Sports teams and clubs Books

Book SynopsisThe author made his fortune building a mobile phone company from scratch. When he sold it for GBP75 million, he bought Crystal Palace FC, the club he'd supported as a boy, and led them into the Premier League. Ten years later Palace was in administration and Jordan had lost nigh on everything. This title tells his story.Trade ReviewIf you are a football fan and have not read this book, you are missing out -- John InverdaleWe all love the idea of owning our boyhood club but [Jordan's] memoir strips away the romance in a frequently hilarious, often alarming account * The Times *No punches pulled * Independent *A frank and brutal insight into why football and business don't mix -- Theo PaphitisI couldn't help laughing... He can't half tell a story * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisSimon Lister is a cricket writer and senior BBC news producer. His first book, Supercat the authorised biography of Clive Lloyd was short-listed for the British Sports Book of the Year award. It was, said the Guardian, beautifully written'. He has been a contributor to the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack and has covered the county game for the Sunday Telegraph. For ten years, his magazine column, Eyewitness, appeared in The Wisden Cricketer and its successor The Cricketer.Trade ReviewI doubt there will be a better book written about this period in West Indies cricket history -- Clive LloydOutstanding... Lister's book works magnificently not just because he tells a great story with unfussy clarity and journalistic rigour but because - like the best sports books - it is not content to stick to sport. -- Richard Whitehead * The Times *A perceptive and comprehensive account that more than cricket knows -- Gideon HaighCalm and fair, but with pace and bounce, the story of the most feared team cricket has ever seen -- Matthew EngelAs near definitive as you could want...expert and knowledgeable -- Danny Kelly * Observer *

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Book SynopsisFrom German unification to the birth of the Bundesliga and beyond, this book tells the history of Germany’s cult football club and its famously left wing fan baseTrade Review'Football has always been tribal, but this book shows how tribalism can be a force for good. Radicalism, social inclusion and joy all have their place on the terraces; there's more than one Marcus Rashford out there!' -- Val McDermid'Fascinating and profoundly political' -- Cas Mudde, author of The Far Right Today (Polity, 2019) and host of the podcast RADIKAAL'A fascinating history of the football club, and explain how politics, music, art and sport combine on the terraces in the fight against discrimination. A powerful and mesmerising book about football, and how it can be a force for good in an often corrupt and capitalist world' -- FourFourTwo'A well-founded club history' -- '11Freunde''An engaging history … it is a tale unlike any other sports team' -- Counterpunch'A timely reminder of the power of the football club, as a cultural and societal institution, in many ways more powerful than a religious place of worship or a town hall' -- Sportsman'Less overlapping full-backs, catenaccio and gegenpresse, more punk rock, autonomia and Gramscian theory, this is no ordinary football book' -- Football PinkTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword by Deniz Naki Abbreviations Preface PART I - INFORMAL BEGINNINGS 1. The Birth of German Football 2. Football Reaches Hamburg, Sankt Pauli is Founded 3. The Club’s Early Years PART II - WAR AND PEACE: FROM THE THIRD REICH TO THE BUNDESLIGA 4. Sankt Pauli under the Swastika 5. Postwar Successes and the Magnificent Eleven 6. The New Millerntor Stadium 7. Creation of the German League PART III - CULT PIRATES OF THE LEAGUE 8. From the Regional Leagues to the Second Division 9. Transition from Neighbourhood to Kult Club 10. Fußball Gegen Nazis PART IV - STANDS WITH A CONSCIENCE 11. A Unique Mix of Football and Social Projects 12. The Rebel’s Choice of St. Pauli-Celtic 13. From Hell to Centenary 14. Social Romantics Try to Reclaim the Club 15. Stadium Ultras’ Antifascism in 2002 PART V - ST. PAULI: PASSION WITHOUT BORDERS 16. Global Expansion and the Fan Clubs in England, Scotland and Ireland 17. The Unfinished Business of Women’s Football 18. Music, Democracy and Solidarity in the District and Stadium 19. St. Pauli is the Only Option Epilogue: Against Modern Football Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn an era of superstar prima donnas, Stuart Pearce''s total commitment on the pitch earned him the affection of football fans everywhere, who nicknamed him Psycho. He will forever be remembered for two penalties - one missed and scored - for England, but there is so much more to him than that. This book reveals the fascinating story of one of football''s greatest personalities. PSYCHO is as honest and straightforward as the man himself.Trade ReviewPsycho was no.6 in the Observer and no.7 in the Daily and Sunday Telegraph bestseller listsRightly a big seller because the former England captain has had a long and varied career and has always displayed a nice line in dry humour * David Lacey, Guardian *Unputdownable ... Pearce's honesty shines through * Sarah Edworthy, Daily Telegraph *Typically honest * Stephen Moss, Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThis book tells the fascinating story of West Ham United Football Club during the First World War, charting the relationship between war and football by following the pursuits of West Ham from 1913/14 to 1918/19. In many ways, it was their success in wartime competitions that led to them being accepted into the Football League in 1919, paving the way for subsequent FA Cup and League success. As well as a football story, this book is about the impact of the war on Britain. It documents the social implications of war on Londoners and the social and political influence of football, the armed forces and civilians alike. Looking closely at the 13th Service Battalion, also known as the West Ham Pals', the book includes such players as George Kay, Ted Hufton, and their manager and coach, Syd King and Charlie Paynter respectively.

