'Wonderfully entertaining' Mail on Sunday; Profoundly important' Guardian Graeme Fowler - former England cricketer, happy-go-lucky joker and inspirational coach - was 47 when depression struck. Suddenly one of the most active men you'd ever meet couldn't even get up off the sofa to make a cup of tea. In Absolutely Foxed, a cricket memoir like no other, Fowler takes the reader on a vivid ride, with riotous stories of life on England tours, partying with Ian Botham and Elton John, combined with a moving account of his battle with mental-health issues, Seen by many as a maverick, happy-go-lucky figure, Fowler became a hugely influential coach, and is one of the most original thinkers about the game. He's battled and won against the best spinners in India, and the fastest bowlers from the West Indies - he's even found himself at the centre of a tabloid storm. Fowler looks back over his 40 years in the professional game, spending 16 years on the county circuit with Lancashire and Durham, and three years as an England international - a period that was cut short by a life-threatening injury. He followed that with a spell working on Test Match Special, before running the Durham Centre of Excellence for 18 years. In his Foreword, lifelong friend Sir Ian Botham describes Fowler as 'one of the gutsiest I ever encountered', but also points out how he 'made a dressing room tick'. Those elements of courage, knowledge and humour are all present in Absolutely Foxed - a truly unmissable read. 'A very honest, thought-provoking autobiography' David Lloyd, Daily Mail

A comprehensive trivia book that enables readers to compete as they answer questions! In The New Book of Baseball Trivia, experienced baseball author Wayne Stewart includes 500 fun and engaging questions and answers on everyone's favorite former and active players and coaches. Readers are awarded a single, double, triple, or homer based on the difficulty level of the question, with the goal to score as many runs as possible by the end of the book. They are kept on their toes by answers head-scratchers such as: Which team became the first one ever to have three of its players hit 40+ homers in a season? Who was the shortest man ever to appear in a big-league game? Which two brothers combined for more lifetime home runs than any other brother act? When Shane Bieber won the 2020 Cy Young Award, he became the fifth Cleveland Indian to capture that honor. Name three of the other four men to accomplish this. Which two men bashed more home runs while teammates than any other teammate combo? And many more! This book makes the perfect gift for the baseball-loving fan!

The first of its kind for any sport in South Africa. A cricket love story of epic dimensions with details which will blow readers away. Cricket and Conquest goes back to the beginnings 221 years ago and fundamentally revises long-established foundational narratives of early South African cricket. It reaches beyond old whites-only mainstream histories to integrate at every stage and in every region the experiences of black and women cricketers. A purely British military game at first, cricket accompanied the process of colonial conquest every step of the way in the nineteenth century. This book and its companion volumes explains how racism came to be built into the very fabric of cricket's `culture' and `traditions', and how it was uncannily tied to the broader historical processes that shaped South Africa. The unique experiences of our different cricket communities are described in ways that have not been done before. The exhaustive research and inter-connections highlighted here makes this a completely new general history of South African cricket.

'Powerful and poignant' Henry Winter 'Empathetic and poignant ... the game's answer to A Journal of the Plague Year' Harry Pearson 'The Durham City midfielder wore the resigned look of a man trying to find a jar of harissa in Farmfoods. Up front for Jarrow, a centre-forward darted around frenetically, as if chasing a kite during a hurricane...' When football disappeared in March 2020, writer and broadcaster Daniel Gray used its absence to reflect on everything the game meant to him. That bred a pledge: whenever and wherever fans were allowed to return, he would be there. The Silence of the Stands is the result of that pledge: a joyous travelogue documenting a precarious season, in which behind-closed-doors matches and travel restrictions combined to make trips to Kendal and Workington seem impossibly exotic. Offering a poignant peek at a surreal age and a slab of social history from the two-metre-distanced tea bar queue, this is the moving, heartfelt and surprisingly uplifting story of a unique season that no one wishes to repeat.

The Secret Cricketer first picked up a cricket bat as a toddler and became a county junior. He secured a professional contract and has been at the coalface of the English county game ever since. This fast-paced, insider's account lifts the lid on modern cricket to reveal what life is really like for an English professional in the 21st century. How do players cope when they can't take a wicket or score a run and their livelihood is on the line? What makes a good coach and how many are there (hint - not many)? Is there still an old-school hierarchy in dressing rooms or a bullying culture? What's the secret to a winning dressing room, and what's it like to be in one when morale hits rock bottom? How much do county players earn? And what's it like to walk out at Lord's to play in a major final? With unique first-hand insight into the fast-evolving modern game, the book answers all these questions and more. It's brimming with untold stories - some that will make you laugh and others that will shock you.

