Search results for ""Pitch Publishing""

Box! Box! Box! tells the story of the 2022 Formula One championship. It captures the drama on and beyond the Grand Prix circuit, from high-speed accidents to the glamour of Monaco. After the fall -out of Abu Dhabi in 2021, would F1 ever be the same? Max Verstappen would be tested by a new challenge from the scarlet Ferraris. With new rivals, would he keep his nerve and prove himself a worthy champion? And could Lewis Hamilton bounce back after the huge disappointment of missing out on his eighth title? More than a race review, this book shines a light on what makes the sport tick away from the circuits. So, strap in as we revisit the 2022 campaign through each round, along with the stories that make F1 fascinating beyond race days.

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The Match is the tale of one of the most iconic games in World Cup history: Italy v Brazil at Spain '82. Piero Trellini delves into the stories of the great characters who lit up that unforgettable match - from Paolo Rossi to Sócrates, from Enzo Bearzot to Zico - as well as some forgotten figures who all played their part. The book takes us on a fascinating journey through the 1982 Mundial, exploring the football scene of the day and dishing out fascinating anecdotes on the various historical and sporting links between the two countries. Italy, a nation historically at the forefront of football, did not arrive in Spain as favourites, with widespread doubts about their chances, even in the Italian press. This is one of the reasons why their triumph that summer is still celebrated in Italy above other historic victories by the Azzurri. Following that momentous win, Italy would become the favourite destination for Europe and South America's greatest players.

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Rivalry is everywhere in football, from battles on the pitch to boardroom politics, regional and national quarrels and fights for silverware. These conflicts spark countless debates over which are the 'biggest' and 'best' fixtures in the global game, but those involving teams from the same city are especially intense, both on and off the pitch. Divided Cities is a game by game account of the good, bad, indifferent but always eventful experiences of journeying to 11 of the world's most prominent same-city derbies. Along the way, Kevin Pogorzelski explores some of the most wonderful cities on Earth, delving into the rich histories of clubs and meeting the people who live and breathe the local football culture. Pogorzelski does not try to glorify the violence or animosity between ultra groups but stumbles into some tricky situations. Have you ever thought about embarking on your own football pilgrimage? Then this book is for you.

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From the 'team of the century' to relegation, from Feyenoord to Field Mill, from trophies under the iconic Bill Nicholson to relegation under former Zambia coach Keith Burkinshaw - all in a little over three years. The 1970s weren't kind to Spurs. Nicholson's exit, the loss of legendary players and the club's eventual relegation all took place during a defining decade for British sport, painted against a backdrop of dramatic change for society at large. Social and economic malaise both informed and fed off a blooming culture of football hooliganism. The defining images of the decade were violent ones, both on and off the terraces. This book explores Tottenham's place in that unfolding drama, the club's own Götterdämmerung. But, as in Wagner's Ring, there was also a renaissance. The sun rose again as that same maligned Burkinshaw built an exciting team around the young Glenn Hoddle and World Cup-winning duo Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa. By the end of the decade, Tottenham had been reborn and were ready for more glory, glory days.

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El Más Grande is the story of Argentina's biggest and most successful football club, River Plate. From their humble origins in the southern districts of Buenos Aires, River grew into one of the largest clubs in South America, earning the nickname 'The Millionaires' as they established themselves at the iconic Monumental Stadium. Over the years, River have propelled some of the greatest talents on the continent to fame, whilst enchanting generations of fans with their stylish play. The book journeys back to the 'máquina' team of the 1940s, arguably the most attractive club side of the pre-television era, with its fabled frontline of Moreno, Loustau, Pedernera, Labruna and Muñoz. It takes us through the great sides of the 1950s, 70s and 90s right up to the all-conquering reign of present coach Marcelo Gallardo. Along the way, we discover the great players who have worn the distinctive white shirt with the red sash - from Bernabé Ferreyra, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Enzo Francescoli to Manchester City's new signing Julián Álvarez.

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The Conquerors charts the rise, fall and resurgence of AC Milan across one of the club's most legendary eras. Fresh from a coaching baptism of fire at either end of the top Italian divisions, former club favourite Carlo Ancelotti returned to a then-disjointed Rossoneri dressing room as first-team manager in 2001. Out of sorts, out of form and out of touch with the standards set by the side in Ancelotti's day, AC Milan found a much-needed stabilising influence in the new coach, who helped them through a phase of transition. Though his impact wasn't immediate, nor without its share of dissenters, Ancelotti would ultimately return the team to its former glory. The Conquerors is a homage to one of the greatest club sides in football history. It's a story of incredible talent, iconic moments and the kind of improbable redemption usually reserved for Hollywood movie scripts.