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Book SynopsisIn We Are Celtic Supporters Richard Purden examines what created the culture, ideas and beliefs around Celtic football club. In new and exclusive interviews with supporters, he explores the Celtic way of life and the rich traditions that give context to much of the support while deconstructing some myths along the way. As a travelling supporter he visits a variety of fans in locations such as New York, Spain, Germany, Italy and various parts of the UK. He talks to well-known Celtic supporters such as James MacMillan about the often misrepresented Catholic roots, to Pat Nevin about why he fell out of love with the club and to a number of well-known rock ''n'' rollers such as Noel Gallagher, Bobby Gillespie and Johnny Marr. We Are Celtic Supporters gives the inside story of how major events in Celtic''s history have shaped the identity of the fans, and what it really means to follow this unique football club.Trade Review'We Are Celtic supporters hits you in a flourish of green and white...you don't need to be a Celtic supporter to find this book an absorbing read' * John Gibson, Edinburgh Evening News *'The book is an incisive, thoughtful and necessarily partisan look at one of the world's most recognisable clubs' * football-books.com *'The book of the year... The book, like Celtic, is more than football' * Simon Dames, Catholic Times *'There is no excuse if you haven't read this book' * Nathan Amin, TalkCeltic.net *'Hoops fans are well represented in this heart-warming book... He seeks out the people, passion and humour and what it means to support the club' * John Murray, Leith F.M *'This is a terrific, well written and beautifully pitched book, something football fans, especially Celtic fans have been waiting for; for a long time' * Andrew O'Hagan, author of The Missing *'We Are Celtic supporters hits you in a flourish of green and white...you don't need to be a Celtic supporter to find this book an absorbing read' * Edinburgh Evening News *'The book is an incisive, thoughtful and necessarily partisan look at one of the world's most recognisable clubs' * football-books.com *'The book of the year... The book, like Celtic, is more than football' * Simon Dames, Catholic Times *'An excellent book which is part social history and part contemporary snapshot of the diverse nature of the Celtic support' * Not The View *'There is no excuse if you haven't read this book' * Nathan Amin, TalkCeltic.net *'The Celtic soul is all about the support & you'll feel & touch it here!' * Matt McGlone, Editor of the Alternative View magazine and author of Emotionally Celtic *'Hoops fans are well represented in this heart-warming book... He seeks out the people, passion and humour and what it means to support the club' * John Murray, Leith F.M *

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Book SynopsisDavid Conn's journey from supporter to sceptic - an impassioned look at what modern football means for its fans.Trade Review'The best football book I have read for a long time' Sam Wallace, Independent. * Independent *'Superb. Nick Hornby meets Michael Crick' Rob Draper, Mail on Sunday. * Mail on Sunday *'A must read' Tony Evans, The Times. * The Times *Table of ContentsIn the Heart of Europe. Sky Blue. Abu Dhabi United. 'The Joy Was Just Coming'. His Excellency the Chairman. Ghost Town. Richer Than God. Swales out. Forward with Franny. The Money Game. The Club Which Ate Itself. In the Money. The Council House. There's Only One Frank Sinatra. Welcome to Manchester. Manchester Thanks You, Sheikh Mansour. The People's Game. The Beautiful Game. The Colossus. We're Not Really Here. Champions. Bibliography. Acknowledgements. Index.

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Book SynopsisAN EPIC SWINDLE is the inside story of how Liverpool FC came within hours of being re-possessed by the banks after the shambolic 44-month reign of American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett. It is the tale of a civil war that dragged Britain''s most successful football club to its knees, through the High Court and almost into administration. Players Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher tell of their anger at the broken promises, as well as their pain at watching loyal fans in open revolt. Manager, chief executive, board members, leading fans and journalists reveal the turmoil at a revered sporting institution run by two men at war with each other, who trampled Liverpool''s cherished traditions into the gutter. No story sums up the naked greed at the heart of modern football quite like Hicks'' and Gillett''s attempt to turn a buck at Liverpool. No-one has had as much access to the truth, or tells it with as much passion, wit and insight as Brian Reade. AN EPIC STrade Review'The riveting inside story of how Liverpool FC was dragged to its knees' Daily Mirror. * Daily Mirror *

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Book SynopsisThe story of Leeds Unitedâs roller coaster ride through the 21st century from Champions League semi-finals to financial mismanagement, boardroom wrangles and relegation â and hope of their eventual return to the top tier.

