Search results for ""Pitch Publishing Ltd""

King of the Journeymen is the gripping autobiography of Peter Buckley, a pro boxer who fought 300 times and was a 'stepping stone' for world champions such as Naseem Hamed and Duke McKenzie. As a boy, Buckley shone as an amateur boxer, but outside the ring he was heading for trouble. He was suspended numerous times from school and sent to prison at age 15 for assault and robbery. Whilst inside, his father died. His life felt hopeless and seemed to be going nowhere. But after his release he turned to professional boxing and things started to improve. Labelled a journeyman, he fought often and lost often, whilst earning more money than he'd thought possible. Buckley never refused a fight, often accepting bouts at a few hours' notice or after a night out. King of the Journeymen is an inspirational tale of a man tenaciously fighting for a better life. Although he lost more fights than he won, Buckley persevered with his career and attained widespread respect from boxers and fans alike.

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The Fifty tells the story of football through its best and most influential players, from the 19th century to the modern day. Most of the 50 are household names - Pele, Charlton, Maradona, Jimmy Hill, Matthews, Best, Zidane and Messi - and those who aren't certainly deserve to be. You'll read about football's first black superstar Jose Andrade, a 1930 World Cup winner with Uruguay who died in poverty. There's Lily Parr, a Woodbine-smoking behemoth of the women's game who is more famous now than when she died. Then there's Robbie Rogers, the second male footballer in Britain to come out as gay. Though Rogers wasn't a great player, his story will restore some faith after Justin Fashanu's appalling experiences as a gay footballer in the 1980s. Similarly, Jean-Marc Bosman made an indelible mark, not on the pitch but through the courts, changing the way footballers are treated forever. It's not about the stats, tactics or managers - this is the players' story, from war heroes and match-fixers to superstars and an African president.

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Who was the standout player when the Class of '92 won the FA Youth Cup? David Beckham? Paul Scholes? Ryan Giggs? Think again. Ben Thornley: The Class of '92 Star Who Never Got to Graduate is the compelling autobiography of a teenager who had the world at his feet, only for one tackle to shatter his knee - and his dreams of playing for Manchester United. A supremely gifted winger with pace to burn, he played in every round of that Youth Cup run and finished as top scorer. It wasn't long before Alex Ferguson, keen to unleash this prodigious talent, gave him his first-team debut - but just six weeks later came the moment that would change the path of Ben's career, and life, forever. This tale is not only told from Ben's perspective but also with exclusive insights from those who witnessed him in action first hand. They include family and school friends, as well as Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Gary Neville and many more. This is the Class of '92 as you've never heard it before - from a player who was a class apart.

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Burnley's league title victory of 1960 remains one of the most remarkable feats in the history of English football, the club the smallest ever to win its premier title, on a relatively modest budget. Never Had It So Good reveals how Burnley's amazing title triumph was achieved - and how very different life was for a footballer in those bygone days.

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Wings of Steel tells of Iain Paterson's quest to uncover the story of his great uncle, a football star before World War I with Motherwell, Sheffield Wednesday and Scotland - once described as the best outside-left in Britain. Among the treasured mementoes inherited from his late grandmother was a shoebox full of photographs of family and friends long departed - the most fascinating being those of an unknown young man in vintage football kit sporting a Scottish cap dated 1910. As Iain discovered, his mother's older brother was Motherwell's first international player, the man responsible for Sheffield Wednesday becoming known as the Owls - and the figure at the heart of a mysterious riot following an international match in politically sensitive 1913 Dublin. Wings of Steel aims to set the record straight on many inaccuracies attached to George's story over the years, and to discover where George finally ended his days.

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Football fans love nothing more than faded Polaroids of crumbling grounds, distant players toiling in mud and fences topped with razor-sharp spikes - all snapped from the terraces in the belief that the results would prove worthy of the back page when they arrived back from the developers. At least, that's certainly true of fans of a certain vintage. When '70s and '80s snapshots taken from the stands and terraces were posted on the Got, Not Got blog, traffic tripled overnight and floods of snaps were mailed in from all over Britain. The artistic value of the pics is hilariously mixed, featuring the overexposed back of many a feather cut. But for the kids pictured here in full kit in their back gardens - now grown men - these blurred images of star wingers, knitwear, floodlights and inflatables offer an evocative window into a Lost World of Football - from a fans' eye view.