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Rovers Till I Die is the fascinating story of Blackburn's most famous personality, Bob Crompton, a man of humble birth who achieved soaring success in and out of football. Born the son of a beer seller in a town where work was hard and wages poor, Crompton broke the shackles of his working-class roots. He became a legendary captain of England and Blackburn Rovers, whom he led to two First Division championships. The first footballer to own a motor car, he later manufactured them. After a plumbing patent made him a rich man Crompton diversified into various businesses, generating a personal wealth that led to him being co-opted to the Rovers' board. He later served as coach and manager, masterminding an FA Cup Final victory and promotion. Yet he remained misunderstood, his character shaped by personal tragedy and a target for those connected with the club who envied his success. Rovers Till I Die is the definitive story of a Blackburn legend who achieved his aspirations and more.

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When UK Sport removed funding for women's BMX, Bethany Shriever's dream of Olympic glory seemed shattered. Throw in the impact of a broken leg sustained in childhood, plus an untimely arm injury weeks before the final Olympic qualification event, and few would have thought the 22-year-old would be on the plane to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, let alone the podium. And with the uncertainty caused by a global pandemic, the external pressures on Beth were intense and pervasive. However, the BMX racer from Essex is made of stern stuff and, perhaps just as importantly, so are the team around her. From her deeply involved family, to her dedicated coaching team, to her friends within the BMX community, Beth's story recognises the team behind an athlete. This compelling tale of triumph over adversity reveals how the power of belief overcame the obstacles that threatened to derail Bethany's dreams of becoming the best ever female BMX racer.

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Uruguay remains a curious case in world football. Early Olympic and World Cup triumphs made it the game's first global power, and the small country has punched above its weight ever since. But the story behind its success is untold. In this first English-language history of Uruguayan football, Martin da Cruz maps the game's journey from exclusive British pastime to Uruguayan national passion, bringing to life the teams, players and personalities who helped create one of the world's most intense sporting cultures. From the start, football was intimately tied to Uruguay's national story. Wedged between giants Argentina and Brazil and lacking a cohesive national identity, Uruguay used the game to create unified and educated citizens, to put an end to civil war and become an advanced social democracy. Yet football also drove counter-narratives of class and race, challenging Uruguay's self-identification as a peaceful, 'white' nation. From Beauty to Duty is the story of a little country made big.

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With the world turning rightwards and democracy looking at its most precarious since the 1930s, the emergence of a global network of left-wing, anti-fascist and anti-racist football fans has been one of the few shining lights in dark times. Some support clubs that are globally renowned, including the great St Pauli - more famous for the quality of its politics and its merchandise than its football. Others, no less committed, follow virtual minnows, like Red Star Paris and Bohemians Prague. But they still have proud histories, deep convictions and something to say. The left often fails to connect. How can these clubs inform and inspire? How can their example help collectivist, internationalist and inclusive principles defeat the seductive slogans and symbols of the growing nationalist and nativist movements across the planet? The Roaring Red Front explores theses questions while examining the history and current struggles of these special clubs - and why it all matters.

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Heart of Midlothian are a football club steeped in history, famous for their iconic maroon and white colours. Author Grant Young takes us on a journey from the late 1950s to the Championship-winning season of 2020/21, experienced through 51 match shirts, each brought to life with a compelling story and stunning photographs. Grant doggedly tracked down the shirts over a 20-year period to bring them together for the first time in print. Immerse yourself in extraordinary kits revered by fans throughout the decades: eye-catching kits of the 70s and 80s, flamboyant kits from the 90s, then on to the 2000s and kits associated with successful seasons and an owner who would take the club to the brink. Discover shirts from the 1959 League Cup Final, the Scottish Cup wins of 1998 and 2006, plus the incredible 2012 duel against city rivals Hibernian, along with obscure and extremely rare shirts. Finally, we move to the current-day shirts accompanied by the highs and lows of relegation, promotion, demotion and becoming a fan-owned club.

