts: The Players
Book Synopsis
£14.25
HarperCollins Publishers Boleyn Boy My Autobiography
Book Synopsis *THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* This is the remarkable story of a local lad who grew up in the shadow of Upton Park and became ‘Mr West Ham’: a one-club man who lived the dream.
£19.80
The History Press Ltd The Times 50 Greatest Football Matches
Book SynopsisThe Times opens its sporting archives to compile the definitive list of football’s greatest matches
£15.00
Headline Publishing Group The Beatles Football and Me
Book SynopsisHunter Davies is one of the most respected writers in the country. THE GLORY GAME is a footballing classic still in print some 30 years since its original publication but Hunter is also a successful novelist and distinguished biographer, whose subjects include The Beatles, Wayne Rooney and Paul Gascoigne. Now, though, he describes his own extraordinary life, from growing up on a Carlisle council estate in the 1950s and his student days at Durham to his introduction to Fleet Street, his enduring obsession with football and memorabilia, and the many fascinating characters he has met, interviewed and written about over the last 40 years. It is also the intimate portrait of his marriage to teenage sweetheart Margaret Forster, herself a well-known novelist. Full of wonderful observations, warm humour and colourful anecdote - a memoir to treasure.Trade ReviewBrilliantly funny * Daily Mail *'Hunter Davies' vivid autobiography retraces a life rich in incident and anecdote' * Good Book Guide *'Such an enjoyable read. Easy-going, humorous and a natural journalist, [Hunter Davies] comes across as a thoroughly nice man' * Sunday Times *
£10.44
Rizzoli International Publications Pulisic My Journey So Far
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 soccerTrade Review"Pulisic first won America’s hearts in that defeat in Trinidad in 2017, in which he scored a goal in a losing cause. After the game, he pulled his jersey over his teenage face and cried. In the foreword to 'Pulisic: My Journey So Far,' Daniel Melamud, a versatile sports writer, describes him as “the best player in the history of US soccer” (a view that few would dispute). The book is a generously illustrated compendium of conversations between the player and Mr. Melamud. Its contents—which range from childhood anecdotes to details of favorite movies, clothes and training routines—are targeted at avid young fans of Pulisic." —WALL STREET JOURNAL"The book traces how the 23-year-old's dream to become a professional soccer player came true, memorable moments from his career so far, and a behind-the-scenes look into his life on and off the field." —ESPN28 Best Gifts for Soccer Fans: "Cool Gifts for Soccer Fans: Hear from Captain America himself as he candidly recounts his journey–from a youth player growing up in Hershey, Pennsylvania to signing with Chelsea FC for a record transfer fee when he turned 20. The American soccer star also reflects on winning the Champions League and preparations for the upcoming 2022 World Cup in his first book." —MEN'S HEALTH
£28.45
Abrams My Greatest Save The Brave BarrierBreaking
Book SynopsisA deeply moving and painfully honest memoir from the trailblazing, World Cup–winning, Olympic gold medalist, and U.S. Women’s soccer goalie Briana Scurry with New York Times bestselling author Wayne CoffeyForeword by Robin Roberts Briana Scurry was a pioneer on the U.S. Women’s National Team. She won gold in Atlanta in 1996, the first time women’s soccer was ever played in the Olympics. She was a key part of the fabled “99ers,” making an epic save in the decisive penalty-kick shootout in the final. Scurry captured her second Olympic gold in 2004, cementing her status as one of the premier players in the world. She was the only Black player on the team, and she was also the first player to be openly gay. It was a singularly amazing ride, one that Scurry handled with her trademark generosity and class—qualities that made her one of the most popular players ever to wear a U.S. jersey. But ScTrade Review“My Greatest Save is more than the story of an all-time great goalkeeper. It's about a pioneering female athlete who made sure to honor those who came before her even as she worked hard to make things better for those who came after her.” * Billie Jean King *“Before every USWNT game we played together, Briana would look me in the eye, give me a double-gloved fist bump, and ask, ‘Ready?’ I knew I didn’t have to ask her because she was always ready. Everybody knows Bri was one of the greatest keepers in the history of women’s soccer. When you read My Greatest Save, you will find out that her heart and courage were every bit the equal of her ball-stopping skills.” * Mia Hamm *“Briana Scurry is one of the most dominant and courageous goalkeepers I've ever played with. Her character and courage go far beyond the pitch. My Greatest Save is a moving story of resilience and triumph. It helped me get to know Bri—and myself—better.” * Abby Wambach *“A triumphant sports memoir by one of the first African American female soccer players, an athlete who rose to fame and suffered great loss only to rise again, stronger.” * Booklist *
£18.99
Amberley Publishing The Golden Boot
Book SynopsisThe first history of the Golden Boot â from 1888 to the present day.
