Search results for ""pitch publishing""

Flight 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'.

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Applauding the Kop is the definitive story of Liverpool FC's goalkeepers. Through a series of remarkable interviews, it reveals the pressure and demands of playing in the prime position for one of the most successful sides in world football. The book offers honest observer accounts of the greatest goalkeepers to ever pull on the number-one jersey at Anfield, and first-hand anecdotes from those who trained at the club. Get an insider's view on the likes of Bruce Grobbelaar, Jerzy Dudek and David James. The players share funny, emotional and alternative viewpoints of their more illustrious team-mates at Liverpool and elsewhere, offering a rare glimpse of life in the most extraordinary leagues and teams in Europe. Applauding the Kop provides a unique insight into the personalities of many goalkeeping greats, and tells the tales of others who were less successful, detailing the events that dictate how they are perceived. Each player had a very different journey in their quest to reach the pinnacle of the game.

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How to Run a Football Club is the story of our national game. Told through a journey up the pyramid, from the muddy pitches and ramshackle changing rooms at grass-roots level to the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, the book explores that common theme that links the game at all levels - the simple love of the sport. It's there in the volunteer coaches who give up their Saturday mornings to teach kids how to play, the non-league club secretaries trying their best to get the pitch in good shape and the owners and investors risking their wealth in the unpredictable world of English football. How to Run a Football Club delves into their stories to find out what motivates the people who keep the game alive. It explores how the sport is evolving, with the growth of women's football, walking football and esports. What does it take to run a good football club? How is money, or a lack of it, changing the game? Read this book to find out.

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Wilson on the Wing is the exhilarating story of the life and times of Davie Wilson, one of the greatest forwards ever to play for Rangers FC. Spotted as a schoolboy, Wilson began at Ibrox in 1956. After being lauded in the Scottish press for his early performances, he became a stalwart of the great Rangers side of the early 1960s. He soon gained a reputation as not just a creator of goals but a regular scorer, and was part of an attacking trident that netted over 100 goals in the 1962/63 season. Wilson on the Wing traces Davie's life from his mining-village roots to his emergence as one of the greatest Scottish wingers of his generation. The book is filled with anecdotes and memories from Wilson's playing career - as well as his time at Rangers, there are stories from playing at Dundee United and Dumbarton, plus his 22 Scotland appearances. With contributions from, among others, Sir Alex Ferguson, Denis Law and members of Davie's family, this heart-warming tale presents the inside story of a true Scottish football legend.

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Liverpool FC: Minute by Minute takes you on a fantastic journey through the Reds' matchday history. Relive all the breathtaking goals, heroic penalty saves, sending offs and other memorable moments in this unique by-the-clock guide. From the Reds' early successes to the glory years of domestic and European dominance, the book covers everything from the Bill Shankly era to the heavy-metal swashbuckling football of Jurgen Klopp's thrilling side. Revisit Liverpool's most spectacular modern feats and learn things you didn't know about the club's glorious past. From goals scored in the opening seconds to those last-gasp extra-time winners that have thrilled generations of fans at Anfield and around the world, Liverpool FC: Minute by Minute is packed with memorable moments. From Keegan to Salah, from Neal to Robertson, from European and Champions League finals to bruising Merseyside derbies, battles with the Manchester giants and incredible goals - the book is filled with thrilling memories from kick-off through to the final whistle.

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What is it about boxing that charms and bewitches us? John Wight looks for the answer as he delves into the world of beautiful brutality. Showing that boxing is fundamentally tied to the human condition, he pulls back the curtains of his own masculinity to reveal the insecurities, life experiences and vulnerabilities that first drew him to the sport and have informed his engagement with it over a 20-year period. While relating his experiences in boxing gyms on both sides of the Atlantic, Wight reflects on the sport's origins, analysing some of its most memorable moments and characters. Through Wight's compelling memoirs we encounter some of modern boxing's most fascinating figures, among them Freddie Roach, Manny Pacquiao, James Toney and Scotland's IBF junior-welterweight world titlist Josh Taylor. Straddling the line between nobility and barbarity, boxing operates on a different moral and spiritual plane than other sports. This Boxing Game explores why and how.

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In 2013, when legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement, Manchester United seemed the dream job for any football manager. Champions of England, the biggest and most profitable club in the world. What could possibly go wrong for his successor, who would be appointed with the clear intention of continuing the club's rich tradition? Redprint explores, in forensic detail, the six turbulent years at Old Trafford since Ferguson walked away. Despite record levels of expenditure, a succession of different managers with different philosophies and concerns about the changing identity of the club, United continued to compel throughout this period of underachievement. Wayne Barton examines each of the managerial reigns since 2013 and discusses their successes and failures in a historical and contemporary context to ask the question - are Manchester United closer to regaining their glory, or are they simply repeating mistakes of years gone by?