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Return to The Lost World of Football through this Aladdin's cave of memories and memorabilia, guaranteed to whisk you back to the magical atmosphere of a more innocent era of football. If you were one of the army of obsessive soccer kids at any time from England's World Cup win to the dawn of the Premiership, you'll be relieved to hear that the cool kits and tabletop games, the mud, mavericks and Melchester Rovers are back and here to stay. Flankers with triangular sideboards, petrol freebies and gluey sticker albums will soon once again be flickering past your senses like your long-lost videos of the Sunday soccer highlights. But there's more to The Lost World of Football than a giant Kays catalogue of unforgettable football culture, clutter and wistful yearning. Here are countless tried-and-tested methods to leave the 21st century behind and revisit your own football Golden Age!

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Glamorgan CCC Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Dragons. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the opposing vicar who scored a hundred, the game when Glamorgan only had five fielders, or the side that were all born in Wales? How about the times when a number 11 was top scorer for the county, or when a batsman was dismissed twice in the space of a minute? Do you know who was keeping wicket when Glamorgan won the 1969 Championship? Who took a wicket with his first-ever ball? Or who was the club's tallest ever player? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any Dragons fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.

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Seventeen Manchester United legends come together to tell the stories behind their favourite ever games for the club - enabling Red Devils 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 shirt...Lee Martin recalls the 1990 FA Cup Final; hat-trick hero Alex Dawson describes the eight-goal semi-final thriller which landed United in the Cup Final so soon after the Munich air disaster. Ever the crowd pleaser, Dwight Yorke waxes lyrical on winning the Treble that unforgettable night in Barcelona - while Gary Pallister basks in the memory of sinking Liverpool at Anfield as United closed in on the 1997 Premier League title. Old Trafford greats Bryan Robson, Martin Buchan and Paul Scholes also turn in characteristic star performances, winding back the clock to relive treasured memories of the Match of Their Lives for United.

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Sunderland AFC Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Black Cats. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the goalie who complained the two goals were different sizes? How about the member of the 1973 FA Cup winning team who stood for Parliament? Or the great-grandson of the title-winning Sunderland manager who later played guitar for The Four Tops? Do you know which Sunderland striker once employed Cliff Richard? Which international goalkeeper was taught by HG Wells? And who was the 'singing winger' who appeared with The Beatles? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any Sunderland fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.

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Football used to be better in the past - and here's the proof. Got, Not Got focuses on British football's apparent lost Utopia of the '60s, '70s and '80s - the fondly remembered 'Golden Age' of mudbaths and cloggers, of miniature, carpet-level games and imaginary, comic-fuelled worlds. It evokes the feel and smell of football past, its rituals and relics. But there's more to the agreeably grumpy authors' vision than a hilarious, heartstring-tugging celebration of everything we miss in modern football. Here are hundreds of beautiful images of a lost football culture, pin-sharp observations and memories shared by generations of fans - in all, an ideal blueprint to help restore the game to its former glories! This Aladdin's cave of memorabilia brings back the magic of league ladders and dogs on the pitch, sock tags and the magic sponge - and was runner-up in the BSBA Book of the Year Awards 2012.

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Rugby On This Day revisits many of the sport's most magical and memorable moments which might otherwise have slipped under the radar. Here are over 700 unusual and hilarious highlights, all mixed in with a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable rugby union diary - with an entry for every day of the year. Apart from the usual rousing title wins and stupendous tries, every fan has their favourite rugby memories, be they moments of inspiration on the pitch, streakers or 20-man brawls. As well as recalling events that will make you laugh, cry, or shake your head in disbelief, Rugby On This Day also benefits from brilliant research which delves deep into the game's history, gathering together so many original stories and tit-bits to create a snapshot of the diverse and often bizarre world of rugby union.

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West Ham 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 claret-and-blue history - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's Victorian formation through to the Premier League era, the Upton Park faithful have witnessed championships and and relegations, hard-fought derbies, Cup triumphs and unforgettable European nights - all featured here. All-time greats including Bobby Moore and Trevor Brooking, Paolo di Canio, Tony Cottee and Billy Bonds all loom larger than life. Revisit 19th May 1965, when West Ham beat TSV Munich 2-0 in the European Cup Winners' Cup Final. 3rd May 1975, when Alan Taylor won the 'Cockney Cup Final' against Fulham, starring Bobby Moore. Or 4th August 1963: The Iron win the American Soccer League, despite an hour-long pitch invasion!