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Book Synopsis50th anniversary edition of the story of the team that caused the last, great FA Cup upset...''Times have changed but this book is an engrossing reminder for all fans'' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY''An essential piece of British football history for fans of any club. Brilliantly researched and written with an undisguised passion'' Guy Mowbray, BBC''s Match of the DayToday, it seems inconceivable that a team from the lower reaches of the Championship could beat the likes of Chelsea or Manchester United in the FA Cup Final. Yet, on 5 May 1973 that is exactly what happened. Six months earlier, Bob Stokoe took on an ailing Sunderland team, struggling at the bottom of the second division. But the long road to Wembley sees them beating Arsenal and Manchester City to reach the final, where they face Don Revie''s mighty Leeds United in a game few expect them to win. Yet what lies ninety minutes ahead is the greatest FA Cup Final shock of all time. Sunderland''Trade ReviewTimes have changed but this book is an engrossing reminder for all fans, not just Mackems, of the way it was * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *An essential piece of British football history for fans of any club. Brilliantly researched and written with an undisguised passion -- Guy Mowbray * BBC'S MATCH OF THE DAY *The angel is in the detail of such a loving work; you really get to know the players who beat Leeds United at Wembley -- Patrick Barclay * THE TIMES *Through sport, quite ordinary folk can attain heroic status. Lance Hardy's entertaining book shows how it happens * THE JOURNAL *Evoking the atmosphere of a vanished footballing age, this is a fascinating account of a true David and Goliath sporting encounter * SOUTH WALES ARGUS *If you like a fairytale, a story of an underdog or just a great football book, then make sure you pick up this brilliant account * InBedWithMaradona.com *It is, without exaggeration, probably the finest football book that I have ever had the pleasure of reading -- Dan Williams * ROKERREPORT.COM *I very much warmed to a familiar story, given added depth by amusing material, genuine feeling and honest appraisal * WHEN SATURDAY COMES *As essential piece of British football history for fans of any club. Brillaintly researched and written with an undisguised passion. -- Guy Mowbray * BBC's MATCH OF THE DAY *The angel is in the detail of such a loving work; you really get to know the players who beat Leeds United at Wembley. -- Patrick Barclay * TIMES *Times have changed but this book is an engrossing reminder for all fans, not just Mackems, of the way it was. -- Simon Redfern * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Through sport, quite ordinary folk can attain heroic status. Lance Hardy's entertaining book shows how it happens. * THE JOURNAL *Evoking the atmosphere of a vanished footballing age, this is a fascinating account of a true David and Goliath sporting encounter. * SOUTH WALES ARGUS *If you like a fairytale, a story of an underdog or just a great football book, then make sure you pick up this brilliant account. * IN BED WITH MARADONA.COM *It is, without exaggeration, probably the finest football book that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. -- Dan Williams * ROKERREPORT.COM *

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Book SynopsisIn 1978, when Alex Duff first went to watch Brentford, players would go on midweek pub crawls near the Griffin Park stadium. Sometimes, in no fit state to go home, they would crash out in a terraced home where one of them lived opposite the stadium gates. The next morning, they clambered into a white van which one of them would drive to training, stopping on the way for a bacon sandwich and cup of tea at a greasy spoon café. Brentford had once played in the top-flight but now, idling in the third division, were a second home for players and supporters, but there was neither the ambition nor money to revive their best days. They bumbled along until in 2005, fed up with trying to make a profit from a club with an ageing stadium in an unfashionable west London suburb, owner Ron Noades agreed to hand over the business to supporters on the condition they take over responsibility for their 5.5 million overdraft. One of the fans, an Oxford University physics graduate call

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Book SynopsisLess than a decade ago, a warlock sat in a cloud of incense in the car park at Rotherham United''s tatty old Millmoor Ground, chanting incantations and putting a curse on the Millers. Since then, the South Yorkshiremen have plunged to the brink of losing their place in the Football League, been docked a bagful of points for financial irregularities, and came within minutes of extinction. Whether the warlock had anything to do with it all is anyone''s guess, but the Millers were certainly in trouble. Rotherham United are now, a few short years later, playing in a brand-new GBP20 million stadium and looking to power their way back up the league. In May 2013 they were promoted to League One. It''s been a real roller-coaster ride for the club, from their humble beginnings at the dawn of the game to today, but the years have certainly produced a legion of stories and characters - and will no doubt continue to do so. Rotherham United: A Pictorial History tells the story of the Millers, illustrated in full colour with pictures from the Rotherham Advertiser''s archives.