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As a toddler, Geoff plays a straight bat with a frying pan, knocking his brother unconscious. They both survive and go on to share an obsession with cricket. From playing as kids in oversized pads, they become recreational cricketers and devotees of England and Notts. Cricket, My Brother and Me is rich in humorous anecdotes and personal memories of 50 eventful years playing and watching cricket. Accounts of early life as cricketers see the brothers trying to emulate their heroes and failing miserably, finally settling for the role of spectator. Memories include the torture and the glory of watching the Ashes, touring abroad and the more sedate joys of county cricket. The book describes the brothers' fraught first encounter with the Barmy Army and later touring as part of the world's greatest supporters' club. Ardent fans will enjoy the serious reflections on cricket and politics and thoughts on the future of the sport. This is a 'must read' for cricket lovers and for those intrigued as to why cricket can inflame such passion.

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Dynamite and Davey: The Explosive Lives of The British Bulldogs is the triumphant but ultimately tragic story of Tom Billington and Davey Boy Smith. Cousins born just a couple of years apart in a small mining town near Wigan, Tom and Davey discovered the art of wrestling as schoolboys. Tom went on to become 'The Dynamite Kid', arguably the greatest and most pioneering wrestler in history, but his short temper and determination to reach the top of a sport dominated by naturally bigger men would be his undoing. The more reserved Davey became a global superstar, but followed his cousin not just into exceptionalism, but into heavy substance abuse as well. Ultimately, the extraordinarily dysfunctional world of pro wrestling would prove too much for the cousins from Golborne - one proud, one naive. Together they became the best and most influential tag team of their generation. But they could not escape their demons, and their triumphs eventually submitted to their tragedy. Dynamite and Davey is a gripping cautionary tale.

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Chelsea FC have enjoyed unprecedented success in England and Europe since Roman Abramovich arrived in 2003. The men's team has set a phenomenally high benchmark, which the Chelsea women's team now aims to follow. Club director Marina Granovskaia has one overarching mission: to replicate the men's team model and transform Chelsea Women into a European powerhouse - a side to rival the acknowledged queens of Europe, Olympique Lyonnais Feminin. So how has coach Emma Hayes set up her side to achieve superpower status? This book dissects the tactical concepts of the team, breaking down each phase of play, and explores the factors that make them a super-club with a viable chance of winning the elusive UEFA Women's Champions League. From team tactics to in-depth player analysis, Europe's Next Powerhouse? reveals the factors that have put them on a path to be a force in England and Europe for years to come.

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How much do you really know about Manchester United? Put your knowledge to the test with this bumper book of brainteaser quizzes and fascinating facts, beautifully illustrated by one of the world's leading sports artists. It's packed with trivia on all the great Man United sides and players - from the 'Busby Babes' to 'Fergie's Fledglings', from Charlton, Law and Best to Rooney, Ronaldo and Rashford - providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment. Which player earned a taekwondo black belt and seriously considered abandoning his football career to work as a docker? Which Republic of Ireland international was raised in orphanages? Son of a Greco-Roman wrestling champion, which striker served in the Norwegian army? Which United striker made history when he played for Stockport County alongside his father? Which player appeared opposite Cate Blanchett in the 1998 movie Elizabeth? Trivquiz Manchester United holds the answers to all these questions and hundreds more.

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English football changed in the 1990s. For better, for worse - but mainly for better. The shirts and shorts got baggier and brighter. Exotic-named players were enticed from overseas. New stadiums were built in the wake of the Taylor Report. The Premier League emerged and England hosted its first international tournament since 1966. The era of 'New Labour' and 'Cool Britannia', it was also the decade English football went mainstream. When the Seagulls Follow the Trawler author Tom Whitworth travelled to English football's hotbeds - the cities of London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle - to meet the people who lived through an era of change: the players and the managers, the owners and the fans. He looks back at key moments, the teams, the title races, the twists and turns, the characters and the rivalries. All from a decade when English football began to shrug off its bad-lad image - at least off the pitch - and move out of the darkness and into the light.

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Award-winning cricket writer Mark Peel charts the development of the England captaincy - from the autocratic captains of the post-war years to the dual captaincy of the present, where power is shared between captain and coach. Peel examines the huge demands the England captaincy imposes on the occupant and why few leave office with their reputation enhanced. You'll learn about the long-lasting legacy of the Hutton captaincy of the mid-1950s, the downfall of mavericks such as Brian Close, Tony Greig and Mike Gatting, the success of the Illingworth and Brearley eras and the chaos of the 1980s, when captains came and went with regular abandon, and finally the glory years of Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss. The Hollow Crown contains individual portraits of the 43 England captains, exploring their background, philosophy, strengths, weaknesses and the legacy they left, with special attention given to the likes of Hutton, May, Illingworth, Brearley, Atherton, Hussain, Vaughan and Strauss.