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"The Definitive Guide to Betting on Football" is a distillation of "Racing Post" expert Kevin Pullein's extensive knowledge on how to make money when betting on football. His weekly column in the "Post" is hugely popular with sports betting fans. In this masterwork Pullein explains how you can work out what is likely to happen during a football match and how you might be able to exploit this knowledge profitably by betting. In each chapter there will be both theory and practice, in separate but complementary sections. The theory will always be simply explained and illustrated, and will satisfy both the more-specialist and the less-experienced reader alike, each of whom will be able to get out of it want they want most - as well as a lot of other things beside. Topics include first and second half betting, corners, first goalscorer, final result, bookings, spread betting, betting exchanges and ante post.

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How much do you really know about the club you love? You can find out by exploring the 1,000 questions set out in 100 categories that make up this Tottenham Hotspur quiz book. It's not often that books on football make reference to philosophy, snooker, the Bible, the Falklands War, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Louis Armstrong, Chaucer and EastEnders, but this one does! Call Yourself a Spurs Fan? is a quirky, challenging affair for real Spurs fans who can test themselves or take each other on, with the emphasis on enjoyment and discovery. Try these for size: Which club did Spurs meet ten Boxing Days in a row on the same ground? Which Spurs double winner sounds like a policeman in a forge? Three post-war Spurs managers have been followed in the role by a man whose surname began with the same letter as the departing manager, which six managers are involved here? You will struggle to find anything as comprehensive as this eclectic collection. It's a must for Spurs fans of all ages and you might not see anything quite like it again.

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How much do you really know about the club you love? You can find out by exploring the 1,000 questions set out in 100 categories that make up this Wolverhampton Wanderers quiz book. It's not often that books on football make reference to Sherlock Holmes, Led Zeppelin, the Grand National, Donald Trump, The Goon Show, Premium Bonds, Monty Python, golf and Homer Simpson, but this one does! Call Yourself a Wolves Fan? is a quirky, challenging affair for real Wolves fans who can test themselves or take each other on, with the emphasis on enjoyment and discovery. Try these for size: One member of the Wolves side that won the League Cup in 1980 by beating Nottingham Forest had a surname shared with a player on the opposing team, what was it? In this century, Wolves have had two goalkeepers at the same time with the same surname and the same first initial, who were they? You will struggle to find anything as comprehensive as this eclectic collection. It's a must for Wolves fans of all ages and you might not see anything quite like it again.

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Successful jump jockeys come from a variety of backgrounds. Their childhoods and upbringings show vast differences. Some originate from families already connected to horses and racing - they were always going to be riders. Yet others have parents who have no equine connections whatsoever, which presents the question: why did these kids become jockeys and how? In her latest book on racing, best-selling author Henrietta Knight - the three-time Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning trainer of the legendary Best Mate – charts the lives of more than 80 jump jockeys in the hope of finding out what inspired them in childhood to take up one of the most dangerous jobs in sport. Among the great and good to be profiled are household names such as Richard Dunwoody, John Francome, Sir Anthony McCoy and Ruby Walsh, and throughout Starting From Scratch we discover how many of racing's most celebrated individuals opted to take the path they did.

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Punters have never had it so good. In a world of rapidly progressive technology and ever-changing ways to bet, the days of punting solely in the betting shop and on the racecourse are long gone. Since the invention of Betfair in 2000 and the mass move online, bookmakers have never been closer to their customers. Punters are able to place bets at the click of a button - on the move, from the pub and even in the office - and the gambling industry has boomed because of it. Football has taken over as the market leader but horseracing is still hugely popular, while odds on other popular sports have opened them up to a fresh audience - the punters. But in a world of flickering screens and rifling numbers can come confusion. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned bettor, the Racing Post Betting Guide provides a lighter look at betting in the current climate, covering horseracing, football and other major sports such as golf, cricket and tennis. The views of our unparelled team of experts can help shape your thinking. Call on the Racing Post's unrivalled expertise, soak up all the knowledge you can and become a better bettor. Among the chapters to consider are: Ten top tips by Pricewise supremo Tom Segal-Studying the form by tipping judge Paul Kealy-Football accas and in-play by Mark Langdon-Punting at the big festivals by David Jennings-Golf betting and the Majors by Steve Palmer-Betting on the favourites by Richard Birch-Tackling the handicaps by Keith Melrose. Other forms of betting covered are: Betting exchanges, pool betting, multiple bets, ante-post betting, pedigree punting plus betting on NFL, darts, rugby, UFC and cycling plus more!

