Description
Book SynopsisIt was Pelé who popularised the idea of football as the Beautiful Game' and so it is. But football also has its uglier side. As far back as the Edwardian era matches were fixed' to benefit gamblers, or to help clubs desperately in need of points to win promotion or to avoid relegation. There have been matches so brutal that on one occasion it was necessary for the BBC to precede televised highlights with a warning to viewers that what they were about see was appalling, disgusting, disgraceful'. Crowd disorders, inadequate policing, and stadiums left in disrepair have resulted in loss of life and added to the scandals that have scarred the Beautiful Game' and caused public outrage. From Bolton to Brussels, Manchester to Montevideo, Seoul to Santiago, football has seen many dark chapters, many tragedies and more than a few shady characters, from the goalkeeper who offered not to accidently' let in goals to the referee who was arrested with 13lbs of heroin hidden in his underpants