The modern game of rugby football has become gladiatorial, whereby muscular athletic players are involved in a form of collision chess with sophisticated defences smothering the offensive skills that were at one time a more dominant feature of the game. The contributors to this book consider the physical, mental and nutritional demands of the game in its present form and how best to acquire these attributes in the most effective and efficient manner. The inevitable injuries that are associated with collision are considered in terms of prevention and the most effective forms of treatment. New concepts to improve exercise capacity, game preparation and recovery are discussed in conjunction with the modern coaching theories of the game. The possible changes to the rules are discussed by two outstanding International referees, and the future vision for World Rugby is outlined by the President of World Rugby. The Dynamics of Modern Rugby is both a unique and contemporary addition to the rugby literature and, as such, is essential reading for any student, researcher, coach, sports scientist, physiotherapist, nutritionist or clinician with an interest in rugby.

Gone are the days when golf was a quaint and old-fashioned pastime. Back on the Olympic program since 2016, the sport has had a rebirth like none other, with professionals like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy reinvigorating the course, and celebrities from Justin Timberlake to Bill Murray perfecting their backswing. While traditional golf clubs such as the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews are still the measure of all things, exciting new golf courses and golf resorts have multiplied the range of destinations for golf enthusiasts. This volume introduces the most exclusive, sophisticated, and spectacular golf resorts in the world. These are golfing holiday destinations that score not only with sophisticated layouts in charming landscapes - whether against alpine mountain scenery or tropical sandy beaches - but also with wonderful rooms, outstanding food, and comprehensive wellness offers. Within this perfect gift for golfers, each prestigious golf resort is presented with an expert review, covering its benefits on and off the fairways and greens. The sections on resorts are interspersed with background information and amusing anecdotes, capturing the history and contemporary world of golfing. Because as all good golfers know, this is more than a club-and-ball sport, it is a lifestyle. Text in English and German.

A lot can happen in 90 minutes. From football's codification in 1863 to the modern era - goals, red cards and even substitutions have led to some of the strongest and most remarkable sporting legacies. The game has grown into the world's largest and most supported sport, with all aspects of modern life being drawn into its continually expanding empire. This book journeys through football's incredible history to examine some of the game's most fascinating minutes of play which, to this day, provoke lasting memories. These key moments show how there is often far more to a minute of football than just 60 seconds. The impact can last for years, decades or centuries. By looking at the history of goals, finals and even corners we get a clear picture of how football became the game we know and love today. From the first goal in an FA Cup Final to Diego Maradona's 'hand of God', The History of Football in Ninety Minutes (Plus Extra Time) gives fuel to the notion that every minute in football counts.

Despite many negative expectations of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Russia delivered one of the best World Cups in living memory. This book brings together leading scholars working in Russian studies, sociology and political science to analyse the 2018 World Cup and assess its significance for sport, Russia and the world. The book explores the connections between sport, soft power, populism, protest, and international politics, and investigates topics including security, surveillance, social media and patriotic mobilization, shining new light on key contemporary themes in the social sciences. It reflects upon the importance of sporting mega-events for public diplomacy, and considers what the 2018 World Cup can tell us about the current condition of Russian society and the Russian state. This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in soccer, sport and society, Russia, international politics, events, or post-Soviet societies.

'The year's best cricket book' Daily Telegraph 'Well researched and engagingly written, this exemplary work reveals a hidden history...superbly told story' Sunday Times 'Easily the cricket book of the year, of the century...It extends the possibility of cricket-writing-as-literature' Suresh Menon, The Hindu It is arguably the most famous photograph in the history of cricket. In George Beldam's picture, Victor Trumper is caught in mid stroke, the personification of cricketing grace, skill and power, about to hit the ball long and hard. Yet this image, 'Jumping Out', is important not only because of who it depicts, but also what it illustrates about the changing nature of the game and how it has been seen. Now, in Gideon Haigh's brilliant new book, Stroke of Genius, we learn not only about the man in the picture but also the iconography of Trumper's powerful position in cricket's mythology. For many, Australian batsman Trumper was the greatest ever. Neville Cardus wrote: 'I have never yet met a cricketer who, having seen and played with Victor Trumper, did not describe him without doubt or hesitation as the most accomplished of all batsmen of his acquaintance.' Like Lionel Messi or Roger Federer today, he defied the obvious bounds of affiliation. Unlike the current generation of sporting stars, however, there were no memoirs or papers, very few interviews, no action footage - even his date of birth is a matter of debate and conjecture. What isn't in doubt, though, is the impact he had on the game and on his nation. Haigh reveals how Trumper, and 'Jumping Out', helped to change cricket from the Victorian era of static imagery to something much more dynamic, modern and compelling. As such, Trumper helped not only transform cricket but even the way his country viewed itself.