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We Conquered All of Europe: Red Odyssey II charts the re-emergence of Liverpool FC as one of the most feared and respected teams in European football. In 2015, Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield and set about rebuilding a sporting empire. In order to succeed he would need to transform its legions of fans from doubters into believers - and, in the process, would take them on the greatest of sporting odysseys. Jeff Goulding chronicles the whole journey through the eyes of the people who lived it, the supporters. Also included are key insights from former players, as well as eyewitness accounts of some of the most incredible moments of the Klopp era. Relive the humbling of Barcelona's Messi and Suarez. Absorb the electric atmosphere on the Kop as the Reds pulled off the seemingly impossible, and journey with the fans as they conquered all of Europe. Red Odyssey II takes the reader through it all - the highs and the lows - and describes how Klopp awakened one of football's sleeping giants.

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The sequel to The Roar of the Lionesses - named one of The Guardian's best sports books of 2016. England's Lionesses headed to France for the 2019 Women's World Cup endeavouring to improve on their third-place finish in Canada four years previously. But they didn't have the easiest of preparations, with dramas and headlines emerging for all the wrong reasons. Back home, FA upheavals brought yet another restructure of competition in women's football. The top flights switched back to a winter season, and now all the elite teams had to employ players on a full-time professional basis. While the superstars went in search of spectacular silverware, the goalposts were being moved for pros, part-timers and amateurs alike. Even women playing football for fun were forced to consider their place in the system. Carrie Dunn's Pride of the Lionesses offers a timely inside analysis of one of the UK's fastest-growing sports. Is women's football in England actually growing from top to bottom - or is it just another slick PR campaign?

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Compelling, entertaining and refreshingly honest, One in a Million is the autobiography of Trevor Francis, the subject of the first GBP1 million transfer fee in football history - a record for all time. As a 16-year-old, Francis set a record as the youngest player to score four goals in a match, an early indication of an exceptional talent. And so his unique career journey would continue to unfold, encountering a seemingly endless succession of superlatives, larger-than-life characters and astonishing events. Trevor played professionally not only in England but also in the USA and Scotland, in Italy and Australia. He gained 52 England caps, and won the European Cup on his debut in the competition. He played his part in the English revolution at Glasgow Rangers and managed QPR, Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City. Thrillingly, Trevor takes the reader with him into dressing rooms, into boardrooms and on to the field of play. He has a true gift for memorable detail, providing a wealth of revelations and remarkable stories.

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The Beautiful Badge tells the fascinating story behind the UK's football club badges, from 1860s hand-embroidered symbols on home-knitted jerseys to today's multi-million pound brands. The book not only covers hammers, cannon and Liver birds but also reveals the link between Peterhead FC and Viz comic; which TV celebrity designed Aldershot Town FC's badge; and whose GBP10 doodle became the opposition's badge. Some clubs have sported ten or more different badges over the decades, ranging from their town's coat of arms to cartoon insects and initials. Promotion, moving to a new stadium or an owner with controversial views often results in a new badge. The book plots the influence of fashion, technology and fans, and investigates the tensions between clubs and supporters over changes to their beloved badge. Do you know why your club's badge looks the way it does? The Beautiful Badge is essential reading for football enthusiasts, historians, designers and anyone who enjoys putting their feet up in the boot room.

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Why Are We Always Indoors? (...unless we're off to Barnard Castle) is a personal chronicle of the strangest and darkest football close season in modern history. Having studied politics at university, Paul Armstrong spent much of his career running BBC TV's Match of the Day, then wrote the memoir Why Are We Always On Last? which was published in 2019. In March 2020, he embarked on a journal of London lockdown life against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. This eventually spanned the 105 days between MOTD's Premier League highlights being removed from the schedules and returning in June. Musings and anecdotes about sport, TV, music and life under lockdown became increasingly overshadowed by the mounting tragedy, and a sense of despair and anger at how the crisis was handled at the highest level. This was informed by a lifetime of studying and following politics and by a network of contacts from television and sport, and in various other affected walks of life. A first-hand account of a slice of living history, conveyed with dark humour and a sense of urgency and immediacy.