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What Was Football Like in the 1980s? provides a fascinating and insightful perspective on the game in a decade when football faced major challenges on and off the field. The author's own memories and experiences are augmented by a wealth of research to bring you a compelling account of the clubs, players, managers, referees, grounds, crowds and competitions that defined '80s football. The book highlights the Hillsborough, Heysel and Bradford tragedies, along with the increasingly commercialised aspects of the game and the evolution of televised football. The scourge of hooliganism - which reached its height in the 1980s - is brought to the fore. What Was Football Like in the 1980s? is an enthralling and illuminating account of a truly remarkable decade for the beautiful game, penned by a respected football author. How different was the sport 30 to 40 years ago? Richard Crooks gives you the answer, leaving no stone unturned.

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Historic, wildly dangerous, nerve-wracking, heroic and uniquely thrilling, the Isle of Man TT is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Featuring input from past and present riders, TT teams, manufacturers and fans alike, James Driver-Fisher reveals why the Isle of Man's greatest ever races mean so much to so many TT devotees. The entire history of the races, from the first battle in 1907 through to the summer of 2019, is covered, focusing on an expert selection of the most memorable events of all. Famous road racers relive the closest of victories and heart-breaking defeats. Unbelievable comebacks from legendary riders sit alongside race weeks when records have tumbled, and events when the biggest names have first burst on to the scene. As well as the inside view from those directly involved in the thrills and spills, Memorable Isle of Man TT Races also draws on the memories and expertise of diehard fans who have grown up with TT in their blood - vividly bringing to life the iconic races' atmosphere through the years.

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The hard-hitting, personal stories shared by some of boxing's biggest names are presented in a series of short, sharp features in Tales from the Top Table. Seventeen world champions are among the main attractions. Delve deep into the psyche of the famous fighting men and relive their experiences in the ring - the good, the bad and the ugly. There are many fresh and surprising stories included here, as these memorable anecdotes about the fighters' lives and times were originally intended only for the ears of those in attendance at the Bar Sport in Cannock - and could easily have stayed that way. The bar's upstairs Premier Suite holds just 300 people but countless sporting idols have passed through its doors, helping to put the Staffordshire town on the map. Now Craig Birch's exclusive notes on Bar Sport's after-dinner speakers put you right in the room. Every chapter is packed with the unique stories and inside information from boxing's beloved aficionados. Foreword by Richie Woodhall, former WBC super-middleweight world champion.

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A true story of intrigue, mystery, blackmail and skulduggery, which tells how one man was able to bring down an English Football League club. In 1919, Leeds City player Charlie Copeland returned from active service and made a request for a pay rise, which the club steadfastly refused. During the war, guest players for League clubs were supposed to have gone unpaid for their services, though in general this FA law was overlooked as a nod to the war effort. Copeland, however, issued the club with an ultimatum: either meet his wage demand or answer to the FA for making illegal payments. When Copeland carried out his threat and City proved reluctant to produce their books for FA inspection, a complex web of deceit and hypocrisy ensued. Subsequently, Leeds City were disbanded and expelled from the Football League, the only club before or since to receive such harsh punishment. However, out of the ashes of this fallen institution emerged another, brand new club - Leeds United.

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Growing Up With the Trinity brings to life that unique period in 60s football when Manchester United had three European Players of the Year - Charlton, Best and Law - in their team. As the Manchester football scene blended with music and fashion, a young boy found inspiration watching these legends. As a child, Brendon McGuire was taken to Old Trafford by his mother, as his colourful, hard-drinking father had no interest in football. Seeing George Best make his debut, the Stretford End became a place of sanctuary while the music scene of 1960s Manchester provided the soundtrack for a road to be travelled. The awesome power of a Bobby Dazzler, the sight of the 17-year-old Best twisting a full-back's blood, and the raised-arm salute of Denis Law created an alluring magic. As The Beatles rocked one end of the East Lancs Road, Manchester responded with its own top bands and Northern Soul, forming an irreplaceable moment in time for Manchester United, a fast-changing city and one young boy.