Silver Linings examines an historic and unforgettable period in the history of England's national football team. In his eight years as England boss, Bobby Robson was celebrated, derided, Diego-ed, and everything in between. His team missed one European Championship, self-destructed at another, were cheated out of Mexico 86, and then, just before he left, came within two kicks of a World Cup final. On this journey he had managed the good, the bad and sometimes the ugly. But through it all he maintained his belief not only in himself and his team, but in the notion of England. Faced with an unprecedented level of media hostility, Robson's team were inconsistent and frustrating, but at their best few could match them. Alf Ramsey may have won football's greatest prize in 1966 but no other England manager could equal the sheer drama of Robson's eight years in charge. Set against the backdrop of a vicious newspaper circulation war and the rise of hooliganism, this is the story of how Robson managed to deliver the seemingly impossible: hope.

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 �lvarez.

While rivalry is embedded in any sporting event or performance, soccer, the world's most popular mass spectator sport, has been an emblem of such rivalries since its inception as an organized sport. Some of these rivalries grow to become long-term and perennial by their nature, extent, impact and legacy, from the local to the global level. They represent identities based on widely diverse affiliations of human life-locality, region, nation, continent, community, class, culture, religion, ethnicity, and so on. Yet, at times, such rivalries transcend barriers of space and time, where soccer-clubs, -nations, -personalities, -organizations, -styles and -fans float and compete with intriguing identities. The present volume brings into focus some of the most fascinating and enduring rivalries in the world of soccer. It attempts to encapsulate, analyse and reconstruct those rivalries-between nations, between clubs, between personalities, between styles of play, between fandoms, and between organizations-in a historical perspective in relation to diverse identities, competing ideologies, contestations of power, psychologies of attachment, bonds of loyalty, notions of enmity, articulations of violence, and affinities of fan culture-some of the core manifestations of sporting rivalry. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.

And Bring the Darkness Home is a haunting exploration of how the mental scars of war destroyed an international cricket career, tore a family apart and left destitute a man who seemed to have it all. Tony Dell was the only Test cricketer to fight in the Vietnam War. His journey to the summit of the game, playing for Australia against England in the Ashes, was as unlikely and meteoric as any in cricket history. His descent was painful and harrowing. It was in his mid-60s, living in his mother's garage, that he learned the truth about what had led him on a path of self-destruction. A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder allowed him to piece together the ruins of his life and also to search for answers, for himself and the thousands of other sufferers. The restlessness and urgency that once drove him to the top of the game was turned on authorities who refused to learn the lessons from history. PTSD robbed Tony Dell of memories of his playing career and left a palpable sense of loss. It also gave him a life-changing mission.

As the most popular mass spectator sport across the world, soccer generates key moments of significance on and off the field, encapsulated in events that create metaphors and memories, with wider social, cultural, psychological, political, commercial and aesthetic implications. Since its inception as a modern game, the history of soccer has been replete with events that have changed the organization, meanings and impact of the sport. The passage from the club to the nation or from the local to the global often opens up transnational spaces that provide a context for studying the events that have 'defined' the sport and its followers. Such defining events can include sporting performances, decisions taken by various stakeholders of the game, accidents and violence among players and fans, and invention of supporter cultures, among other things. The present volume attempts to document, identify and analyse some of the defining events in the history of soccer from interdisciplinary and comparative perspectives. It revisits the discourses of signification and memorialization of such events that have influenced society, culture, politics, religion, and commerce. This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Soccer & Society.