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Book SynopsisFor the first time in detail, the story of the formation of the Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

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Book SynopsisA high-quality, full-colour pictorial history of the Owls, illustrated throughout.

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Book SynopsisThe complete and definitive history of the Whites.

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Book SynopsisThe definitive account of Leicester City''s astonishing rise from relegation certainties to Premier League title winners: the greatest achievement in the modern football era.King Power Stadium, countdown to kick off. Out on the pitch a lone brass player sounds the haunting Post Horn Gallop, for 80 years the home players'' entrance tune. Spines tingle. Air is gulped into opposition lungs. Game time, time to begin the chase. Burning fox eyes peer down from between the decks of one of the stands. On the stadium''s outside wall a royal blue LCD display says #Fearless.Welcome to Leicester City. They were always a club with a difference but in 2015-16 they created a story that in modern football stands unique. Who could believe it: from relegation certainties to champions of England? It was when, on behalf of every small club, dreams were hunted at the King Power, a season where the impossible became merely quarry.5,000-1 shots when the campaign started, Lei

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Book SynopsisGraeme Souness is a Glasgow Rangers icon, and a Liverpool legend in the same bracket as Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.He has racked up getting on for fifty years in and around the world of professional football. The game has been his life, and his enduring passion.Souness has written a perceptive and opinionated autobiography. It chronicles one of the most successful and colourful careers in the history of British football. But it also provides an intriguing assessment of the game which has dominated his existence, drawing extensively on his incredibly rich and varied experiences as a player, manager and pundit.The result is a shrewd, incisive and hard-hitting memoir, at times tinged with hindsight and regret, which also grapples with many of the major talking points affecting the game today. It is shot through with Souness'' trademark tenacity and wisdom, and with fantastic anecdotes from his glittering career.In many ways, FoTrade ReviewWhen Graeme Souness talks about football there are, naturally enough, frequent reminders of how he played the game. Intelligence and confidence are much in evidence and some subjects are tackled as abrasively as opponents on the field once were. - The Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis''pulls no punches'' The Sun''full of eventful tales from the past'' Daily Mail''punchy, earthy ... entertaining stories that capture football in an era long before sanitised PR and Instagram self-promotion'' The IndependentFrom West Ham''s cult hero, Julian Dicks, a hugely entertaining romp through football and the East End of the Eighties and Nineties.''Cult figure'' is a term hardly used in football these days: where have they all gone? In the sterile and corporate modern game, is there room for the mercurial midfielder or the tough-tackling defender or the pot-bellied goal poacher? Rewind two or three decades and British professional football was stuffed to the gunnels with these ''one-offs'': players with bags of talent, yes, but also lorryloads of personality and a hugely relatable quality which meant they''d all be playing Sunday morning park football if they hadn''t become professionals. No med

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Book SynopsisA compelling examination of football club ownership in the era of the super-richOnce upon a time football was run by modest local businessmen. Today it is the plaything of billionaire oligarchs, staggeringly wealthy from oil and gas, from royalty, or from murkier sources. But who are these new masters of the universe? Where did all their money come from? And what do they want with our beautiful game? While almost cloaked in secrecy, the billionaire owner has to raise his head above the bunker when it comes to football ownership a rare Achilles heel that allows access to worlds normally off limits journalists and outsiders. In the Billionaires Club James Montague delves deeper than anyone ever dared, to tell this story for the first time. He criss-crosses the world from Dhaka to Doha, from China to Crewe, from St Louis to London, from Bangkok to Belgium to profile this new elite, their network of money and their influence that defies geographic boundaries.The BillionTrade ReviewThe business-minded and the football crazy… will find [this book] hard to resist * Sunday Times *The Billionaires Club seeks to understand why the global super-rich suddenly became interested in football, and what the consequences of this trend have been * Irish Times *A fascinating read for the many football fans interested in the developments off pitch * Financial Times *Both surprising and insightful … The book does a fine job of examining just why rich men choose to plough oodles of money into football * FourFourTwo *Montague… proves himself adept here at rustling up enlightening stories on the game from relatively far-flung outposts and placing them in the context of a broader global picture * When Saturday Comes *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part One - Eastern Europe: Rise of the Oligarchs Part Two - America: The Money men Part Three - Asia: Dawn of the East Part Four - The Middle East: Princes and Sheikhs Postscript Acknowledgements Index