£15.00
Amberley Publishing The AZ Of Football Hates
Book SynopsisFrom Agents to Z-list celebrities, everything you love to hate about the national sport.
£9.74
Little, Brown Book Group Harrys Games
Book SynopsisWho is Harry Redknapp? Football genius or football chancer? Master tactician or practical joker? How is it that even when he was facing court proceedings for tax evasion so many people were still seriously tipping him to be the next England manager? How can one man have two such diametrically opposed and incompatible career trajectories? Does the longing to have an English manager in charge of the national side warp people''s thinking?''To Portsmouth fans, Redknapp was the man who walked on water and won them an FA Cup. To Southampton fans, he is still the devil incarnate who had them relegated before jumping ship to their arch rivals. Spurs fans aren''t sure what he is, bit don''t care as long as he keeps the team together and winning. Sometimes he''s the Messiah, at others the clown. Whoever he is, Crace is determined to find out.
£17.39
Headline Publishing Group Not For Me Clive
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2022 Sports Book Awards''an enjoyable and interesting journey through football'' Donald McRae, The Guardian''This is really good. Raw, funny and revealing on football, on Ferguson, Clough, Dalglish & worth getting for the Roy Keane selfie story alone. Emotional on his ITV exit. Talent like Tyldesley''s appeals to all ages.'' Henry Winter''Started reading this and couldn''t stop ... wise and entertaining on the big names and games. Clever work.'' Paul Hayward''Clive Tyldesley''s brilliant, emotive commentaries became the soundtrack to matches that will stay with the fans for the rest of their lives.'' Oliver HoltFootball changes everything. It changes how we feel, how we think, how we behave. It turns us into someone else. You love your team first. It''s tribal. Except I did love something else. I loved the idea of commentating on my team, on every team. I loved it even more than
£20.00
Hachette Books Ireland Blood Sweat and McAteer
Book SynopsisThis is the real Jason McAteer: a little bit bruised, a little bit battered. But still fighting.Trade ReviewA meaty memoir with as much gristle as its title promises * Irish Independent *
£15.29
Hodder & Stoughton The Totally Football Yearbook: From the team
Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning team behind the Totally Football Show, one of the world's leading independent football podcastsThe Totally Football Yearbook isn't just a collection of statistics. It's analysis, insight, authority and irreverence. It's the views of some of the biggest names in football writing, the same names that make The Totally Football Show one of the world's biggest independent football podcasts. It's the breathless story of the season just passed and an eager look ahead to the season still to come. But yes, there's loads of statistics as well. I mean, we couldn't stop ourselves if we tried . . .We've got the Premier League, Scotland, the Women's Super League, the Football League, France, Spain, Italy and Germany all covered, and so much more besides. Will you ever need anything else to keep you informed on the beautiful game? That's really not for us to say. But no, you won't. With a foreword from Jamie Carragher, an introduction from James Richardson, and contributions from Iain Macintosh, James Horncastle, Duncan Alexander, Nick Miller and many more, The Totally Football Yearbook is a must-have for every football fan.