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Namaste, Geezer is a revealing and trenchant memoir by one of England's top national newspaper reporters, who has seen and covered it all, from the Heysel disaster to World Cups, plus the death of Princess Diana.Most football fans who grew up loving the game in the hooliganism-blighted 1970s probably experienced running from opposition fans at some point. For Shekhar Bhatia, the menacing enemy was within the nastier, right-wing elements among fans of his own team. Taken to West Ham by his father, who arrived in Britain from India in the late 1950s, young Shekhar just could not understand the hate directed towards rare Asian-heritage fans back then, and has since spent a lifetime steering a path between his loyalty to the Hammers and racism in the game.Often shocking, ultimately joyous, this is a tale of rising above prejudice to fulfil ambitions, in both football and journalism.

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Tri Again is a rip-roaring, wetsuit-struggling, pedal-pushing odyssey that charts one man''s journey from a pneumonia-stricken heap to the starting line of Ironman.After a health scare leaves him gasping not just for air but for meaning, our everyman athlete decides to take on the ultimate challenge: the Ironman triathlon. With his trusty coach and the unexpected camaraderie of friendships found along the way, he sets out on a quest not just for glory, but for redemption.From the struggles of securing pool time during a global pandemic to the surreal world of virtual training sessions, Tri Again serves up a heartfelt, and sometimes harrowing, account of what it means to push the human body and spirit to their limits - a tale of the incessant pursuit of a finish line that seems forever just around the next bend.

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Torry: The Life and Career of a Football Great is the story of the remarkable Torry Gillick, a Scottish international footballer revered both in Glasgow and Liverpool.On the pitch, Gillick won every possible honour in Scottish football with Rangers across two spells at Ibrox, and was the only player signed twice by the legendary Bill Struth. At Everton, he was a key player in their famous league title triumph in 1939, making the club the last champions before World War Two.Gillick was a character and an entertainer, his skills and goals earning him a place in the Hall of Fame at both clubs. But his story is about more than his wonderful football career; it is one of a family man whose life was blighted by tragedy and heartache, but who always emerged stronger and who earned respect and friendship in and out of football.

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Updated for 2024, and (hopefully) to coincide with the club's return to the Premier League, Ipswich Town Miscellany is a collection of information you never knew you needed to know about the club it's also the perfect companion for Ipswich Town On This Day.Full of intriguing anecdotes and incredible stats and facts, like the tale of the striker whose shot cleared the stand and hit a horse ploughing a field, and the local Cub Scout pack who made tea in the Portman Road centre circle.Find out which World Cup finals was graced by no fewer than six Ipswich Town players; or which legendary Town boss is statistically the club''s most successful, and which great manager only comes third on the all-time list. And at which match the club produced its first programme, a game that was watched by only 2,000 fans.All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly rese

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Forty years on from his dramatic triumph in the Open Championship at the Old Course in 1984, Seve Ballesteros''s Touch of Class is the gripping, fast-paced, definitive account of the charismatic Spanish maestro''s finest hour. Alongside battles with Tom Watson, are tales of other Seve wins and inspirational moments, and what he meant to the world.Author Kenny Reid brings alive Seve''s outstanding play in brilliant detail, as he marched to his greatest victory against his biggest rival. The Spaniard is considered an artist, magician, genius and icon, and although Ballesteros passed away in 2011, his legend endures and Touch of Class paints an insightful, vivid portrait of the man and his golf.Not just Europe''s greatest, his natural talents and swashbuckling play brought style, daring, danger and adventure to the fairways. This is a fascinating account of Seve''s golfing journey: from gifted son of a farmer in isolated Spain to dominan

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It was just after five o'clock on 4 May 1949 as the Avio Linee Italiane Fiat G.212, carrying 18 players of AC Torino and 13 other passengers, was preparing to land at Turin's Aeritalia airport.?Thick fog meant visibility was poor, and strong winds had blown the plane off course. Disorientated, the plane was around ten miles from the runway and flying in excess of 100mph, when suddenly, out of the fog emerged the Basilica of Superga. With no time for the pilot to react, the plane crashed into the Basilica, killing all 31 passengers instantly including manager Erno Egri Erbstein, English coach Leslie Lievesley, and three well-known Italian sports journalists: Renato Casalbore, the founder of Tuttosport, Renato Tosatti, Gazzetta del Popolo, and Luigi Cavallero, La Stampa.Known as Grande Torino, in honour of their achievements, AC Torino had dominated their domestic league, and on the international stag