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Book Synopsis A sense of impending doom surrounded the New Jersey Nets. No matter how well things were going for the perennial underdogs, something would go wrong sooner or later--injuries, bad trades, inner conflicts. But if the Nets were never a stable organization, it made following them as entertaining as it was painful. The team''s 2012 move to Brooklyn was supposed to make a clean break with their past. That past was in fact rich and eventful, filled with heroes, often unfairly vilified or underappreciated. Shedding new light on the careers of such figures as Julius Erving, Buck Williams, Sam Bowie, Derrick Coleman, Stephon Marbury, Jason Kidd and Vince Carter, this book celebrates a team of strong-willed individuals whose best efforts always ended in heartbreak.Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction: Hello, Brooklyn  1. ABA to NBA, Jersey to New York to Jersey  2. Trading, Leaving, Winning  3. Good Luck, Buck  4. New Logo, New Problems  5. Imagine Swamp Dragons  6. Truth or Dare  7. A New Hope  8. All Alone  9. What the Kidd Did 10. As Close as It Gets 11. The Beginning of the End 12. Two Carters 13. The Fall 14. Goodbye, Jersey Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

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In his entertaining and informative new book, Sir Clive Woodward analyses the events of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, offering his unique perspective on the performance of players and coaches, from Owen Farrell and Kieran Read, to Eddie Jones and Steve Hansen.HOW TO WIN:Rugby and Leadership from Twickenham to Tokyo is much more than the story of a tournament, however. It is the distillation of a philosophy of leadership developed during a lifetime in high-performance environments, from the rugby field to the boardroom. Tapping into his experience of winning the 2003 World Cup, being a part of the leadership team that delivered Olympic Success in 2012 and lessons drawn from Japan 2019, the author delivers a go-to manual in how to improve both individual and team performance in order to reach the pinnacle in sport and in business.Every individual position in rugby requires a unique set of skills, knowledge and expertise that collectively form a balanced team; the same is true in any successful business or organisation. From 1 to 15, the former England and British and Irish Lions coach identifies the key attributes and uses these defining traits to explain his collaborative 'Teamship' leadership style.With a fascinating blend of analysis, insight and anecdote, and the highs and lows of a memorable Rugby World Cup as the setting, Clive reveals how to lead the culture of a winning team - in any context.

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Book Synopsis'Extraordinary . . . great fun' Barry Egan, Irish Sunday Independent'A wonderful story . . . vivid and comprehensive.' Stephen Jones, Sunday Times''Throughout it all though there is a feeling of warmth for the sport and for others. Above all there is a sense of achievement . . . Best was never one of the glamour boys, but he deserves star billing.' Daily TelegraphRory Best is widely-regarded as one of Ireland's greatest ever captains. Entrusted by Joe Schmidt to lead the side that looked on the wane following the 2015 World Cup, Best's inspirational leadership skills and abrasive qualities proved to be the foundation stones for the most successful period in Ireland's history.His first year in charge saw Ireland complete a hat-trick of victories against the southern hemisphere 'Big Three', including leading his side to a first ever victory over world champions New Zealand in Chicago, a feat that etched Best's place in Irish sporting folklore and ended the All Blacks' record-winning streak of 18 Test victories.Ireland's annus mirabilis under Best's captaincy would come in 2018 however, when he led the side to only their third Grand Slam title, culminating with a famous victory over England at Twickenham, and a record-breaking run of 12 successive Test victories.When he stepped down as Ireland captain at the age of 37 following the World Cup in Japan, his fourth tournament, history will no doubt also judge Best to be one of their greatest forwards.A hugely-popular figure across the game, Best finished his career as Ireland's most capped forward, behind only Brian O'Driscoll and Ronan O'Gara in the all-time records, and also made over 200 appearances for his province Ulster.

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Book SynopsisThis updated edition of the bestselling and wildly popular I Am the Secret Footballer features a new introduction and an additional chapter. The anonymous writer of the Guardian's 'Secret Footballer' column gives Premier League fans an insider's look into the unseen world of professional football.'It is often said that 95% of what happens in football takes place behind closed doors. Many of these stories I shouldn't be telling you. But I will.'Who is The Secret Footballer? Only a few people know the true identity of the man inside the game. Whoever he is-and whatever team he plays for - TSF is always honest, fearless and opinionated. Here he takes readers past the locker-room door and reveals the inner workings of a professional club, the exhilarating highs and crushing lows, and what it's really like to do the job most of us can only dream of doing.TFS chronicles the exploits of his Premiership colleagues with a gimlet eye and frank humour. Managers, agents and players are not spared from his observations - their mindsets, their relationships with those outside the sport, their behaviour good and bad. In his inimitable style, TSF recounts entertaining and eyebrow-raising vignettes, naming names and dropping colourful details along the way.