£15.00
Quercus Publishing Injury Time: A Novel
Book Synopsis'One of the best football books I've ever read.' John Motson on Provided You Don't Kiss Me 'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed by that attitude. I can assure you it's much more important than that' - Bill ShanklyWhat Shankly said isn't even half-true. In fact, it's bollocks. Football isn't the be-all and end-all of everything. If nothing else, I know that much.As a player, Thom Callaghan was defined by the winning goal he scored in an FA Cup final. The goal wasn't the blessing he imagined it would be. His whole career was defined by that brief moment of glory. With his playing days over, Callaghan, still a local hero, is tempted back to his old club as caretaker manager. His task to rescue it from relegation. He's got the job solely on the recommendation of his former boss and mentor Frank Mallory, now desperately ill and responsible for the team's precipitous decline. Callaghan is pitched into the Premier League during the last months of the 1996-1997 season, where - among reputations more gilded than his own - he finds himself pitted against the likes of Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, chasing their fourth title in five years, and also one of the newest recruits to the English game, Arsene Wenger. Can Callaghan save his club from what seems the inevitability of the drop? Does Mallory - eccentric, inspirational and manipulative - even want him to succeed? What if the prize of a personal triumph isn't worth it in the end?Injury Time is the first novel from the multiple award-winning sportswriter Duncan Hamilton.Trade Review'What I enjoy most about this beautifully written and tender account of the relationship between a nervous young provincial reporter and a football genius is the sense of genuine proximity to its subject, so that Clough's obvious flaws seem forgivable and even beguiling, rather than cruel and unbearable. Wonderful book' Russel Brand, Guardian on Provided You Don't Kiss Me'One of the best football books I've ever read.' John Motson on Provided You Don't Kiss MeHamilton...expresses the passion that millions like him, in pursuit of happiness and belonging, feel for the beautiful game. Simply magnificent * Mail on Sunday *A marriage of prose and detail so fine and fastidious that it takes the breath away * Independent *Justifiably prize-winning * Mail on Sunday *A convincing behind the scenes re-enactment of English football... Hamilton has a perceptively humane understanding of men for whom football was never just a game * Guardian *A fictional look at action, on and off the pitch, past and present, that will leave you smiling * Sun *Set in the last decades of the 20th Century and mingling real-life footballers with fictional characters, this is a thoughtful, entertaining debut novel by one of our finest sports writers, in which the beautiful game becomes a moving metaphor for the vicissitudes of human experience. * Mail on Sunday *With spare, sharp prose and knowing insights, Hamilton has written a heartwarming as well as heartbreaking winner. * Weekend Sport *An immersive character study of people damaged by sport and its temptations of glory, how some overcome, and how others are crushed by it. * Strong Words *
£17.09
Nova Science Publishers Inc FIFA 2022: Qatar, The Legacy
Book SynopsisThis book is intended for a diverse audience including football fans from various parts of the world visiting Qatar for the first time. It is estimated that at least one million people will visit Qatar during the FIFA World Cup 2022. We planned this book to be informative, insightful and holistic. The book covers highly relevant subjects to football, from sport infrastructure, elite athletes' performance, the sport's role in health, media, and climate, to sport enthusiast experience.Table of ContentsPreface; Sports: An Introduction; Football is More Than a Sport and Qatar 2022 is More Than a World Cup; An Overview of Sports Infrastructure in Qatar; Womens Sports in Qatar; Economic Implications of Hosting FIFA World Cup A Study with Special Reference to South Africa, Brazil, Russia and Qatar; The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil; The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa: Economic Impacts; Indirect Economic Impact Linked with FIFA Tournaments; Sports, Football and Media Coverage: A Brief History; Perspective on Challenges of Climate and Environment in Organizing Sports Events; COVID-19 Plays Soccer; Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Top-Tier Football Tournaments; Football and Health Promotion; Recreational Football and Non-Communicable Diseases; Sweat and Genes Research in Elite Athletes in Qatar; Athletic Performance and Nutrition in Extreme Environment; Sports Psychiatry and Psychology: An Overview; Mental Health and Psychological Aspects of Sport: Special Reference to Qatar; Smart Stadium and Smart Customer Experience Management; Sports and Mass Crowd Management; Face Detection for Football Supporters Crowd; Sports, Disability and Assistive Technology Innovations; Heading for Sustainable Sports Stadium, FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar; The Legacy: The Case of Qatar; Index.