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Football, Freedom and Paradise! is the fascinating and inspirational autobiography of former footballer Rudi Vata, a man who overcame state oppression to attain the most basic of human necessities - his freedom.Born in Albania in 1969, he was raised under the oppressive communist dictatorship that ruled the country for decades. In a regime that curtailed all the basic freedoms of civilised society, Rudi determined that, ''You do not choose to be born under a dictatorship, but you choose whether to live under it.'' Rudi devoted himself to football - the sport that would provide his road to freedom and self-determination. After playing for his country in France in 1991, he defected and sought political asylum. Thus began the adventure that would take him around the world to play the beautiful game, most notably in a successful spell at Celtic FC, and live as a free man.This is not just a football story - it''s the tale of a man who fought for his

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Never Say Die is the gripping story of Arthur Baby' Gore, a battling tennis player of the Edwardian era and the oldest-ever winner of the Wimbledon singles title.Gore enjoyed an unparalleled 40-year career in which the game evolved from a garden-party pastime into a dynamic international sport. Thrice All-England champion, Olympic gold medallist and the first-ever Davis Cup captain, Gore was an amateur of the old school who competed in more Wimbledon tournaments than anyone else in history, all the while pursuing a hectic business life in the City of London.On court he was a dogged fighter who famously did not stop trying until the last point was played. A leading personality of the sport, he symbolised the generation that established the game in the public imagination.With analysis of his opponents and the changes he witnessed in tennis and wider society, this compelling biography provides an unrivalled insight into the life and times of a forgott

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Lions in the Wilderness: England''s Decade of Decline traces the trials and tribulations of the England football team in the 1970s.It was a decade that began with the Three Lions being deposed as holders at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, and ended with them failing to appear in another major tournament until the 1980 European Championship. Manager Sir Alf Ramsey, who led England to their famous 1966 World Cup Final triumph over West Germany at Wembley, lost his job in the wake of his side''s calamitous failure to qualify for the 1974 tournament, while ultimate successor Don Revie walked out in highly controversial fashion to take charge of the United Arab Emirates and leave Ron Greenwood to pick up the pieces of his country''s shattered reputation.Lions in the Wilderness also focuses on the personalities who shaped English football in the 70s and charts the growing emergence of black players, culminating in right-back Viv Anderson becoming the first

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Brian Moore Saved My Sunday is a nostalgic romp through the golden days of regional televised football.It revisits a time when the voices of not just the peerless Brian Moore, but of Hugh Johns, Gerald Sinstadt, Gerry Harrison and others, brought drama to TV sets. Whether The Big Match, Shoot or Kick Off Match, each ITV region had its own version.Dozens of people from in front of or behind the camera, or on the mic, were interviewed for this fascinating book that was ten years in the making. The families of Moore, Johns and Sinstadt provide priceless insights and many exclusive photographs. Pioneering director Bob Gardam, creative mastermind Jeff Foulser, ITV stalwart Gary Newbon, and forces of nature like Granada''s Paul Doherty, also share their memories.Brian Moore Saved My Sunday will thrill those fans who wolfed down their Sunday lunch to grab the best spot in front of the TV for football

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Going to the Wire looks at a dozen teams, from the 1970s to the present day, whose survival came down to the season's final day. It captures the drama and the passion that comes when not only league survival, but jobs and even a club's very existence can be on the line.It's all here, as Tom Brogan looks at the drama of late, late goals, on those days when fans can spend more time with ears pressed to radios, or eyes glued to mobile phones, all for news from another ground! The passion, the shredded nerves, bitten fingernails, the absurdities of blatant time-wasting, fake news of goals' elsewhere and ultimately teams coming back from the dead.Relegation is all part of the game, but one that no fan wants their team to get dragged into, but great escapes can make heroes of the unlikeliest of players. Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Middlesbrough, Burnley, Derby County and Coventry City are just a few of the clubs whose final-day e

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The Sons of Revie is the definitive account of ten incredible seasons at Leeds United, told through the eyes of a young supporter who grew up on the glory and heartbreak of cheering on his team from the Scratching Shed at Elland Road and all around the country.The 1960s and 70s was a golden age for English football, a time when legends were made at all the biggest clubs in the country, yet an unfashionable club with no history of success emerged from the bottom of Division Two to tower over the rest.Led by their visionary manager, Don Revie, a squad almost entirely made up of home-grown youngsters rewrote the record books and became one of the greatest teams in history, chasing multiple trophies every season and winning almost everything there was to win, yet their legacy would be dominated by controversies and disappointments as they so often fell at the final hurdle, by fair means or foul.From Dirty Leeds to Super Leeds, there has never been a