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James Cook's autobiography is a gripping account of his life told with the assistance of his friend and boxing author, Melanie Lloyd. Cook was raised by his grandparents in Jamaica until he was nine years old, when his mother arrived from London to collect him. His words paint a vibrant picture of childhood in the Caribbean sun and having to adapt to life on the notorious North Peckham Housing Estate in the late 60s. He started boxing in his teens and became British and European super-middleweight champion. Cook eloquently leads the reader through his life in the ring with plenty of droll tales along the way; but this is much more than a boxing book. Cook's commitment to keeping his local community safe through his youth work contributes to an inspirational and uplifting read. But anybody expecting to find Saint James on every page is in for a shock. His stories range from fighting with wheel-clampers in a Tesco car park to receiving his MBE from the Queen, all told with equal warmth and a sweet honesty that will keep the pages turning.

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Recounted candidly In His Own Words: Life On the Inside looks back on the footballing life and times of Peter Mendham, Norwich City's larger-than-life former midfielder. He offers a no-holds-barred account of football in the 80s - and also of the incident that led to a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the attempted murder of his girlfriend. Peter gives his viewpoint on some of the stars he has played with and against, and on a decade in football characterised by falling gates, hooliganism and poor television coverage for fans who didn't follow the fortunes of the game's biggest clubs. The Mendham case remains one of the highest-profile trials ever to have involved a British footballer - his punishment and fall from grace standing in stark contrast to a playing career at the highest level, winning medals at Wembley for two clubs. Peter recounts his experiences in football and his time endured at Her Majesty's pleasure in a frank, occasionally blunt manner that will give readers an insight into a life of ups and downs.

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The life and times of Middlesex and England wicketkeeper-batsman John 'JT' Murray, one of the acknowledged greats of English post-war cricket. Irresistibly cool, glamorous and apparently unapproachable, Murray was Christopher Sandford's consuming hero at the time the author was confined in an English seaside boarding school in the 60s. Twenty or more years later, the two became friends. In 2017 Murray eventually succumbed to a decade-long campaign and agreed to share in full his lifetime's reminiscences, recounting his experiences of a quarter of a century as a professional English sportsman. Murray proved unfailingly generous and humorous (if by no means uncritical) in his accounts of the great Tests, the tours and the parade of celebrities, sporting and otherwise, he encountered. This treasure trove of stories - described not just in the dry accountancy of scores and averages, but in droll anecdotal detail - lies at the heart of a unique cricket book illustrated by photographs, letters and notes from Murray's own collection.

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Ruling the World tells the enthralling story of the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. From the early exchanges in the warm-up matches, up to the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, tales of classic stature and previously untold gems regularly arise. Each match is explored along with its unique backstory, with many key players contributing memories after more than a quarter of a century. Interviews with stars such as Derek Pringle, Phillip DeFreitas, Gladstone Small, Brian McMillan and Gavin Larsen help bring to life the greatest ever Cricket World Cup. Contributions from fans offer a unique insight into the high emotions in the stands as the tournament was played out. And exclusive behind-the-scenes access is granted by documents from the tournament's organising committee, including minutes from meetings and reports presented to the International Cricket Council. Ruling the World brings all the drama and excitement of 1992 to a new generation of cricket fans, and offers contemporary onlookers the chance to fondly reminisce.

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The inspirational, bittersweet story of Tamsin Imber's journey as a runner. Starting out as a busy mum, she secretly trains for a marathon - and ends up completing nine in a year, running joyfully in the rainy North York Moors with a group of like-minded lunatics. But talented Tamsin's London Marathon attempt is thwarted by a mysterious fatigue. Running My Way explores the empowering sense of freedom and achievement that running can bring into the chaotic, stressful life of a typically selfless mum. Mocked by an old friend, Tamsin sets off on a bumpy road that leads to a rewarding new social life and countless hilarious adventures. Trophy-winning runs attract the attention of a coach who helps her toward qualification for a championship place in the London Marathon. Ultimately, an appreciation of running free with wild abandon - whether in glorious countryside or in competition - is sharpened by Tamsin's diagnosis with debilitating CFS/ME. Now her positivity and sense of humour are sure to inspire others to take up the sport.

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Darkness and Light: My Story is the heart-wrenching and soul-stirring autobiography of footballer and two-time cancer survivor, Joe Thompson. His mother's battle with mental illness and father's descent into a life of drugs and crime saw him battle adversity from birth. Football opened up a new world of opportunity when Manchester United signed him, aged nine. Joe spent six years living every boy's dream but was left devastated when the club released him at 16. He bounced back to forge a career in the Football League, before his life was thrown into turmoil. At 23, he was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer. Six months of chemotherapy followed, which eventually rid his body of the disease. He had been given a second chance at life, but three years later he was given the shock news that his cancer had returned. An 18-day stay in an isolation unit reduced him to skin and bone, but he vowed that he wouldn't be beaten. For a second time, Joe gave cancer the boot and he has since made an incredible return to professional football.