£163.19
North Star Editions Portland Timbers
Book SynopsisThis title introduces soccer fans to the history of one of the top MLS clubs, the Portland Timbers. The title features informative sidebars, exciting photos, a timeline, team facts, a glossary, and an index. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards.
£12.34
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd Attacking Soccer: Mastering the Modern Game
Book SynopsisSoccer fans around the world adore the offensive style of play based on fast passing combinations, spectacular dribblings, and the art of beautifully shot goals. The question regarding this style of game is how to coach your team to embrace fast attacking soccer. How do you shape your training to cover all the technical and tactical basics? Peter Schreiner and Norbert Elgert, renowned German coaches, give the right answers, including systematical approaches. Every coach can easily shape his training programs with easy to use exercises, which are richly illustrated.
£12.30
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd Food Guide for Womens Soccer: Tips & Recipes from
Book SynopsisThis handy "how-to" food guide addresses the nutrition questions and concerns of soccer athletes of all ages and abilities to help them achieve success with energy to spare. Soccer athletes are hungry for good nutrition information. They have lots of food questions: • What should I eat before a game? • What about sports drinks? • How much protein should I be eating? Food Guide for Soccer: Tips & Recipes from the Pros will answer those questions—plus others. This easy-to-read book offers practical tips, debunks nutrition myths, and is a simple "how-to" resource for soccer players, their coaches and parents. The text is sprinkled with quotes from professional soccer players as well as recipes, sample menus, and nutrition sidebars.
£13.46
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd Mapping the Pitch: Football Formations Through
Book SynopsisThis book takes an informal and entertaining look at some of the most influential football coaches and teams in the game's history as well as exploring some of the origins of football's more well-known formations and the players who were an integral part of them.By taking an informative yet informal and entertaining look at the history and evolution of football formations and tactics, the author identifies just a few of some of the pioneering figures in the early years of the game, people like Jack Hunter, the visionary coach of Blackburn Olympic who prepared his team for a crucial match by taking them to the seaside for a few days of "...hard running on the town's famous sands as well as a regular diet of oysters, and, very strictly, no beer" and the players of Queen's Park FC who conceived and played tiki-taka football over a century before Pep Guardiola and his all-conquering Barcelona players were even born.Mapping The Pitch looks at some of the great international sides in the game's history, including the Hungary team which so astonished and captivated the sporting world in the 1950's.It also explores the contemporary theme within the game that sees teams enter matches with a mentality of looking not to lose rather than to win, a telling but subtle difference between football today and how it was half a century and more ago, one typified by an emphasis on midfield domination and possession - one that is not so dissimilar to the priorities teams adopted in mob football in the middle ages.
£9.45
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd Real Giants of Soccer Coaching: Insights and
Book SynopsisThe Real Giants of Soccer Coaching is a collection of the curated thoughts of nearly 30 top football coaches around the globe. In this book, you will gain access to the depth and breadth of experience from some of the best coaches across all areas of the beautiful game. You will learn theoretical details about tactical periodization, positional play, and the science of motor learning. You will also learn from Youth National Team Coaches, NCAA National Championship winning coaches, and First Division Coaches from top European clubs. This book is a resource that can direct your education as a coach over and around the perilous pitfalls that often consume most coaches. After reading this book, you will have gained the experience, knowledge, and wisdom of some of the best coaches around the globe across all areas of the game: from grassroots to premier leagues and everything in between. You don’t have to go your coaching path alone. Take this book and bring the wisdom of over 30 top coaches with you to help you navigate every corner, turn, and hazard along your way to becoming a great coach.Table of ContentsJosh Faga is the host of “Just Kickin’ It,” a coaching education podcast that has interviewed some of the best coaches in football to help educate coaches around the world. He is the assistant coach and fitness coach at Duquesne University. Josh has completed the Periodization Mentorship through the World Football Academy. He is currently completing his professional coaching license through the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Josh is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist by the International Sports Science Association (ISSA).