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The Batmaker of Copenhagen is the inspiring story of a cricketing hero who defied the German occupation to keep cricket alive throughoutthe Nazi occupation of Denmark during the Second World War.With Copenhagen under the iron grip of the Gestapo, and German U-boats preventing any supplies coming in from England, a humble cricket scorer sets out on an improbable and dangerous quest to find willow and produce his own cricket bats.Scouring the length and breadth of the country, hounded by Gestapo spies, and risking everything for the game he loves, the ''Batmaker'' undertakes his mission under the very noses of the city''s oppressors.His nemesis, a Gestapo chief by the name of ''Lucifer'', begins a quest of his own to crush the resistance in a battle of wills that shapes the course of the war. Based on a true story, this uplifting tale of passion and patriotism brings cricket and espionage together in a unique and gripping t

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Potter, Hopcutt and a Desk in East London charts the improbable rise of Östersunds FK (OFK) from the Swedish fourth division to the Europa League. Looking for a distraction from their mundane office lives, two childhood York City fans are drawn in by the ascent of two men with loose connections to their hometown club, OFK manager Graham Potter and midfielder Jamie Hopcutt. As a passing interest becomes a full-blown obsession, the pair follow Östersunds across Europe, from a war-torn Ukraine, to a Howard Kendall-themed bar in Bilbao, to a defining night at the Emirates. Fascinated by the people they meet along the way, the pair discover a team of misfits rejected at almost every level, a fan base confused by their Scandinavian fascination and a club not afraid to do things differently while knocking out some of Europe's most storied clubs. This book is an ode to the underdog and an invigorating reminder of the power of football fandom to provide the perfect escape.

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It was the funniest fight build-up of Muhammad Ali's career - and publicist and writer Norman Giller saw it all. British bulldog Richard Dunn was challenging Ali for the world heavyweight crown in Munich in 1976, and Giller hired the eccentric hypnotist Romark to convince Richard that he could topple 'The Greatest'. What Romark kept to himself was that he planned to put a curse on Ali that would doom him to failure. Recalling arguably the most bizarre fight build-up ever, Giller has penned a book that is laugh-out-loud funny, peopled by a colourful cast that includes irascible matchmaker Mickey Duff, millionaire magnate Jarvis Astaire, much-hated heavyweight rival Joe Bugner, Richard's father-in-law, trainer and minder Jimmy Devanney, a paratrooper regiment and 54 Ali hangers-on. The match bankrupted its promoters and lost more money than any heavyweight title fight in history. Romark claimed credit for the stage collapsing at a chaotic weigh-in ceremony, while 'Cinderella Man' Dunn got beaten up and was hailed a hero.

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Does your life revolve around your football team? Does your team's result on a Saturday make or break your weekend? Would you leave your wife on the day she's due to give birth to go to a cup final 140 miles away? Or miss your daughter's fourth birthday because you're in Madrid for a UEFA Cup tie? If so, this book is for you. The Team For Me is a personal reflection of the joy and heartache of football from a fan's perspective. Written by a Hearts supporter of 50 years' standing (and occasionally falling over), its tales will hit home among fans of any and every club - from the Saturday-morning feeling of anticipation to regaling your children with what it means to follow your club; from pre-match rituals to hammering your arch-rivals in a cup final. Fans who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s will also revel in memories of half-time scoreboards, dashing to the local newsagent at 5:30pm on a Saturday for a copy of the ink-stained Football Special edition, and of collecting football cards to swap with your pals.

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The Homecoming is Jane Purdon's passionate, heartfelt account of the summer of 2022, when the Lionesses dazzled the nation and brought football home. It's also Jane's personal story. Since falling in love with football aged seven, Jane has been an activist, administrator and leader in the beautiful game, most recently as CEO of Women in Football. Her journey takes in her early days as a Sunderland fan, her first kicks of the ball in her late teens, her pioneering work in the early 1990s to promote women's involvement in football, and her subsequent career at the heart of the football establishment. In 1992, Jane wrote, 'The England women's team winning the European Championship - now that is not a fairytale, it could just happen.' Thirty years later that fairytale came true. Jane reflects on what's happened to women's football in the aftermath of the Lionesses' historic victory and what needs to happen next.

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Packed full of trivia, facts and stats, The Top 10 of Everything England covers every aspect of the Three Lions' long and colourful history in dozens of ranked lists. With a star cast of past and present internationals, the lists include the most inspirational skippers, the most prolific goalscorers, the great managers and the biggest stars in the England Women's team. Among the many memorable moments revisited are England's most iconic World Cup matches, the most celebrated wins against arch-rivals Scotland, the finest goals scored by the likes of Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker and Wayne Rooney and the most appreciated own goals gifted by the opposition. Additionally, a host of miscellaneous categories rank England's best (and worst!) kits, the funniest fan chants, the most striking and controversial player tattoos and the bizarre incidents on and off the pitch that left supporters bewildered. Fun, informative and thought-provoking, The Top 10 of Everything England is guaranteed to spark lively debate among football fans everywhere.