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Book SynopsisFOOTBALL'S BIGGEST CHARACTERS TELL IT LIKE IT ISWho is the Secret Footballer? Well he's back and this time his mates speak out too.Players, agents, coaches and managers give you access to all areas of the Premier League. From deal-making to play-making, from dodgy tactics to drunken antics, they reveal the unforgettable highs and the unforgivable lows.This is football as you've never seen it before. 'What happens behind closed doors at Premiership clubs usually stays firmly shut behind closed doors. Not if the Secret Footballer has anything to do with it.' Loaded **From the bestselling author of I am the Secret Footballer and The Secret Footballer's Guide to the Modern Game.**

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Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning author of NO HUNGER IN PARADISEOutside the global spotlight, footballers don't drive Aston Martins or pose for underwear ads. This is war. This is life. This is football.Michael Calvin turned up for the first day of pre-season training at Millwall FC. 333 days later, he sat among the subs at Wembley.Over the course of a season, he witnessed the intimate everyday life of a football club far from the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, and the unique characters that come together every day on the field. These are dedicated, hard-working family men, close to their roots, 'playing for the people who hate their jobs, who'd love our lives.' Forget about the over-hyped circus of the Premier League. This is the beautiful game in all its raucous glory: essential reading for anyone whom football is a way of life.

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Book SynopsisRed Odyssey: Liverpool FC 1892-2017, is a uniquely affectionate and often deeply moving history of one of the greatest sporting institutions on the planet. Born in the fire of boardroom conflict and launched into the humble surroundings of the Lancashire League, Liverpool Football Club not only endured but rose to conquer all of Europe, leaving its local rivals trailing in its wake. This journey through the ages represents a thrilling sporting odyssey, packed with heroes and foes, victors and villains. It features tales of conquest and heroic homecomings as well as soul-crushing defeats. Its people have endured great tragedy and fought for both redemption and vindication. Modern-day Liverpool supporters, standing on the shoulders of their forebears, are tough, gritty, irreverent and united. These qualities have sustained them for 125 years, and they run through the book like a golden thread. Red Odyssey is 125 individual love letters to Liverpool FC and its people, written with a Scouse accent.

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Book SynopsisRecord Breakers: The Inside Story of Notts County's Momentous 1997/98 Title Triumph delves into the inner sanctum of a basement-league dressing room in the 90s, as its inhabitants attempt to write themselves into the history books. Led by future England boss Sam Allardyce, taking some of his first managerial steps, Record Breakers is the inspirational tale of how the world's oldest Football League club fought back from a plunge down the divisions, falling attendances and financial strife to become the first side in post-war English football to win a title in March. The momentous feat is relived by the players themselves, lending a unique insight into their record run. It's packed with characters and anecdotes, and augmented with memories of supporters who lived through this season of tumbling records. From training ground punch-ups to transfer tales and unforgettable celebrations, Record Breakers is a remarkable winners' story in what now seems a bygone era.

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Book SynopsisMagical Magyars tells the remarkable story of the legendary Hungarian football team of the 50s, a side whose breathtaking technical skills and passing-and-movement style of play changed the very way the sport was played. Author David Bailey traces the team's origins and details how communist Hungary, a tiny nation impoverished and subjugated by one of the most brutal Stalinist regimes in the Soviet empire, was able to produce a football team that was the envy of the sporting world, and so very nearly world champions. Captained by the genius that was Ferenc Puskas, the Magical Magyars walked a tightrope between being the regime's darlings and providing the beleaguered Hungarian people with a sense of national pride during their darkest days. The team enthralled, dominated and revolutionised world football - until its own demise was brought about by a revolution of a different kind. Weaving in threads of friendship and betrayal, tactics and politics, the quest for glory and upheaval, here is a football story quite unlike any other.

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Book SynopsisThe Celtic v Rangers clash in Glasgow is one of football's major events, attracting a huge TV audience worldwide. Author David Potter revels in the joy that a victory over the old rivals brings to the Celtic support, reliving some of the club's greatest ever derby-day triumphs from the 1890s right up to date. Here is an expert selection of 50 such legendary occasions, rich in detail and atmosphere, and all the topic of fervent discussion over the years. We hear of Jimmy Quinn's hat-trick in 1904, the astonishing Scottish Cup semi-final of 1925, the 7-1 Scottish League Cup Final of 1957, the 4-0 thrashing in the 1969 Scottish Cup Final, the 6-2 'Demolition Derby' of 2000, plus many landmark games of a more recent vintage. Celtic's greatest players - Henrik Larsson, Jimmy McGrory, Patsy Gallacher, Charlie Tully, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy McNeill and Scott Brown - appear frequently in these pages, as do many others who all played their part in what is traditionally the greatest party of them all, when Celtic beat Rangers!