£17.95
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd Why Is Soccer Played Eleven Against Eleven:
Book SynopsisWhy Is Soccer Played Eleven Against Eleven? reveals one hundred facts of football history and rules that are either unknown or little known, such as why football is played eleven against eleven, why football matches last 90 minutes, who the first coach was, how the referee appeared, and who invented goal nets, red and yellow cards, the penalty, and the penalty shoot-out. Included in this book are funny and weird anecdotes, such as the case of a player who scored a goal...without ever having stepped on the pitch, making this book the complete resource on the beautiful game of football. Millions of football fans will find all the answers to any question they could possibly have—including those they may not have thought of—in this amusing, yet informative, book by journalist Luciano Wernicke.
£11.35
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd Relentless: The Story of American Soccer and the
Book SynopsisSoccer players may get all the glory, but behind every great player is a great coach. And behind every great coach today stands a deep fraternity who dedicated decades to supporting soccer's long climb from obscurity to become one of the major sports in America. It was an uphill battle, fought persistently and creatively to overcome a public perception of soccer as "foreign," "aloof," "snobby," or simply "odd." This is a story of individual and collective action, of coaches coming together to improve the sport and expand its reach. From coaching methodologies to standardizing rules, improving the play on the field and the perceptions beyond it, persistent coaches were instrumental in creating the game played and watched today. Relentless tells the landmark and previously untold stories of resolute coaches, their love of the game, and how they transformed the sport in the United States.
£15.26
Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd THE World Cup Book 2022: Everything You Need to
Book SynopsisTHE World Cup 2022 Book is a fun, informative look at the football World Cup. Here you will read summaries of each of the 32 teams competing for the cup, including their team history, current coach, their strategies and tactics on the field, and their top players to watch. The World Cup superstars are all presented, evaluated, and scored. The analyses of the teams and their predicted performance in Qatar will guide you through the many matches. After scanning the QR code, you will have additional bonus material on the leading scorers from past World Cups and background information on FIFA and Qatar; you will discover the interesting role corner kicks play in matches and which are the "top flopping" teams; and those interested in esports will find a brief bonus section on FIFAe. With this book, prepare to enjoy and follow one of the biggest global sporting events, the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
£14.20
G2 Entertainment Ltd Aston Villa FC Quiz Book
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd 29 Minutes from Wembley: The Inside Story of
Book SynopsisOn 10 February 1981 Coventry City stood 29 minutes from Wembley in the League Cup semi-final second leg at West Ham United's Upton Park. Victories over Manchester United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Cambridge United and Watford had taken Gordon Milne's side to the first semi-final in the club's 97-year history. City's youngsters missed out on a trip to Wembley in the cruellest of circumstances after a fantastic first leg at Highfield Road in front of 36,000 fans. For the first time, the cast of 1981 are reunited to tell their stories. 29 Minutes From Wembley features exclusive interviews with players, management, supporters and opposition stars. Contemporary media reports appear alongside memories and retrospectives to recall a wonderful time in Sky Blue history, the team's age averaging just 21. By the summer of 1983 the majority had left the club; here, they tell their individual stories of their time at Coventry City, a club still close to their hearts after all these years. Just how good could that team have been?