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In his previous book, Running Hot & Cold, Doug described his journey from couch potato in late middle age to running long-distance races across deserts, mountains, jungles and snow fields in locations as diverse as the Sahara Desert and the polar ice-cap of Greenland. Having completed major events on four of Earth's continents, Can We Run With You, Grandfather? describes Doug's ongoing journey towards his ultimate dream of running at least a half marathon on all seven continents before his 70th birthday. Still living with occasional bouts of anxiety and depression, as well as other health scares, Doug combines his running travels with motivating and inspiring others, of all ages and abilities, to discover the physical and mental health benefits that running can bring. Join Doug as he tackles new adventures including the villages and temples of central Myanmar, the heat of the Australian outback and the frozen wilderness of Antarctica.

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Why Are We Always On Last? Running Match of the Day and Other Adventures in TV and Football is a fly-on-the wall account of Paul Armstrong's career working on Britain's favourite TV sports show (including nearly 15 years as the editor, defending his running orders) and a lifetime spent around sport, and football in particular. From a virtual BBC monopoly of sports coverage and working at the Hillsborough disaster, to the era of Sky, social media and megaclubs, Paul takes us behind the scenes at MOTD and chronicles the joys and pressures of seven World Cups and live broadcasts of varying quality. He provides an honest and humorous account of the seismic changes he's seen, both in broadcasting and the football industry. With inside stories of working with everyone from David Coleman and Brian Clough to Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer.. All infused with the pessimism and jaundice acquired during almost five decades following Middlesbrough FC.

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Of all games, cricket has long prided itself on its ethical traditions, but to modern sceptics the idea of cricket encapsulating a higher morality is actually something of a myth. Playing the Game? looks at the changing ethics of cricket, from its gentlemanly roots right up until the present day. After decades of sledging, intimidatory bowling, blatant gamesmanship and dissent, the MCC adopted `The Spirit of Cricket' in 2000 in an attempt to reclaim the game's original ethos - but was it already too late? While the concept is a noble one, its impact has so far been limited, as award-winning cricket scribe Mark Peel explains. As well as looking back to the infamous Bodyline series of 1932/33, Peel also investigates the effects of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket; takes the ICC to task on their failure to quell rowdy behaviour and gamesmanship; examines the double standards of Western cricketing nations towards Pakistan; and delves into the recent ball-tampering affair that has tainted Aussie cricket.

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Adam Carroll-Smith never completed a football sticker album as a kid. Try as he might, he was always a few stickers short. Six Stickers tells the story of Carroll-Smith's bid to complete his childhood album and rediscover his love for the game. After uncovering one of his long-lost, almost-finished albums, he decided now was the time to break that duck. Disillusioned and out of love with the modern game, he attempts to track down and photograph the six players missing from his Premier League 1996 sticker book. Featuring previously unpublished interviews with the subjects of the book, Carroll-Smith looks back at their time in football and how their lives have developed since; he also looks back at a time when English football was going through a transitional phase, prior to Euro 96 and at the dawn of the modern era, and examines the changes of the last 15 years.

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Liverpool FC Cult Heroes is devoted to 20 players who, over the years, have won a special place in the hearts of the Anfield faithful - not necessarily the greatest footballers, but a unique brotherhood of mavericks and stalwarts, local lads and big signings. The cast list alone is enough to stir up memories and tug at the heartstrings of any Reds fan - Elisha Scott, Billy Liddell and Joey Jones, Johnston, Carragher and Suarez - recalling how these charismatic personalities ignited passion on the terraces. Find out which Red icon was left at a motorway service-station as a prank. Which striker was involved in a punch-up with Italian waiters after a European Cup semi in Milan. And which skipper was carried through Lime Street station on the shoulders of fans. Discover and delight in the magical qualities of these 20 mere mortals elevated to cult status by the Red half of Liverpool.

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Britain's tennis players are often regarded as gallant losers and also-rans. There was a painful 76-year gap between the grand slam triumphs of Fred Perry and Andy Murray, and most Brits perennially fail to progress beyond the early rounds at Wimbledon. But in this first detailed account of Britain's place in world tennis from the Victorian period to the present day, historian Kevin Jefferys shows that British players have a surprisingly strong record. He traces the fluctuations in the nation's tennis fortunes - with barren spells counterbalanced by periods of ascendancy - and looks beyond the domestic obsession with Wimbledon to highlight British successes at other grand slam tournaments, in the Davis Cup and in Olympic tennis. The author also focuses on key individuals, providing fresh profiles of his selection of the best British players of all time: the men and women who have delivered most on the international stage, from the time of the Renshaw brothers in the 1880s to Andy and Jamie Murray today.