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Mr Corinthian is the first-ever biography of Nicholas Lane ('Pa') Jackson, founding father of the famous Corinthian Football Club. This team of amateur gentlemen was a phenomenon in the game's early years. Achieving victories over FA Cup winners and league champions, their players twice comprised the whole England national team, while their overseas tours introduced the game to countries that would later become footballing superpowers. Jackson has been hailed as the architect, visionary and genius behind this celebrated club. But 'Pa', as he was affectionately known, was not what he seemed. An incorrigible self-publicist and social climber, he cultivated the appearance of a sophisticated English gentleman and a 'grand old man of sport'. For the last 100 years, his version of the Corinthian story, as told to club members, has been accepted as a faithful record of events - but it wasn't. Did the club's historians conspire to fabricate an undeserved reputation? This book is a search for the truth.

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A Sprinkle of Magic tells the fascinating stories of non-league clubs who defied the odds and dared to dream big in the world's oldest cup competition. When August rolls in, so do the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup as non-league sides from across the land bid to make the first round proper and pick up a potential dream tie. Stretching back to the 2009/10 season, the stories include FA Cup runs from Bath City, Redbridge, AFC Totton, Stourbridge, Hendon and of course history-makers Lincoln City, who became the first non-league side to reach the quarter-finals in more than a century in 2017. Featuring colourful tales galore, A Sprinkle of Magic brings the magic of the FA Cup alive with some of the biggest upsets of recent years.

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Snooker's Bad Boys takes us back to a time when snooker players were better paid than footballers and lived like rock stars. It looks at the feuds, fist fights, fixes and playboys who put the sport on the front and back pages of the national press - as told by those who were there. The Daily Telegraph wrote in 1986: 'Infidelity, wife desertion, murmurs of arranged matches and hints of betting coups... bad management and players' back-street behaviour is killing the game.' The truth was the public always wanted to know what Alex Higgins, Jimmy White and other bad boys of the green baize might do next. Higgins was the original hellraiser and Snooker's Bad Boys features exclusive eyewitness accounts of his rise and fall, along with the troubles and triumphs of Jimmy White, Ronnie O'Sullivan and many other rogues who drank, gambled, partied and potted their way into the hearts of millions - from the sport's peak years in the 1980s up to the present day.

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The Forgotten Cup tells the colourful story of the Mitropa Cup, the inter-war equivalent of today's Champions League. One of the most prestigious football stages of the era - along with the World Cup, which was first played in 1930 - it was a tournament to determine the kings of Europe at the end of a round-robin competition. European football at the highest level was dominated by Italian and Danubian teams - Austrian, Hungarian and Czechoslovakian - and would remain so until the end of the Second World War. The top teams of the time have now fallen into oblivion, and the exploits of Europe's football stars are largely forgotten. Matthias Sindelar, Karel Pešek 'Kád'a, Giuseppe Meazza, György Sárosi and Josef Bican along with a few others were the icons of a sport that had just turned professional, born out of the frictions of a politically heated era with an atmosphere that reverberated on the pitch. The Forgotten Cup takes us back to that lost age.

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1992: The Birth of Modern Football brings to life the key events from one of the most important years in football history. After the huge success of Italia '90 and the potential to show football around the world on TV, law makers, chairmen and players ushered in monumental changes to the structure of the game. Everyone remembers the first year of the Premier League, but changes to the backpass rule and the arrival of the newly branded Champions League would have a seismic effect on football. On the pitch, Italian clubs spent huge sums as they bolstered their squads for success at home and abroad. In England, Leeds and Manchester United were battling at the top of the league for the final season in the First Division. That sliding-doors moment really did have a huge impact on Alex Ferguson's men. To add to the growing changes, the revolution was televised. 1992: The Birth of Modern Football transports you back to the year that changed football forever.