£999.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Visionary: Manchester United, Michael Knighton
Book SynopsisMichael Knighton is one of the most notable football entrepreneurs of his generation. Thirty years ago he arrived on the scene at Manchester United, bearing the revolutionary gift of ideas for the transformation of the club's fortunes. Visionary tells the inside story of his time at Old Trafford - a crucial, incendiary era in United's history. Knighton is popularly known as the man who very nearly bought Manchester United for the giveaway price of GBP10 million. Ultimately, he spurned the opportunity to complete the purchase, opting instead to join the board and watch as his radical ideas for a commercial revolution were put into action. Visionary argues the case for Knighton as the architect of the richest football club and greatest sporting brand on the planet - and that it was Knighton's unacknowledged axis with Alex Ferguson that enabled a paradigm shift in United's fortunes on the field of play, leading to unparalleled glories. Sam Wallace of the Daily Telegraph called Michael's tale 'one of the great football stories of our time'.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Flight to Bogota: England's Football Rebel, Neil
Book SynopsisFlight to Bogota tells the incredible story of one of the most infamous episodes in English sporting history, when a group of British footballers turned their backs on club and country before the 1950 World Cup for a sporting El Dorado in Colombia. It was a rebellion led by first-choice England centre-half Neil Franklin. The book charts how the players were secretly lured away from Britain, amid Franklin's strident complaints of 'serfdom' in English football, their brief struggles to adapt to Colombian life and the fallout once they humiliatingly returned home to face the wrath of club and country. This escapade was a personal failure for Franklin and left his career in tatters. But the players' vociferous defence of their behaviour enlightened a shocked nation about how clubs mistreated footballers. Ultimately, it led to reforms that would financially benefit future footballing generations, but hopes of vast riches proved nothing more than an illusion for Franklin and his fellow 'football bandits' as they embarked on their 'Flight to Bogota'.
£16.79
Biteback Publishing Hillsborough Untold: Aftermath of a Disaster
Book SynopsisOn 15 April 1989, ninety-six spectators lost their lives at Sheffield's Hillsborough Stadium as they gathered for an FA Cup semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. The events of that spring afternoon sparked a controversy that continues to reverberate through British football and policing to this day.Norman Bettison, a Chief Inspector in the South Yorkshire Police at the time of the Hillsborough disaster, witnessed the tragedy as a spectator at the match. Since then, he has found himself one of the focal points of outrage over the actions of the police. Comments he made in the wake of the Hillsborough Independent Panel in 2012 stoked further criticism in the press and in Parliament and, in October 2012, he resigned from his job as Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police.This personal account describes how the Hillsborough disaster unfolded, provides an insight into what was happening at South Yorkshire Police headquarters in the aftermath, and gives an objective and compassionate account of the bereaved families' long struggle for justice, all the while charting the author's journey from innocent bystander to a symbol of a perceived criminal conspiracy.
£17.09
Biteback Publishing Home From Home: A West Ham Supporter's Struggle
Book SynopsisWest Ham United, the object of an irrational affection that has dominated the life of journalist and writer Brian Williams, has moved from its old home to what was the Olympic Stadium in Stratford. It is not a move he welcomed. It's not just the football itself. The supporters have left behind all the match day rituals that go with the game. A pint in the Denmark Arms, a hot dog in Priory Road, an occasional trip to the wonderful Newham Bookshop. East Ham is a residential area, with all the amenities that go with it. The same cannot be said of the Olympic Park, which surrounds the new stadium. No pubs, no chippies - and certainly no mobile phone shops like the one in the Barking Road Brian regularly walked past that proudly announced it also sold baby chickens. All of this has been replaced by a soulless stadium and corporate catering, with not a baby chicken to be had for love or money. Williams charts the most momentous change in his club's history by comparing the last season at his beloved Boleyn Ground with the first at West Ham's new home. In doing so he delivers a passionate lament for a time when football was the people's game, not a cynical exercise in developing a customer base or building a marketable brand. A crie de coer that will ring true not just for battle scarred Hammers, but with fans of all clubs, great and small.