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Now in its seventh year, the Racing Post Annual is firmly established as the perfect Christmas gift for any horseracing fan. This exciting review of 2019 from the Racing Post, the nation’s voice of horseracing, has 208 colour pages packed with the best stories of the racing year and is beautifully illustrated with stunning images by award-winning photographer Edward Whitaker and others.The Racing Post’s top writers look back on the best of the Flat and jumps seasons; the big names both equine and human; the moments to treasure and unusual stories of the year; plus a look forward at the top prospects for 2020. With a glittering line-up, this large-format, magazine-style publication is a must for any horseracing fan to enjoy at the end of the racing year.

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Panenka's pearl of a penalty in Belgrade, van Basten's volley of a lifetime in Munich, Gazza's agonising near-miss at Wembley: over its six decades, the UEFA European Championship has thrown up many of the most memorable stories in football lore. Now it gets the history it deserves. Euro Summits is the first full retelling of the tournament, from its tentative beginnings in the late 1950s to its elephantine expansion in the mid-2010s. Taking in the USSR's early success, the grim violence of 1968, France's cavalier feats on home soil in 1984, the sensational triumphs of no-hopers Denmark and Greece, Spain's modern-day dominance, all the way up to Portugal's shock victory in 2016, it's a panoramic portrait of an event that captures a whole continent's imagination every four years. Dramatic, detailed and teeming with compelling personalities like Michel Platini, Gunter Netzer, Hristo Stoichkov, Zinedine Zidane, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, this is the complete story of a footballing event second only to the World Cup.

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In recent years, home-made banners at football matches have become almost as commonplace as scarves and hats. Unhappy with the manager? Want to wind up your opponents? You're only a sheet and a pot of paint away from getting your message across to a wider audience. And it's not just the fans who are having their say, with club DJs also putting the boot into the opposition, while warning would-be smokers what will happen to them if they dare light up in the ground. Cilla Wants Her Teeth Back (which takes its name from a message to buck-toothed Brazilian Ronaldinho from Liverpool fans) is a book that for the first time brings together the world's best banners and strangest stadium announcements. So if you want to know what happened when communism met alcoholism and which team Dick Turpin scored for, sit back and enjoy the ride.

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From the thousands of matches ever played by Cardiff City, stretching from the club's Victorian foundation to their grand Premier League entrance, here are 50 of the Bluebirds' most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all! Expertly presented in evocative historical context, and described incident-by-incident in atmospheric detail, Cardiff City Greatest Games offers a terrace ticket back in time, taking in everything from the famous FA Cup triumph of 1927 through great European nights of the 60s and 70s to the two Cup finals reached since the millennium. An irresistible cast list of club legends - John Charles, Robert Earnshaw and Brian Clark, Derek Tapscott, Phil Dwyer and Peter Whittingham - springs to life at wonderful moments such as promotion day against Leeds in 1952, 1999's heroic 0-0 draw with eight men at Cambridge United, and the third-tier playoff win in extra-time against QPR which continued the Bluebirds' resurgence in 2003. In all, a journey through the highlights of City's history which is guaranteed to make any fan's heart swell with pride.

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The FA Cup Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the world's oldest cup competition. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the referee who had to hide in a broom cupboard from a furious, naked goalkeeper? How about the gypsy curse that lasted for decades? Or the time Jeremy Paxman tackled Kenny Dalglish? Do you know how an FA Cup quarter-final between Notts County and Stoke changed football forever? Which current player has a winner's medal for every day of the week? Or how a fragile corner flag stopped some Spartans from marching on? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any football fan who holds the riches of almost 140 years of Cup culture close to their heart.

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Mid-Atlantic, 10 April 1954: The Queen Elizabeth's crew commit to the deep a coffin containing the remains of Liverpool Football Club, relegated that day to the Second Division. Istanbul, 25 May 2005: Liverpool's heroes hold aloft the Champions League trophy, after the greatest final ever. Between those pivotal dates, the Reds touched glittering heights and plumbed the darkest depths. But what about the fans who followed the club every step along the turbulent way? On this journey of a lifetime, Neil Dunkin relies on the cast of characters including Shankly, Paisley, Dalglish, Benitez, Pele and even Ursula Andress...and the action swings from Liverpool to Rome, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, the High Andes, even the top of one of Istanbul's tallest minarets. Subject high acclaim, this title was shortlisted in the Best New Writer category at the 2009 British Sports Book Awards.