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How to be a Cricket Fan: A Life in Fifty Artefacts from WG to Wisden is a unique, nostalgic take on supporting the greatest sport, pre-internet. This relatable, universal story records how one cricketing obsessive encounters players from WG Grace to Ben Stokes, plus plenty of characters you're unlikely to have come across. With running themes of Wisden, sportsman's dinners and otterhounds, the book's hero meets Ian Botham and Linda Lusardi on the A6, drinks red wine while showing Fred Trueman his priceless collection and drives his family mad by taking them on summer holidays to buy John Arlott's old books. The colourful images on cigarette cards and the yellow linen cover of Wisden succoured a wartime evacuee who spent a lifetime trying to bring back those memories. After facing ruin, his passion culminated in him finding happiness in a dream career. This is the story of an English eccentric's journey from cricketing backwaters to entertaining the stars and becoming a leading authority on the game.

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Galvinised is the tale of two footballing brothers with contrasting fortunes who played in a golden age of the game. It's a story of glamour and heartache. Tottenham Hotspur snapped up left-winger Tony Galvin from non-league Goole Town while he was studying Russian at Hull University. Tony won the FA Cup and UEFA Cup with Spurs alongside legendary stars such as Glenn Hoddle and Ossie Ardiles. He also won 29 Republic of Ireland caps and played at Euro 88. Tony ended his playing days at Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon Town. Conversely, elder brother Chris, an inside-forward, joined Leeds United as an apprentice but struggled to break into Don Revie's iconic team. After witnessing Leeds' glory days from the subs' bench, he played across the Football League pyramid at Hull City, Stockport County and York City before finding success in Hong Kong. The Galvin brothers have tales galore from the 1960s to 1980s, and share stories of players, travelling escapades, training ground bust-ups and unforgettable matches in this unique biography.

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The revealing autobiography of former footballer Emile Heskey. From humble beginnings, Emile became one of Leicester's favourite sons, as part of Martin O'Neill's swashbuckling misfits. In five years he won promotion, four top-ten Premier League finishes and two League Cups. England called, as did Gerard Houllier and an £11 million move to Liverpool, enabling Emile to form a memorable partnership with Michael Owen for both club and country. Then came the trophies - six of them, including the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. Heskey's England career saw him play in two European Championships and two World Cups as part of the Golden Generation, earning 62 caps and scoring seven times - including the final goal in the 5-1 demolition of Germany. He went on to play for Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa, Newcastle Jets and Bolton Wanderers, notably donating £100,000 to save Leicester City from extinction. Even Heskey Scored is the story of a largely unsung player, loved by his team-mates, who overcame fierce criticism to live the dream.

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What makes the number-ten jersey so special? It's merely material and thread - the number only used for administrative purposes. Yet the number ten represents much more than football. Those wearing it carry the weight of expectation for club and country. Andy Bollen forensically examines the world's greatest players - from Puskás to Pelé, Maradona and Messi - and asks, what makes them tick? How did they reach legendary status? He explores how their will to win at all costs comes from their desire to overcome adversity - escape poverty, rejection or horrendous injury. Bollen scrutinises the illustrious players who wore the number-ten shirt, discussing the lives, careers and mindsets of the classic playmakers. Theirs is a unique mentality, a twisted logic and drive. Part brilliance, part elegant brutality, they are required to deliver an artistry, genius and creativity. Their play is elevated to a work of art, then, with great devilment, they are capable of wilfully slashing and destroying it.

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Former Burnley FC director Clive Holt brings us the inside track on his 35 years at the club in a compelling memoir chock-full of anecdotes and previously untold stories. Every committee or boardroom needs someone who can ask awkward questions and see what might be coming around the next corner. Clive was that man at Burnley FC. Wherever Burnley were playing, he rarely missed a match, whether those dreadful games of the old Fourth Division when Burnley were in the doldrums, or the heady afternoons at Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge or the Emirates in the Premier League. Clive's knowledge of the workings of Burnley was encyclopaedic, and as company secretary he knew exactly what was going on throughout the club. He left the board in 2020 when Burnley were bought by the American company ALK, but continues to attend games with a devotion that has never wavered.

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Stanley Park Story: Life, Love and the Merseyside Derby charts the recent history of the longest continuous running derby game in English football. Liverpool and Everton have now contested the fixture every season since 1962. Using a mixture of fact, fiction and personal experience, Jeff Goulding has crafted a compelling tale spanning three generations of two families, Red and Blue. Their lives become intricately woven together through 50 years of this unique sporting rivalry. The story explores the changing fortunes of each team and the relationship between the two sets of supporters, which evolves over the years. The life and times of Jimmy, a Blue, and Tommy, a Red, form the basis of the drama which unfolds against a backdrop of thrilling sporting encounters, social and political upheaval and catastrophe. Ultimately, the story is one of a love so strong it reaches across the park to forge a timeless bond between the two families.

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