£12.34
Biteback Publishing Vince: The Autobiography of Vince Hilaire
Book SynopsisA cult football figure, Vince Hilaire's career spanned over 600 games and took in spells at Crystal Palace, Portsmouth, Leeds United and Stoke City, playing in every professional division as well as for England at Youth and Under 21 levels. Hilaire shared a dressing room with some of the stars of the era including Kenny Sansom, Mick Channon, Gordon Strachan and Vinnie Jones, and was managed by some of the biggest figures in British football - Malcolm Allison, Terry Venables, Alan Ball and Howard Wilkinson. This book offers a fascinating insight into the methods of these managers - Allison and Venables' desperation to produce a side that rivalled the free-flowing football of the famous `Busby Babes', contrasting with the dourness and rigidity of Wilkinson's Leeds. One of the first black players to break into the professional game, Vince made his professional debut at seventeen and was a member of the famous `Team of the `80s at Palace that topped the First Division table. He details exactly why that team fell apart so quickly and the chaos that subsequently engulfed the club. Vince also outlines the regular abuse that he faced as a young black player making his way in football and the dread he felt playing at certain grounds. This massively entertaining autobiography gives a fascinating insight into the beautiful game as it used to be played.
£12.34
Biteback Publishing Kicking Back
Book Synopsis'My identity is built on conflicts, and I'm proud of who I am ... I can walk through the rest of my life with something to say.' Nedum Onuoha was not a typical footballer. A young black Mancunian picked by the Manchester City Academy aged ten, he was determined to continue his education despite the lure of a career under the floodlights. Fiercely intelligent on and off the pitch, Onuoha developed into a talented defender and played his part in City's meteoric rise. He was at the Etihad Stadium when they won their first Premier League title - as an opposition player for QPR, having left the Blues just four months earlier. In this characteristically forthright book, Onuoha reveals what goes on behind the scenes at top-tier clubs. Stuffed with insights into household names like Stuart Pearce, Sven-Goeran Eriksson, Roberto Mancini and Harry Redknapp, this is football and its most famous figures as you've never seen them before. Kicking Back is also the story of one man's search for identity: as a footballer, as a black man in England and as an outsider in the US during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. What is it like to receive horrific racist abuse while doing your job? And how has football utterly failed the black community? Onuoha provides a damning assessment of the sport's authorities, finally claiming his voice as he dives deep into a life spent on the pitch.
£18.00
Octopus Publishing Group Arsène Who?: The Story of Wenger's 1998 Double
Book SynopsisNobody had heard of Arsène Wenger when he took charge of Arsenal in October 1996. 'Arsène Who?' was the headline. Yet within less than two full seasons, he transformed an underperforming side into league and FA Cup winners, in the process playing with breath-taking style, sparking an epoch-defining rivalry with Alex Ferguson and Manchester United and modernising football in England with his ground-breaking methods.Built around over 150 exclusive interviews with key players, coaches, staff and opponents, and rich in behind-the-scenes stories, personal accounts of triumph, tragedy, hilarity and heartbreak, Arsène Who? relives Arsenal's rocky road to the 1998 Double and the inception of the Wenger revolution.It is a portrait of a collection of troubled and ageing stars who bonded with foreign newcomers to achieve immortality. It is a snapshot of a shifting cultural and sporting landscape epitomised by the Gunners' rise. And it is the tale of an unheralded mastermind who guided his team to new heights.Arsène Who? is the inside story of how Wenger took Arsenal to the top of English football and changed the game forever.
£20.90
Pitch Publishing Ltd When Asia Welcomed the World: The 2002 World Cup
Book SynopsisWhen Asia Welcomed the World tells the story of the 2002 World Cup, a tournament that will be remembered for many reasons, from heart-warming stories to dark accusations. The book resurrects the great characters that lit up 2002's biggest footballing stage, including Ronaldo, Oliver Kahn, David Beckham and Ru?tu Recber, as well as humbling defeats for the game's giants at the hands of comparative minnows. It also explores the tournament's controversies and issues that arose before it had even begun. This was Asia's first ever World Cup, with South Korea and Japan also acting as the continent's first ever co-hosts. The tournament's legacy has proved to be a divisive one, but it has remained ingrained in football's collective memory for 20 years and will continue to do so.
£18.99
