In this comprehensive Handbook, John Goddard and Peter Sloane present a collection of analytical contributions by internationally regarded scholars in the field, which extensively examine the many economic challenges facing the world's most popular team sport.The Handbook is naturally divided into four parts: the product market, the labour market, country studies of individual leagues and policy issues. The authors explore why so many football clubs face financial difficulties despite the fact that attendances have risen in many countries, and television and commercial income has increased dramatically. They explain that the labour market is central to understanding these issues, due to trends such as increased bargaining power for the leading players, the acceleration of migration, and the internationalization of the market for footballing talent at the top level. There is, however, diversity across countries as shown in the six cases of England, France, Italy, The Netherlands, the USA and Japan. Finally, the authors consider the policy issues, including the betting market, refereeing and corruption. This Handbook will appeal to sports economists, as well as those working in football governing bodies and individual clubs, sports journalists, and students of business. Contributors: W. Andreff, R. Baker, C.P. Barros, T. Boeri, S. Bridgewater, B. Buraimo, F. Carmichael, E. Couto, P. Dawson, P. Downward, D. Forrest, B. Frick, B. Gerrard, J. Goddard, J. Horne, T. Jewell, S. Kesenne, R. Koning, W. Manzenreiter, I. McHale, S. Morrow, D. Owen, R. Poli, J. Reade, B. Reilly, A. Samagaio, B. Severgnini, R. Simmons, P. Sloane, S. Szymanski, D. Thomas

Leeds United's Elland Road home is full of intrigue, character and formidable acoustics, yet it started life as a barren and featureless patch of land surrounded by coalfields. The Only Place For Us is the fascinating history of the stadium and its changing local environment, revealing the background stories behind Elland Road's most famous features and characters, and the astonishing events it has witnessed. Along the way there have been fires and gypsy curses mixed with cherished memories including the diamond floodlights, the West Stand facade and escapee pantomime horses. Using forensic research, insiders' insights, archive photographs and fans' memories, Jon Howe retraces a historical journey full of tragedy, nostalgia and improbable innovation, to show how Elland Road became one of Europe's most feared football grounds. Through triumph and adversity, neglect and redevelopment, Elland Road has emerged as a prominent, modern stadium that's still alive with history. This is its unique story.

'An astonishing work of research, detail and revelation. Bulging with information, packed with nuggets.' John Etheridge, Sun 'Superbly researched... His eye for detail never wavers. It's a pleasure to read.' Vic Marks, Observer 'The Cricket Book of the Year: Dauntingly comprehensive and surprisingly light-footed.' Simon Briggs, Daily Telegraph England: The Biography is the most comprehensive account of the England cricket team that has ever been published, taking the reader into the heart of the action and the team dynamics that have helped shape their success, or otherwise. It is now 140 years since England first played Test match cricket and, for much of that time, it has struggled to perform to the best of its capabilities. In the early years, amateurs would pick and choose which matches and tours they would play; subsequently, the demands of the county game - and the petty jealousies that created - would prevent many from achieving their best. It was only in the 1990s that central contracts were brought in, and Team England began to receive the best possible support from an ever-increasing backroom team. But cricket isn't just about structures, it depends like no other sport on questions of how successful the captain is in motivating and leading his team, and how well different personalities and egos are integrated and managed in the changing room. From Joe Root and Alastair Cook back to Mike Atherton, Mike Brearley and Ray Illingworth, England captains have had a heavy influence on proceedings. Recent debates over Kevin Pietersen were nothing new, as contemporaries of W.G.Grace would doubtless recognise. As England play their 1000th Test, this is a brilliant and unmissable insight into the ups and downs of that story.