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Since Victorian times, the MCC had embraced the amateur ideal that cricket was more than a game. It was the very essence of camaraderie and good sportsmanship. Yet for all their evangelising, the game's privileged elite were part of a British establishment which revelled in its national prestige and imperial hegemony. And winning at cricket was essential to maintaining that stature. Ambassadors of Goodwill assesses the MCC's attempt to marry these conflicting objectives and foster goodwill within the Empire via long, formal overseas tours. After the war, the amateur ideal suffered when Len Hutton was appointed England's first professional captain. His uncompromising leadership brought success on the field but discord off it. Managers were installed to restore diplomatic harmony but, with the growing upheavals of the late 60s, cricket became increasingly associated with nationality, race and professional cynicism. Ray Illingworth's controversial win in Australia in 1970/71 clearly signalled the MCC's waning influence.

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For some players, the final whistle heralds the beginning of an infinitely more difficult chapter in their lives. Some simply find it impossible to cope, replacing one addiction with another. Not well known is the story of Paul Vaessen, perhaps the most powerful and tragic tale of them all. Paul was the Bermondsey boy who rose from working-class roots to overnight fame in Turin when in April 1980, as an unknown 18-year-old, he scored one of the most dramatic goals in Arsenal's distinguished history. But all too soon Paul would discover how fragile and fickle the world of football could be as he experienced unforgiving injuries, loss of form and merciless barracking by his own fans. Just three years down the line, he was on the scrapheap, discarded by the game he'd devoted his young life to, and descending quickly into the only other world he knew, that of drugs. Paul would spend his lonely final days reliving his moment of glory with anybody willing to listen, that one moment in which he had effectively become stuck.

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Nipper Pat Daly was boxing's most amazing prodigy. Extraordinary but tragic, his was a career like no other in sports history. Born in Wales in 1913, he became a professional boxer at age ten after moving to London. With his exceptional talent, by age 14 he was beating grown men in gruelling 15-round fights. At 15 he was thrashing national champions and at 16 was ranked by America's The Ring magazine in the world's top ten. In the late 1920s, audiences across Britain sat spellbound as the Wonderboy delivered boxing masterclasses against Europe's elite fighters. Daly beat three British champions, a European champ and the reigning champions of Italy, Belgium and Germany. A magnetic figure, leading sportswriters saw him as a future world champion and possible all-time great. Tragically, however, he was recklessly overworked and forced to retire aged 17, after well over 100 pro fights. Incorporating Nipper's previously unpublished memoirs, Born to Box is the story of his unique career, life and times.

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Sweet Fighting Man is based on a collection of interviews with British boxers, from journeymen to champions. The book covers a timespan of over 50 years and features some classic personalities, such as Dave 'Boy' Green, the ever-popular British and European champion who fought for world titles against Carlos Palomino and Sugar Ray Leonard; Bunny Johnson, the first black British Heavyweight Champion, and Joe Somerville, the jovial journeyman who had literally thousands of fights in the lurid environment of the boxing booths. Boxers are fundamentally entertainers and each chapter in this book is an individual performance, giving the true flavour of the characters involved. Their thought-provoking reflections proffer a unique insight into the often rollercoaster life of a professional boxer. The interviewees also talk about many aspects of their lives away from the ring and, as they drop their guards and open their hearts, they deliver plenty of laugh-out-loud moments along the way.

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This is the story of Burnley Football Club's remarkable recovery from the brink of oblivion, made without the help of ultra-rich benefactors. It concerns the fall and rise of a small-town club, once renowned for its advanced playing style, tactical and coaching innovations and flourishing youth policy. From Orient to the Emirates tells how this former leading club was brought to its knees during the mid-80s by adverse economic circumstances and imprudent management, how it narrowly escaped relegation to the Vauxhall Conference in 1987 - and with it probable liquidation - to once again become a force at the top of English football. The story is largely told in the words of those who took part in this incredible 30-year journey - the directors, managers, players, support staff and supporters. It is an uplifting account of success achieved very much against the odds, founded on indomitable spirit, canny planning and, above all, hard graft. As Burnley's brilliant manager, Sean Dyche, puts it: "Maximum effort is the minimum requirement."

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Darts fans, you require...this book! With help from the sport's biggest names, Matt Bozeat tells the inside story of darts' 50 greatest games. The book includes exclusive interviews with 16 world champions - including Michael van Gerwen and Phil 'The Power' Taylor - who relive the back-and-forth drama of their greatest ever moments on the oche. Here are classic matches such as those between Taylor and Ray van Barneveld and, further back, darting duels involving legends like Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson, John Lowe, Leighton Rees and many more. The secrets behind Taylor's darts domination are revealed, Andy 'The Viking' Fordham tries to remember the night he won the world championship, and other revelations include why being brainy won't make you a good darts player! Darts' Greatest Games follows the sport's story from its 'thud, sweat and beer' beginnings on television in the 1970s up to the present, including the rise of van Gerwen.

