Description
Book SynopsisScotland 42 England 1 is an English OAP's light-hearted and affectionate look at Scottish football. Growing up in the 60s when 'abroad isn't for the likes of us' was a common refrain, Mark Winter developed a fascination with Scotland and its football clubs, his interest piqued by listening to the football results in compulsory silence as his grandad's pools coupon was checked. The process provoked many questions in the mind of the impressionable eight-year-old. Why had Third Lanark, apparently out of pure spite, won and stopped his grandad becoming a rich man? If East Fife was a town, why wasn't it on a map? When playing those cunning continentals, why did Scottish teams suddenly become British when they won? Fifty years later, Mark decides to visit all 42 league clubs north of Hadrian's Wall to separate the myths from the facts. Setting off from Dover each time, invariably he is met by a warm welcome, a hot pie and a strong drink. Along the way he has to climb the odd mountain. What he expects and what he finds are quite different.
Trade Review"A delight to read and feel involved in, and it becomes apparent from very early on that watching a match with the amiable author and joining him on his travels would be a very pleasant way of passing the time indeed... probably the best thing [of] all about this book and the reason that it will appeal to fans of ‘real’ football, is that it keeps that connection going between supporters of clubs at a level that seldom receives much publicity, but that matter so much to their communities. This is a book written from the heart and with a passion and a desire to see football in its simplest form, and for me that makes it very special indeed." * On Magazine *
"I thoroughly enjoyed this literary gem of a book, particularly the humorous observations on both Scottish football and society in general."
-- Robert Marshall * Programme Monthly *
"An absolute winner… The whole book is just one long volume of pleasure from one chapter to the next. Mark’s style of writing – self-deprecating and never taking himself too seriously – chimes with ordinary football fans… Mark is able to contextualise the place each ground has in each of the towns, and why that matters… Mark is a great raconteur, with great literary wit, a gregarious sort who will strike up a chat and a friendship over a beer – or several… This is a worthy addition to the pantheon of Scottish football books."
-- Donald C Stewart * footballbookreviews.com *
"This book's title must be every Scottish fan's dream score... This book is the entertaining account of his mission and its a thoroughly enjoyable read... It's jauntily written in a self-deprecating manner that acknowledges some mishaps along the way may be self-inflicted by a man of certain years."
