JCL666
absurdism
- Sep 23, 2011
- 2,190
No I didn't actually. Be interesting to see how he gets on.
Man I was definitely surprised how much he was getting offered for the level he was playing at.
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Whats the best FOOTBALL book you have ever read ?
- Thread starter Easy 10
- Start date
No I didn't actually. Be interesting to see how he gets on.
Man I was definitely surprised how much he was getting offered for the level he was playing at.
Barry Izbak
U.T.A.
Many good books listed here, and I too will be seeking one or two out.
Sadly I don't think the best one I ever read is available any more. I picked up a copy of Dixie Dean's autobiography at a book sale in Dorset thirty years ago.
It wasn't ghost written and from memory it was published ten years afternoon, his career ended around 1950.
Amazing. Different times then. How he would go to Goodison on the bus with his boots in a bag and chat with the fans. Even more incredible he would go home after the same way.
He talks about the season in the twenties when he scored 60 goals in the first division.
It was such a genuine look into those far off days. And of course thirty years ago footballers weren't as remote as they are today.
I wish I knew where that book is now. No chance.
Sadly I don't think the best one I ever read is available any more. I picked up a copy of Dixie Dean's autobiography at a book sale in Dorset thirty years ago.
It wasn't ghost written and from memory it was published ten years afternoon, his career ended around 1950.
Amazing. Different times then. How he would go to Goodison on the bus with his boots in a bag and chat with the fans. Even more incredible he would go home after the same way.
He talks about the season in the twenties when he scored 60 goals in the first division.
It was such a genuine look into those far off days. And of course thirty years ago footballers weren't as remote as they are today.
I wish I knew where that book is now. No chance.
Norman Potting
Well-known member
Another vote for the Gary Imlach book and Gary Nelson's efforts. Off to Amazon now to find the book that starts this thread,
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 70,335
'The Glory Game' by Hunter Davies for me wins hands-down, for the style of the writing, the wart-and-all portrayals of the big big characters and the access-all-areas behind the scenes coverage of a major football club throughout an entire season (Spurs 1971/72 season). With modern-day spin and media handlers keeping writers at arms-length from the players, such a book would just not be possible in the modern day Premier League. Can't recommend it highly enough.
Pevenseagull
Anti-greed coalition
- Jul 20, 2003
- 19,657
Another nod to 'Dynamo', Andy Dougan
'Football Agaist The Enemy', Simon Kuiper is also excellent.
'Football Agaist The Enemy', Simon Kuiper is also excellent.
Running With The Firm by James Bannon.
An undercover policeman infiltrates Millwall's infamous hooligan firm. The film ID was based on this book and there's some gripping stuff in there. How him and his mate nearly got caught being Old Bill, witnessing a Crystal Palace fan get beaten up in front of his family and not being able to do anything, friendships growing and the adrenaline of football violence.
I read a lot of football books but this one is up there with the very best.
An undercover policeman infiltrates Millwall's infamous hooligan firm. The film ID was based on this book and there's some gripping stuff in there. How him and his mate nearly got caught being Old Bill, witnessing a Crystal Palace fan get beaten up in front of his family and not being able to do anything, friendships growing and the adrenaline of football violence.
I read a lot of football books but this one is up there with the very best.
Thanks mate. Not in quite the same league but cheers for the mention
I really enjoyed A Season With Verona by Tim Parks. Basically spends a season going to every home and away game with Hellas Verona when they were in Serie A, travelling with and befriending their ultras. As he lives in Verona and stood on the Curva before starting the book it's written pretty much from a fan's perspective rather than as a journalist. Some of the away days and banter would ring true to a die hard fan of an English club too.
I hadn't read the previous Secret Footballer books but I got the latest one at the airport a couple of weeks ago to read on the plane and hotel while I was away on a business trip. It was just about well written enough for me to finish it but the whole concept is indeed a little annoying, For a start I don't believe it's one player. There are way too many contradictions but also other points where he would "out" himself to quite a few people with his stories. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were a ghost writer telling several players' stories anonymously. Even if it isn't it reads like that.
Great read.
Not sure it counts as a football book but Playing the Moldovan's at Tennis by Tony Hawk (who is from Brighton and I believe an Albion fan) is a great read.
Forgotten about this one.
A fantastic book with Mark Ward playing for some of England's toughest clubs and then talks about his time in prison for renting a house that made crack cocaine. He wasnt given any special VIP treatment because he was an ex-footballer. Some of the prison cells were grim. Tough stuff from the best winger England football team never had. Stuart Pearce said he was his most difficult opponent - quite a compliment.
I'd forgotten that one - really excellent.