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Million Dollar Crolla: Good Guys Can Win tells the unique story of the 'nicest man in boxing' and his remarkable path from prospect to has-been, from victim to world champion. Written off by many, an office job beckoned for Anthony Crolla before a devastating but defining fight put him back on track. After overcoming the demons of badly injuring a rival, Anthony's boxing dream was again shattered after a neighbourly deed left him seriously injured. Against all the odds, he fought back to win a world title in front in his home fans. Covering key moments in a bumpy ride, the book gives unique insight into the preparations for the biggest nights of his boxing career - a rematch with the exceptional Jorge Linares and the must-win domestic showdown with Ricky Burns. It's access all areas with insight to family life, media commitments and his passion for Manchester United. Crucially, the book details the punishing training schedule, alongside his fellow champions at Gallagher's Gym, which has helped him to the top. Includes contributions from some of the biggest names in sport.

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Grandson Charlie attending a Championship game at Hillsborough prompts Richard Crooks to transport himself back to the 1970s and recall what football was really like for supporters in the 1970s. Crooks provides an engaging and comprehensive narrative on all things football in that decade, and brings out the social context of the time. Reflecting on what it was like getting to a game, the grounds, the crowds, the clubs, the managers, players, referees, reporting the game, growing commercialism, the World Cups, and through to the spectre of the rise of hooliganism and racism. Using written and broadcast material of the time, as well as Crooks's own experiences, Grandad, What Was Football Like in the 1970s? provides a fascinating insight and description of a decade when things really started to change in football - and also sheds light on the oft-asked question 'Was football better then or in the modern era?'

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If Only: An Alternative History of the Beautiful Game is a fiercely original counterfactual history of football. It is often tempting to believe in the grand sweep of history; to conclude that the triumphs of football's greatest teams were simply inevitable. The truth, however, is that history can turn on what appear, at first glance, to be infinitesimally small events. Behind all those triumphs lie the countless disappointments of teams that were denied glory by a cruel bounce, the width of a crossbar or a dubious refereeing decision. Challenging the perception that the outcome of great clashes could never have been any different to what they were, If Only reflects on what our football history could have been, what it might have been and, in some cases, what it probably should have been. Boldly turning football history on its head, If Only imagines a world in which Scotland win the first-ever World Cup, Derby County are champions of Europe and 1966 isn't the only year that England win anything.

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West Ham United's move to the new Olympic Stadium ended a 114-year stay at the Boleyn Ground. The spiritual home of some of football's greatest heroes: Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds, Trevor Brooking and Frank Lampard were just a few who made their name there, and revelled in its close-knit east London atmosphere. With the club anthem 'Bubbles' ringing around the stands, the Boleyn Ground had a raw flavour of its own. There were unforgettable afternoons fashioned by the club's two greatest managers, Ron Greenwood and John Lyall; fabulous nights under the lights, as the tightly-packed confines of the ground made it the most intense of stadiums; wonderful evenings competing against the best in Europe, such as beating Eintracht Frankfurt on a mud-heap of a pitch. Now it is gone, but the magic, the fervour, the triumphs, the disappointments and the special brand of humour which flourished there is captured here in all its glory. With full access to The Times archives and stunning photographic collection, lifelong Hammers fan John Dillon has penned the definitive history of the Home of the Hammers.

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Hearts On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the club's distinguished history, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and characters to produce an irresistible Jambos diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's humble, romantic origins in Edinburgh's Old Town, to coming within a hair's breadth of extinction at the hands of a Russian megalomaniac, to ultimate redemption in a record-toppling Championship campaign. Hearts fans have experienced each and every gamut of emotion in the club's 140-year history. The team were the first in Britain to sign up en masse for the Great War. While cup wins, a never-bettered 132-goal title-winning campaign, memorable European nights against such luminaries as Locomotive Leipzig, Bayern Munich, Austria Vienna, Bordeaux and Basle all feature alongside a raft of Tynecastle legends.