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Ireland On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the Republic's footballing past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the Irish Free State's debut at the 1924 Olympics through to the Aviva Stadium era, the green-and-white faithful have witnessed a host of famous international victories and heart-rending near misses at home and abroad. Timeless greats such as Liam Brady, Niall Quinn and Johnny Giles, Packie Bonner, John Aldridge and Noel Cantwell loom larger than life in a history capped by uplifting displays in the World Cup and Euros. Revisit 21 September 1949: the Boys in Green become the first non-UK side to win in England. 18 June 1994: Jack's Army vs. Italy in New York. 23 May 2002: Keano vs. McCarthy...

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Ipswich Town Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Tractor Boys. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the Town striker whose shot cleared the stand and hit a horse ploughing a field, creating the fastest furrow on record? How about the Cubs pack who made tea in the Portman Road centre circle? Or the World Cup where six Town players starred? Do you know which legendary Town manager is statistically the club's most successful? Who only comes third on the list? Or when the club's first ever programme was produced, for a game that only drew 2,000 fans? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any fan who holds the riches of blue-and-white history close to their heart.

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Since the thoroughbred horse was first developed over three centuries ago, these magnificent creatures have given the global race-going public limitless joy, and filled our memories with wonder and respect, and Punch a Hole in the Wind focuses on the stories of 50 champion Flat racehorses since the dawn of film. Taking a far more global look than other attempts to capture the lives and victories of the greats from the past, it celebrates our heroes from the UK, France, US, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, and each story is told with a mixture of humour, passion and solid research. Every horse that has ever raced has given its connections a thrill but very few can truly by thought of as great and this is a celebration of them, rather than an artificial competition between them, and it is an essential companion to race lovers around the world. Featuring 32 pages of stunning photographs and statistics for each horse, this is sure to appeal to any horseracing fan.

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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 Arsenal quiz book. It's not often that books on football make reference to Ascot races, Fidel Castro, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Pink Floyd, Fawlty Towers and Marilyn Monroe, but this one does! Call Yourself a United Fan? is a quirky, challenging affair for real Arsenal fans who can test themselves or take each other on, with the emphasis on enjoyment and discovery. Try these for size: Which Arsenal goalkeeper topped the county cricket bowling averages? What links the following Arsenal players: Bob John, Alex James, Mel Charles, Charlie George and Thierry Henry? General Custer's last stand occurred at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. His first two names together produce one of Arsenal's most popular players, who? You will struggle to find anything as comprehensive as this eclectic collection. It's a must for Arsenal fans of all ages and you might not see anything quite like it again.

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Blinkin' 'Ell is both a celebration of life and a cautionary tale. It is a raw, boisterous, untutored, un-ghosted scrapbook of memories from a man whose world seemed to have ended in August 2014 when a massive stroke left him permanently incapacitated with only his left eyelid for communication. It tells of how, once he found his niche as a champion farrier, Stevie Fisher burned the candle at both ends, in the saddle, at the races, or at many another jape on his countryman's horizon. The addictive wonder is not just that Stevie has, blink by blink, letter by letter, brought us these stories of his old great times and of his present grotesquely bad, but that he has done so with all the over-the-top verve of the cheering, galloping figure whose pictures on the wall contrast so vividly with the shrivelled Stephen Hawking body on the bed. Stevie Fisher took a lot out of life. Read Blinkin' 'Ell and be amazed and uplifted by how much he still has.

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Once a year the public fix their gaze and risk pounds or pence on a race that better than any other reminds us of the grace and courage of the jumps racehorse. The racehorse could have no finer ambassador than Tiger Roll. There is not much of him but he makes every bit count, just as Red Rum did. He was an icon of the turf. So is Tiger Roll. He is this generation's Red Rum and now merits being ranked among the all-time greats of the sport. A horse who wins two Grand Nationals and four times at the Cheltenham Festival deserves nothing less. Horseracing's best writers tell the Tiger Roll tale, a story of overachievement, a story of exceeding expectations, a story of a little legend.