When a struggling Korean football club wants to transform its fortunes, who does it turn to? A former Chelsea manager and a trio of players with Premier League experience, of course. Who Ate All the Squid?: Football Adventures in South Korea charts the year Ian Porterfield managed faltering K League giant Busan IPark. The Sunderland FA Cup legend lured three players from English football out to Korea: striker Jamie Cureton, an ex-England youth international who turned down Manchester United; Andy Cooke, a former Burnley and Stoke City forward who started his career building cowsheds; and Jon Olav Hjelde, who bolstered Nottingham Forest after achieving UEFA Champions League heroics with Rosenborg. How will the players cope with South Korea's unfamiliar culture and language? Can the Brits overcome personal demons, including car crashes, divorces and alcoholism? And does a British football revolution really stand a chance of succeeding in Northeast Asia? The book also casts a humorous glimpse at the world's game inside South Korea.

How much do you really know about West Ham United? Put your Hammers 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 West Ham greats - from World Cup heroes Moore, Hurst and Peters to Hammers legends Bonds, Brooking and beyond - providing hours of highly dippable fun and entertainment. Which West Ham manager played in a rock band called Rawbau? Who was West Ham's first non-British manager? A statue erected near the Boleyn Ground, honouring the Hammers' 1966 World Cup heroes, also includes which Everton player? Fan favourite Clyde Best was born in which country? Trivquiz West Ham United holds the answers to all these questions and hundreds more.

The Leicester City FC Miscellany is packed full of fascinating facts, figures, trivia, stats, stories and anecdotes all relating to the long and colourful history of Leicester City Football Club. From the most memorable matches and the men who helped shaped the club's history; to the more gruesome games and the unsung heroes, this book tells the tales that have seen the football club become the force it is today. The ultimate guide to footballing trivia, the Leicester City FC Miscellany is a book no self-respecting Foxes fan should be without.

Wimbledon Football Club was founded in 1889, and from then until now it has had a history like no other in football. From being the only team to have won both the FA Cup and FA Amateur Cup, to having the club controversially snatched away from its fans, only for them to reform the club, and for AFC Wimbledon to rise again through the leagues and re-establish itself as a Football League side. Vinny Jones, John Fashanu and Dennis Wise ... the Crazy Gang of the 1980s was an intimidating team that used its physicality to overcome opponents, but it could play as well, under the leadership of Dave 'Harry' Bassett. When you dig deeper you realise there was more to this side than the sensationalist headlines. In AFC Wimbledon On This Day, you'll find facts and figures, famous games, managers and players who have made an indelible mark on the club's legacy. Even under the current guise of AFC Wimbledon, the team continues to write new chapters in its illustrious history.

The greatest moments in sporting history in inglorious technicolour, from the 'artists' known as NO SCORE DRAWS 'Genuinely upsetting.' David Squires 'Repulsively ugly.' Seamas O'Reilly An Unofficial World Cup Hall of Infamy, featuring the worst fouls, best goals, most questionable refereeing decisions, dodgiest barnets, mintest kits and a host of 'Where were you when?' moments. This is the first (and, let's face it, probably only) book from the multi-untalented team behind moderately successful Twitter account @CheapPanini, bringing mild bemusement to the world through the medium of wonky hand-drawn stickers. You can't fault them for effort, even if they still can't do hands, so dive into these pages like Roy Keane into a tackle.

This is the story of Widnes RLFC one of rugby's most famous clubs and how it survived administration and returned to Super League. Backed by the club and written by the official club statistician this will appeal to fans of the club and the wider rugby world. The club will use their website and other social media to generate interest in the book. The author contributes to the match day programme and is a committee member of the supporters club. He also has contacts at the local media - both print and radio. Having sunk into Administration in 2007 former World Club Champions Widnes Vikings, under the stewardship of new owner Steve O'Connor, rose phoenix-like to eventually re-gain their place in the top tier of the sport in 2012. Along the way they suffered rejection by the Rugby Football League in the sport's inaugural Licensing process in 2008, only to be successful three years later. Mike Healing's informative account of how the club turned that failure into success takes an in-depth look at the many changes taking place within the club as it was re-structured for success in addition to the new Licensing process. While the main focus is on the behind-the-scenes developments, the highs and lows of the on-field action, including the return to Super League in 2012, also receive detailed attention.

As the first edited collection dedicated specifically to race, ethnicity and British football, this book brings together a range of academics, comprising both established commentators and up-and-coming voices. Combining theoretical and empirical contributions, the volume addresses a wide variety of topics such as the experiences of Muslims, the recruitment of African players, devolution and national identities, case studies of minority ethnic clubs, "mixed-race" players, multiculturalism and anti-racism, sectarianism, education, and cosmopolitan fan cultures. Covering the amateur and professional spheres, and focusing on both players and supporters, the book elucidates the linkages between race, ethnicity, gender and masculinity.