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Barbados-born John Holder arrived in England during the 1960s as part of the second wave of West Indian immigrants recruited by London Transport after the war. While working on the Underground he was recommended for a trial at Hampshire. Impressed by his speed and hostility with the ball, they signed him on the spot. For seven years, his career as an opening bowler followed an uneven course, periods of loss of form and confidence punctuated with moments of sheer brilliance, the most noteworthy both coming in his final year at Hampshire in 1972, taking 13-128 in the same match against Gloucestershire and a hat-trick against Kent. A back injury brought his county career to a close. What better way to stay in touch than to become an umpire? A first-class umpire for 27 years, he officiated in 11 Tests and 23 one-day internationals. Former team-mate Andrew Murtagh had unique and unfettered access to his subject. A Test of Character throws an interesting light on the job of an international umpire, with all its pressures, vicissitudes, controversies and prejudices, leavened of course with a fair degree of humour too.

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Nowt stops for cricket in Yorkshire. Passion runs deep, beyond those in whites, to the groundsmen, tea ladies, scorers and umpires who embody the game. All Wickets Great and Small is a romp across the landscape of amateur cricket in Yorkshire during the summer of 2015. Author John Fuller looks at the key issues affecting the grassroots game: the struggles to attract players, funding shortages, natural disasters and the social dynamics that can threaten a captain's eleven on a Saturday. What shape is the grassroots game in and can it still survive and thrive? From vicars and imams socking sixes in Dewsbury to heritage clubs hitting social media out of the park, this is the story of sleeves-rolled-up cricket at its best in the county that locals call 'God's own'.

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Almost half of professional footballers face the threat of bankruptcy within five years of their retirement. A third will be divorced less than a year after hanging up their boots. With little or no support from the game to which they gave their lives, many end up addicted, depressed, living with debilitating illnesses, behind bars or even worse. While an elite few may be financially secure, or others may land plum managerial jobs or punditry roles, it transpires that for the majority retirement is something they're not prepared for and lives can spiral into a rapid and depressing decline. Retired is the ultimate 'where are they now?' and asks what actually happens to most footballers once they hang up their boots? How do players cope with going from heroes to zeroes in such a short space of time? And what can be done to help with their transition to normal life?

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It is now 50 years since 1966 and all that. We've all heard Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous TV commentary: "Some people are on the pitch...They think it's all over...It is now" countless times. But, aside from that and a few other classic facts, what do most of us really know about the 1966 World Cup finals? 66: The World Cup in Real Time retells the story of the iconic 1966 World Cup finals as if they were happening today - in a complete and highly-readable format. Live newspaper-style reports of all the matches, alongside reaction, off-field news and gossip from all 16 nations, form the basis of this unique book and bring the tournament back to life for the reader. There are tales of players breaking curfews, the England WAGS of the day, the Queen nervously asking how long was left as the clock ticked down in the final; while football's first-ever drug-testing programme left the Brazil team worrying whether drinking coffee would lead to failed drug tests! Take yourself back to the era of Beatlemania, mini-skirts, black and white TV, Harold Wilson's Labour government, the Cold War, and relive England's greatest-ever footballing triumph!

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There's far more to vintage football programmes than optimistic manager's notes, unreliable teamsheets and grudging opposition 'pen pictures'. Before the era of the standardised corporate brochure, every club's programme had a different, unique personality, and played its part in the precious ritual of going to the match. Last weekend's action shots provided a foretaste of the excitement; the A-Z scoresheet provided a live lookout on the rest of the League, while 'At Home With - ' provided a peephole into a star's domestic life. Remember the allure of the Souvenir Shop ads? Football League Review centrespreads? 'Girl of the Match'? From the 'ground picture' cover era through the 'groovy' and 'colour action' phases to the dawn of clipart, programmes from our nostalgic 60s-90s Golden Age amount to a (slightly crumpled) pocket history of graphic design. Packed with pictures and memories, Fully Programmed offers an irresistible window back into more innocent times.

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The funny, heart-warming tale of Adam Carroll-Smith's enduring love of sport on the radio - a uniquely personal collection of memories with the power to generate a shared, nostalgic sense of deja vu. From furtively listening to Premier League matches under his duvet as a boy, to secretly following Ashes Tests and Wimbledon championships when he should have been working, all the way to sleep-deprived nocturnal sessions with the Super Bowl and the Ryder Cup, The Pictures are Better on the Radio tells the story of how one fan fell in love with sport on the wireless. Full of acute observations, touching anecdotes and Adam's customary mix of deadpan and absurdist humour, the memoir effortlessly gets to the heart of what it means to be a sports obsessive, and explores why radio continues to be such a cherished medium for fans across the world.