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Book SynopsisIn the 1980s Manchester United was the footballing byword for underachievement. The club had struggled to rediscover its identity after the shock dismissal of Tommy Docherty in 1977 and a four-year spell under Dave Sexton, a highly respected coach but the polar opposite of his predecessor. Ron Atkinson brought the thrills back to Old Trafford and won two FA Cups before being dismissed in November 1986. 'Big Ron' was the latest in a long line of managers who tried but failed to win the prize United wanted most - the First Division championship. Yet contrary to his reputation for glorious failure, Que Sera, Sera reveals how Atkinson's footballing ideals made him the perfect man to lead the biggest club in the country. Drawing on meticulous research and exclusive interviews, Wayne Barton shines a guiding light on a greatly neglected period of Manchester United history that was filled with big characters and big controversy. Here, for the first time, are the unbridled views of the players, chairman Martin Edwards and 'Big Ron' himself.

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Book SynopsisFergus McCann Versus David Murray charts the changing fortunes of Glasgow's two great footballing rivals as shaped by two business moguls. Both men came to prominence in the 1990s when new methods of governance and finance were taking hold of football. At the start of the decade, under Murray's chairmanship, Rangers were the dominant force and the club went on to win a record-equalling nine consecutive league titles. Their success, however, was built on an extravagant spending strategy, which caused a financial catastrophe. Celtic, by contrast, were struggling in the early 1990s, thanks to a complacent and nepotistic board of directors. But McCann took charge of the club in 1994 and turned things around. The new owner left Parkhead having won the league, rebuilt the stadium and left his shares in the hands of supporters. It was Murray, however, who was lauded in the media throughout his tenure at Ibrox, while McCann was chastised. Ultimately, though, their legacies would be utterly different from those misleading media portrayals.Trade Review"A thorough and powerful analysis... very well-written." --FootballBookReviews.com; "Thoroughly researched and well-written... a fascinating account, warts and all." --When Saturday Comes; "I remain impressed and even overwhelmed by what is a vivid, readable and informative account on the rather tawdry, sordid and sometimes dishonest world of football economics." --David Potter, The Celtic Star; "What's detailed by O'Donnell in his forensic examination of the financial fortunes of the Glasgow giants, Celtic and Rangers, is the truth. Even if it hurts." --The Irish News

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Book SynopsisThe period leading up to 1999 had been grim for Stoke City fans - relegation, stagnation, embarrassment and board conflicts were commonplace at the club. As the new millennium approached, fans demanded change, but no one could have predicted what would come next. An Icelandic consortium, brought together by Gudjon Thordarson, set sail for the Potteries with the promise of exciting foreign imports and Premier League football. What followed was a mixture of flashy arrivals, cup successes, broken curses, flop signings and plenty of fallouts, with extraordinary on-field moments along the way. Cult heroes and villains were made as Stoke became a living soap opera for seven remarkable years. Twinned with Reykjavik lifts the lid on that rollercoaster ride with the views of the people who experienced the wild journey. Integral players and fans look back on the key moments that defined the era as the book ponders that vital question: was the Icelandic takeover actually a success for Stoke City?

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Book SynopsisThe Miracle is the inside story of how Greece shocked the footballing world by winning the 2004 European Championship. This incredible underdog tale shows how these 150-1 outsiders went from a team given no chance to being crowned kings of Europe, defeating the host nation in the final. Vasilis Sambrakos retraces Greece's journey by meeting most of Otto Rehagel's squad 15 years after their momentous triumph. The book is both an enthralling football story of victory against the odds and an in-depth look at how a winning team is constructed from the bottom up. It examines the values and methods needed to create a sporting unit along with the roles of the team's key players. The Miracle brings you the untold story of one of the greatest sporting achievements in history.

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Book SynopsisGenerazione Wunderteam is the enthralling story of the Austrian national football team of the 1930s, an innovative side that dazzled Viennese crowds and sparked a new-found passion for football both at local and international level. Although the Wunderteam was short-lived, this squad led by Hugo Meisl, one of the most prominent figures in European football, proved hugely influential. Vienna quickly became - along with Budapest and Prague - one of the world's football capitals and the birthplace of some of the greatest players of the era, including Matthias Sindelar, a centre-forward whose fame transcended football, and who was often compared to Mozart and other Viennese celebrities. Sindelar died in suspicious circumstances at age 35, after defying the Nazis. The book takes the reader on a journey through that forgotten era, examining the genesis of Hugo Meisl's side, its key figures, the historical vicissitudes of the inter-war years and the most important Viennese teams of the period.