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Follow the Thunder is the searingly honest autobiography of former Premier League star and record-breaking wonder kid Jason Dozzell, who later faced the consequences of a chaotic life off the field.In February 1984, Jason netted on his debut for hometown club Ipswich Town, at the age of 16 years and 57 days, to become the youngest goalscorer in English top-flight history. It''s a record that still stands.He went on to secure legendary status at his beloved Blues and subsequently made a big-money move to Spurs. Life off the field, however, was always chaotic.In 2019, following a ''slow descent to a dark place'', Jason was convicted of driving under the influence of cocaine. Class A drugs, which had once been consumed for fun, were now being used to take the edge off constant panic attacks and paranoia. A candid interview about his mental-health issues proved a major turning point. It was, he finally realised, good to talk. The last five years have b

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Triumphs, Treachery and Toilet Rolls is the astonishing life story of football legend Francis Lee. With searing candour, Lee reveals how he overcame treachery and betrayals to prevail. This is Franny - uncensored.This remarkable man rose from the humblest of beginnings to become a top-class international footballer, a multi-millionaire businessman and entrepreneur, a successful racehorse trainer and then a reborn football man, returning as Manchester City''s chairman to steer the club towards its glorious 21st-century renaissance at The Etihad.From a childhood among the mills around Bolton, Lee faced up to authority and putdowns at school, at Bolton Wanderers, and to later betrayals in the boardroom, to fulfil his dreams at City, Derby County and in selling toilet rolls to the masses.This is the story of a man who crammed more into one life than anyone could aspire to - told for the first time, in his own words.

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Viva Colombia: A Social History of Colombian Football tells the story through 15 distinct episodes and 15 national team players.The book covers everything from the joie de vivre of the Colombian style - personified by Carlos Valderrama - to the travails of Colombian society illustrated by the tragic murder of Andrés Escobar in the aftermath of Colombia''s 1994 group-stage exit. The narrative examines how personal stories interlink with the wider history of the nation.Despite many complexities, Colombia is often reduced to a series of off-beam stereotypes which exoticise, eroticise or misrepresent it. This book offers a timely corrective, telling the story through the eyes of a number of its key historical protagonists.From Colombia''s first World Cup appearance in 1962 through to the present day, we discover what some of the most emblematic players to wear the shirt tell us about the Colombian nation.

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Benno: My Life in Football is a fascinating look into the footballing life of one of Coventry City''s greatest ever players, FA Cup-winning hero Dave Bennett.Follow the effervescent Benno''s life from battling racism on the streets of Manchester and throughout his career to climbing those famous steps at the home of English football.Benno had it tough from day one of his career. He was subjected to on-pitch racist abuse on his debut at Manchester City. He saw what should have been a shining moment of his career overshadowed when he was referred to as ''the little coloured boy'' during 1981 FA Cup Final commentary.But he fought back and overcame four leg breaks. He also enjoyed season after season in the top flight, becoming one of the country''s leading wingers in the process - and he did it all with a huge smile on his face. My Life in Football is Benno''s story - an extraordinary tale that reveals the best and worst of football in the 1980

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Jeff Goulding''s Red Odyssey, an epic chronicle of Liverpool FC''s history, continues with more tales of drama and joy, heroes and villains, victors and vanquished.In 2020, Klopp''s Reds captured the club''s first league title in 30 years, completing a remarkable treble of domestic, European and world honours. Jurgen''s Last Stand: Red Odyssey IV is the story of what came next, reliving how Jürgen came agonisingly close to a clean sweep of all available honours in 2022 before carrying off a domestic cup double.Goulding treats us to a supporter''s-eye view of the drama in Paris, which is emotively contrasted with a glorious homecoming that enveloped the team and the city of Liverpool in a blanket of solidarity and celebration.Finally, as a tired Klopp battles to build Liverpool 2.0, supporters are rocked by his decision to step down at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, before their passionate response propels him and the club through yet another hist

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Chaos, Controversy and THAT Kung-Fu Kick is the astonishing story of the most eventful season in the history of the Premier League.Not only was there a final-day showdown for the title between Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers, but there was scandal and controversy throughout. From George Graham's removal from the bench at Highbury, to Paul Merson confronting his demons, a managerial sack race like no other, and the unforgettable sight of Eric Cantona's flying boot connecting with a fan in the Selhurst Park crowd, the season was like no other.On the pitch, Kevin Keegan's Newcastle set the pace before Manchester United and Blackburn began their assault on the title. It was a season defined by strikers. There was Shearer and Sutton at Ewood Park, Fowler at Anfield, Klinsmann at Spurs and a blockbuster move that took Andy Cole to Old Trafford.This season provides the ultimate story of football chaos.