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An Ode to Four Four Two: Football's Simplest and Finest Formation examines how coaches in Europe, and particularly England, settled on the 4-4-2 formation to build iconic teams which would dominate both domestically and in Europe. Formations have continually evolved since the birth of the game in the mid-19th century. From teams playing with four or five forwards, to the modern era of teams with just the one, arguably the greatest formation has been 4-4-2. Some of the greatest teams have lined up in this multi-functional system. Flick through the football history books and it is filled with teams like AC Milan, Manchester United, Liverpool, Leeds United and Barcelona, all enjoying glorious eras playing 4-4-2. But it isn't just the elite of world football. Who can forget Leicester City, led by Claudio Ranieri, reviving the system against all odds to outperform the Premier League's big six to claim a historic title in 2016? Author John McNicoll looks at how and why these teams used the formation to such effect. How they dominated in their era to stand out from the rest. It is the story of how teams, both big and small in status, have played the system to perfection.

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Sixteen Stoke City legends tell the stories behind their favourite ever games for the club - enabling Potters fans of all ages to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men who were there, playing their hearts out for the red-and-white stripes...Terry Conroy recounts scoring in the 1972 League Cup Final, and Mark Stein remembers another Wembley win in the 1992 Autoglass Trophy. Denis Smith recalls when Stoke took on the best that Europe had to offer, and came so close to defeating mighty Ajax, while Peter Fox takes the unusual step of selecting a game in which he only played for half an hour - the 4-4 draw with Luton in 1982. Victoria Ground legends Dennis Herod, Tony Allen and Mark Chamberlain also turn in characteristic star performances, winding back the clock to relive treasured memories of the Match of Their Lives for the Potters.

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Manchester United On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the club's distinguished past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary of Red Devils history - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's Victorian foundation as Newton Heath through to their emergence as one of the world's most successful clubs, United's rollercoaster history takes in winding-up orders, the Munich air disaster and the joys of United's first European Cup triumph, all crowned by the drama of winning the first ever Treble. Pivotal historic events such as the club's first ever trophy win, the 1960s rebirth and Sir Alex Ferguson's arrival form a backdrop against which Old Trafford heroes - Duncan Edwards, George Best and Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Billy Meredith - all loom larger than life.

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All-India and Down Under is the dramatic story of two cricket tours undertaken in the aftermath of the Second World War. For seven years the war had put the careers of England’s cricketers on hold. Then, in 1946, England played three Tests against ‘All-India’. However, it proved to be the last such tour: by mid-1947, Indian partition had cut the country in two, a process that was violent and bloody. While the tourists were in England, struggling in a cold, wet summer, their own country was in turmoil. As that tour drew to a close in September, the MCC sent a party of war-weary cricketers to Australia to play the first Ashes series since 1938. The English were ill-prepared, some scarcely out of uniform, while others carried the physical and mental scars of the war years. For the aging captain, Walter Hammond, it would prove a tour too far. The book follows the cricketing drama of both tours amid the political uncertainty of the time, with a Labour government struggling to disentangle Britain from its Empire.

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The Racing Post Desk Calendar is the perfect office accessory. It is a tent-folded, wiro-bound desk calendar featuring one month to view with the most up to date race meeting information in the UK and Ireland at the time of publication - jumps, flat and the all-weather. It also includes the principal races and bloodstock sales dates.

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Few fans are aware of the long, vibrant history of soccer in the USA, which dates back as far as the American Civil War. Many wrongly believe that the introduction of the North American Soccer League in the 60s brought about American soccer's debut, while in fact its first golden age came during the Roaring 20s and the first FIFA World Cup in 1930. The NASL did have a huge impact on the popularity of the game, but the instability of the league and its reliance on ageing superstars meant its heyday was over by the mid-80s. This left the door wide open for a third golden age, starting with the introduction of the incredibly successful USWNT, World Cup 1994 and MLS. Having grown for more than 25 years, played and supported by both sexes, soccer is now seen as a viable sport in a country dominated by baseball, basketball and American football. Stateside Soccer shines new light on the rich history of a sport still too often mistaken as a relatively recent import to the United States.

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From late September 1973 until the winter of 1974, British football's most controversial figure penned a regular column in TV Times, the weekly television listings magazine. Wide-ranging, entertaining and remarkably prescient, 'Clough Sounds Off' dates back to a tumultuous time in his managerial career - when Old Big 'Ead went from Derby to the football wilderness via Brighton and Leeds. The columns covered a surprising range of subjects, not only reflecting the game as Brian Clough viewed it at the time but also signposting the direction in which he saw it heading. Sharp and funny, yet always delivered with the brutal honesty for which he was renowned, they highlight exactly what made Clough's voice so compelling. Me and My Big Mouth reproduces many of these opinion pieces for the first time since their original publication, together with the background stories against which they were written. It is a fresh and welcome addition to the library of Clough literature, offering a unique insight into the mind of a most remarkable manager.

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