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Book SynopsisShow Me The Way To Plough Lane is the ultimate story of football fan power. It is the story of how Wimbledon reclaimed its football club and brought it back to the heart of its community after years of nomadic existence. It retraces the club's history from its genesis on Wimbledon Common to Plough Lane, the place Wimbledon FC called home for the best part of a century. After rumours of mergers and relocations, the club ground-shared after the Taylor Report. A decade passed with the fans sold lie after lie until the club was ripped from its community and re-sited many miles away. Not only was the club homeless, it was now dead. A group of fans who were at the heart of protests against the move decided to start again - from the very bottom if necessary. And they vowed to bring football back to Wimbledon, to where it all started. After an absence of almost 30 years, the side finally returned home - just a long ball away from where the original ground sat, in Plough Lane.

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Book Synopsis**THE FANS. THE PLAYERS. THE POMPEY FAMILY. YOU KNOW THEIR NAMES, NOW IT'S TIME FOR THEIR STORY** At the start of the 2019-20 League One season, award-winning sports reporter Neil Allen set out to follow the fortunes of a team in the hunt for promotion. By the time it came to an end, the football almost felt like an afterthought. Covering the highs and lows of a season like no other, Allen offers an exclusive insight into a club and a fanbase that has known more hardship than most, exploring the vital role a football club plays when the football is taken away. Given unparalleled access, Allen interviews current players and club legends, the fans who saved the club in 2013 and those now tasked with ensuring its survival. The essential profile of Portsmouth Football Club, its fans and its recent history.

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Book Synopsis** AS SEEN ON BBC FOOTBALL FOCUS AND BT SPORT **** 'Excellent and thoroughly enjoyable' Sunday Sport **** 'Informative and eye-opening . . . an inspirational and motivational book' footballbookreviews.com **'ONE MAN AND HIS QUEST TO SEE A GAME IN EVERY UEFA NATION IN ONE SEASON' Paul Doyle, GuardianIn June 2017, Matt said farewell to his job, surrendered his Fulham FC season ticket and set off for Georgia, the first stop on his mission. He would end his adventure eleven months later in Montenegro, having conquered the continent and captured the imagination of its sporting media.His epic journey would pose its challenges. Yet no amount of airport confusion in Iceland, unusual betting activity in Latvia, spectator bans in Albania or ropey breakfast buffets in Moldova would make Matt miss a matchday. And then there were the games themselves: showcasing the full spectrum of footballing theatre, from the truly sublime to the utterly ridiculous.This is the story of one fan on a once-in-a-lifetime experience: travelling to Europe's unseen corners, talking with its unsung supporters, and tracing the beautiful game across the breadth of our brilliant, bizarre continent.Trade ReviewExcellent and thoroughly enjoyable. - Sunday SportInformative and eye-opening . . . an inspirational and motivational book.

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Book SynopsisHow much do you really know about Arsenal? Put your Gunners knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the great Arsenal sides and players - from Chapman's champions to Mee's double winners and Wenger's 'invincibles', from Adams, Wright, Bergkamp and Henry to Pepe and Partey - providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment. Which player was nicknamed 'The Little Mozart'? Which England international appeared with Diana Dors and Thora Hird in a 1953 film? Who is the only World Cup Golden Shoe-winner to have played for Arsenal? Who was the only Arsenal player in the GB football squad at the 2012 Olympics? Which player fronted a worldwide ad campaign as a Calvin Klein underwear model? Trivquiz Arsenal holds the answers to all these questions and hundreds more.

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Book SynopsisHow much do you really know about Manchester City? Put your Blues knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the Man City greats - from Meredith and Trautmann to Summerbee and Bell, from Mercer to Mancini and on to the Guardiola glory years - providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment. Mike Summerbee once owned a fashion boutique with which Manchester United star? Can you name City's first Ukrainian-born player? Which former City striker voiced an ugly sister in Spanish versions of the Shrek movies? Whose '23' City squad number was retired following his death on international duty? Which goalkeeper broke a finger in a game against Bury, played on at centre-forward and scored? Trivquiz Manchester City holds the answers to all these questions and hundreds more.

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Book SynopsisIn January 1939, just months after hanging up his boots and a few weeks into his new career as a talent scout, William Ralph 'Dixie' Dean, the former Everton and England legend, received a surprise request for assistance from the far west of Ireland. Could he find a goalscorer for Sligo Rovers - the beating heart of a small, provincial town - to drive their dreams of a lucrative cup run and help protect the club's very existence? Dean set about finding the right man, but unable to locate candidates willing to make the move across the Irish Sea, he had an idea. What if he were to answer Sligo's call? And so began the unlikely story of how one of the greatest centre-forwards ever to grace the game added an unexpected and ultimately uplifting chapter to his storied football career. In the Shadow of Benbulben is a romantic tale of divine intervention, uncanny timing and drama on and off the pitch. It's the tale of 'Dixie' Dean's four months with the Bit O'Red that was to leave an indelible mark on the player, the club and the town.

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