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Believer in Blue is the fascinating autobiography of Marvin Andrews, who famously overcame serious injury and defied expert medical opinion to help Rangers win the title on ''Helicopter Sunday''. A year later, he led Trinidad and Tobago to an unprecedented qualification for the 2006 World Cup.Reared in San Juan in humble circumstances, Andrews overcame adversity to build a life in football. A 5,000-mile flight to Scotland opened up a career with Raith Rovers in 1997. There, he also found the local church where he was ordained in 2006. The experience would change his life forever.He became a hero when he helped Livingston FC to their first major honour in 2004 - the Scottish League Cup. When Rangers came calling, the scene was set for that drama on ''Helicopter Sunday''. The image of Marvin on his knees giving thanks to God has become iconic. His t-shirt proclaimed, ''The things that are impossible with men, are possible with God'', and so it s

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The Thinkers'' Factory is the compelling story of Italian coaching, uncovering how Italy has consistently produced football''s finest managers.For nearly a century, Italian coaching has been the gold standard. From Vittorio Pozzo''s World Cup heroics to Nereo Rocco''s intelligence, Arrigo Sacchi''s innovation to Carlo Ancelotti''s obsession with winning, this book explores the coaching careers of the men who gave Italy its unrivalled reputation.Italian football has been shaped by politics, religion and society. From the dark days of fascist rule to the current era, the country has always found a way to keep winning. Through deep influences, education and frequent reinvention, Italy has ensured it remains on top - and as it continues to develop the sport''s best coaches, that carousel of success is unlikely to stop anytime soon.Through interviews with key figures, stories and tactics of some of the best Italian-led teams and analysis of the great

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Friendlies. Some fans love them, others loathe them, but they are an often forgotten part of every club's history. Leeds United the Forgotten Games features more than 650 friendly matches: from the first-ever game against Yorkshire Amateurs right up to the modern day pre-season tour.The book is full of quirky stats and interesting facts, such as the game where dead-ball specialist Ian Harte scored a unique hat-trick. It also details all of the club's foreign tours, winners of the West Riding Cup, tells you just who Brian Tevreden was and reveals the club that Leeds have played the most over the years.Each game is brought to life by a match report and stats lovers will relish poring over the full team line-ups from these forgotten games, recalling forgotten trialists, youth-team nearly men and those unknown future legends making their first steps in the professional game.

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Cricket''s Hard Men takes an innovative look at character, psychology and mental health in cricket to produce a fascinating study of the sport''s toughest players.So, what actually constitutes a hard man of cricket? The truth is there is no simple definition. Whether it''s resilience to defy injury from players like Kepler Wessels, Mike Atherton and Allan Border; sheer physicality from cricketer turned cage fighter Adam Hollioake; the bloody-mindedness to snub tradition by Douglas Jardine and John Reid; a chest-thumping need from Arjuna Ranatunga to show pride for a flag that had a reputation of being soft in the cricket world; or the blind courage of Brian Close, each player has his own unique story, told here through in-depth research and exclusive interviews.The author consulted prominent ex-cricketers and broadcasters before studying this select band, from Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies an

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Enigmatic international athlete David Sharpe tells the gripping and often amusing story of his life on and off the track.Born into humble beginnings in Jarrow in north-east England, David rose to become World Junior and European Indoor champion and World Cup winner at 800 metres. His best time of 1:43.98 was number one in the UK in 1992. He trained with Steve Cram and was coached by the legendary Jimmy Hedley.David was known for his trademark late finishes but also for his erratic lifestyle. In this tell-all book he delves into topics as diverse as motorbiking, skiing, celebrity boxing, travelling overseas, birdwatching, scrapes with authority, suspected drug use, athlete payments, cancer, bereavement and suicide. He also provides insight into his training and relationship with Jimmy, and talks with regret about controversial incidents.David's story is as entertaining as his running once was.

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Middlesbrough On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the club''s glorious past, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Boro diary with an entry for every day of the year.From the club''s foundations in the 1870s to 21st-century exploits at the Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough On This Day brings together decades of research by Tosh Warwick, Gordon Rees and Shaun Wilson as they revisit the famous matches, greatest players, quirky tales and heart-breaking times in the roller-coaster history of Middlesbrough FC.Exploring more than 140 years of life at Boro, the book revisits the exploits of club legends such as George Camsell, Wilf Mannion, Brian Clough, Tony Mowbray and Bernie Slaven in this journey through time. From Boro''s early amateur trophy success to John Hickton''s famous penalty run-ups, Juninho''s jinking runs to Maccarone-inspired magical European nights at the Riverside Stad

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