The most eye-opening aspect of it (viewed now) is that there were three Labour voters in the Tottenham team. I'd bet that (among the British contingent) there'd be none now. How times change
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Joey Barton's book is a surprisingly good read
Hotchilidog
Well-known member
- Jan 24, 2009
- 8,727
The Far Corner is possibly the funniest book I have ever read. Not only a joyously whimsical look at what now feels like a bygone age of North East football but an utterly hilarious anecdote filled travelogue too. Highly recommended.
questier
New member
I think the following might've already been mentioned, but really enjoyed these:
Michael Calvin: The Nowhere Men & Living on a Volcano
Pep Confidential
Henry Winter - 50 Years of Hurt
Not strictly football but Bounce by Matthew Syed is excellent
Just about to start The Artist: Being Iniesta
Michael Calvin: The Nowhere Men & Living on a Volcano
Pep Confidential
Henry Winter - 50 Years of Hurt
Not strictly football but Bounce by Matthew Syed is excellent
Just about to start The Artist: Being Iniesta
Spencer Vignes
Active member
- Oct 4, 2012
- 168
Thanks AZ Gull regarding the plug for my book Lost In France about Leigh Roose. The cheque is in the post!
Seriously, for those of you who don't know, Lost In France is the story of Leigh Roose who was a goalkeeping pioneer during the early years of the 20th century; a playboy, scholar, maverick and soldier who was killed at the Battle of the Somme on 7 October 1916 - in other words the 100th anniversary was last week. He was football's first household name because women adored him as much as men idolised him. Imagine Paul Gascoigne with a university education, then throw in Beckham's savvy PR and George Best's way with the ladies. That was Leigh.
The version of the book you refer to AZ is an old one; I updated and rewrote large chunks this year as new material kept coming to light, with the new edition being released last month to coincide with the anniversary of Leigh's death. The coverage over the past couple of weeks has quite simply blown me away; John Humphrys even had me on the Today programme last Friday talking about it. Here's a link to a piece Wales on Sunday commissioned me to write (Leigh was Wales' keeper from 1901 until 1911):
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/100-years-ago-week-wales-11963800
It's well worth a read, even if I say so myself. Alternatively visit the BBC Radio Wales website and search 'Lost In France' for a playback of the programme they commissioned based on the book, which was broadcast last Saturday afternoon and again last night. Honestly, compared to that generation and what they went through, we don't know we're born.
The new version, in case anyone's interested, is called 'Lost In France - The Remarkable Life and Death of Leigh Roose, Football's First Superstar', and is published by Pitch Publishing priced £8.99. A bargain, considering it took me 16 years on-and-off to research his story.
Seriously, for those of you who don't know, Lost In France is the story of Leigh Roose who was a goalkeeping pioneer during the early years of the 20th century; a playboy, scholar, maverick and soldier who was killed at the Battle of the Somme on 7 October 1916 - in other words the 100th anniversary was last week. He was football's first household name because women adored him as much as men idolised him. Imagine Paul Gascoigne with a university education, then throw in Beckham's savvy PR and George Best's way with the ladies. That was Leigh.
The version of the book you refer to AZ is an old one; I updated and rewrote large chunks this year as new material kept coming to light, with the new edition being released last month to coincide with the anniversary of Leigh's death. The coverage over the past couple of weeks has quite simply blown me away; John Humphrys even had me on the Today programme last Friday talking about it. Here's a link to a piece Wales on Sunday commissioned me to write (Leigh was Wales' keeper from 1901 until 1911):
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/100-years-ago-week-wales-11963800
It's well worth a read, even if I say so myself. Alternatively visit the BBC Radio Wales website and search 'Lost In France' for a playback of the programme they commissioned based on the book, which was broadcast last Saturday afternoon and again last night. Honestly, compared to that generation and what they went through, we don't know we're born.
The new version, in case anyone's interested, is called 'Lost In France - The Remarkable Life and Death of Leigh Roose, Football's First Superstar', and is published by Pitch Publishing priced £8.99. A bargain, considering it took me 16 years on-and-off to research his story.
Whitechapel
Famous Last Words
When I was little I had a 'Chose Your Own Adventure' style book where you managed a football team whilst also trying to discover what had happened to your star player who had vanished in mysterious circumstances. You had to balance training your team with searching for your player and there was a whole system for playing matches.
Can't remember the name of it and Google is no help so I'm starting to think I made it up
Can't remember the name of it and Google is no help so I'm starting to think I made it up
pearl
Well-known member
When I was little I had a 'Chose Your Own Adventure' style book where you managed a football team whilst also trying to discover what had happened to your star player who had vanished in mysterious circumstances. You had to balance training your team with searching for your player and there was a whole system for playing matches.
Can't remember the name of it and Google is no help so I'm starting to think I made it up
that sounds great, you should publish it
The Merry Prankster
Pactum serva
'The Miracle of Castel di Sangro'
Dynamo
The Gary Nelson's
The Damned
My father and other working class heroes
Not mentioned so far Zlatan and my all time favourite 'Only a game' by Eamon Dunphy
Dynamo
The Gary Nelson's
The Damned
My father and other working class heroes
Not mentioned so far Zlatan and my all time favourite 'Only a game' by Eamon Dunphy
Whitechapel
Famous Last Words
A second attempt at googling it proved much more fruitful as I have now found it;
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Match-Mana...ok/dp/0747573352#immersive-view_1476355674103
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
For every decent book there seems to be loads of rubbish ones especially any of the hooligan ones. Another one I thought good was 'In Search of Duncan Ferguson', most you can pick up from charity shops for a quid or so if you look round or the library can order them for a quid to save buying them