Ben Smith: Professional footballer. Recognise the name? Of course you don't. That's because most of Smith's years in the game were spent outside the vaunted, big-money environs of the Premier League - and this sporting memoir is all the more entertaining as a result.1995: an adolescent Ben arrives at the training ground of one of England's biggest clubs to begin his journey and realise his dream of playing top-flight professional football. Aged just sixteen, he shares pre-season sessions at Arsenal with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Ian Wright. Surely this is the start of a stellar career?Instead, the next seventeen years saw the bright young star descend the ranks from Highbury to obscurity. With seasons playing for the likes of Reading, Yeovil, Southend, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Weymouth - and a career including three promotions, one relegation and some very memorable FA Cup games - Ben's story is one of a quintessential journeyman footballer.Candidly describing the negotiations, insecurities, injuries, relocations, personal implications and wet Saturday afternoons playing in front of 500 people, Journeyman offers a unique insight into the unvarnished life of a lower-league player - so far removed from the stories of pampered Premiership stars - as well as documenting the many teammates, opponents, managers and coaches who left an indelible mark on Ben's eclectic career. Refreshingly unsentimental and often hilarious, Smith's story is essential reading for all true fans of the not-always-so-beautiful game.

In 1973-74, Britain was in meltdown. The Arab-Israeli War had sent energy prices soaring. Petrol was scarce. Offices were limited to a temperature of 17C and power cuts were frequent. A three-day working week came in as inflation took hold and miners and other workers went on strike. The northern mill town of Rochdale suffered more than most. Its cotton industry was on shut-down in the face of cheap imports, and the football team was a mirror image of the town - tired, defeated, clinging to life. The Rochdale team of 1973-74 are considered the worst to play in the Football League. They finished bottom of the third division, winning just twice in 46 league matches. They closed the season with a 22-game winless run and played one home match in front of the lowest-ever post-war crowd. That season 32 players played for the team, many of them drafted in from amateur or Sunday league clubs. The Longest Winter is as much a piece of forensic social history as it is a sports book. It evokes the smells, textures and moods of the early 1970s.

While women's soccer has risen in popularity around the world, research reveals persistent gender discrimination and marginalization of girls and women in the sport. Applying policy feedback theory and econometric analysis, this volume explores the lasting impact of different regimes of gender discrimination on the development of women's soccer in Germany. Taking reunified Germany as an ideal case for examining the long-term impact of policy legacies, the book explores how the different systems of gender discrimination in divided Germany have influenced the participation and popularity of women's soccer. It analyzes the development of grass- roots girls' and women's soccer in different regions, and examines the development of the semi- professional Frauen-Bundesliga and the popularity of the national women's soccer team, which serves as the most important outlet for women's soccer in Germany. Drawing on these analyses, the book assesses the impact of policy legacies, identifies key challenges for the future of women's soccer and offers some practical directions for future development. The evidence presented in this book suggests that the sport has experienced substantial long-term growth but is now in a period of stagnation. The book argues that discrimination against girls' and women's soccer has long- lasting effects and that the policy priorities adopted by soccer's governing bodies, local clubs, as well as television operators, have huge significance for the longer-term development of the game. This is fascinating reading for students and researchers of sport sociology, women's sport, sports economics, sport development, sport management, and gender studies as well as decision makers within the soccer sector. It is also a valuable resource for scholars, policymakers, sport officials, and women's soccer activists.

Tendai Mtawarira is known throughout the rugby world simply as Beast. Or, more often than not, ‘Beeeaaassssttt!’, as crowds from Durban to London, Buenos Aires to Auckland cry whenever he gets the ball. In 2018 he became the most capped prop in Springbok history, earning his 100th Test cap for the Springboks, and in 2019 he became the most capped Super Rugby player in South Africa.

Due to play in his third World Cup in September 2019, Beast has been in a winning series against the British and Irish Lions, contested two Super Rugby finals and won three Currie Cups with his beloved Sharks. Along the way, he has been moved from back row to front row, bullied by xenophobic politicians and undergone three bouts of heart surgery.

Beast is the story of how a humble man from Zimbabwe has become a rugby icon.

The Greatest Team of All is your definitive, blow-by-blow account of the Geelong Football Club team's rise to win the AFL 2022 Premiership. Revealing, insightful and action-packed, this book will take you through the 2022 season round-by round with award-winning AFL correspondent and Geelong insider Scott Gullan. After 11 years, a flurry of false starts, and naysayers at every turn, the Cats' ascension to the top of the ladder and into finals was no easy task. With the grit, talent and aggression that a true Grand Final challenger needed, the Cats, led by record-breaking captain Joel Selwood, would not only need to battle through one of the most challenging and competitive finals series the game has seen in a very long time, but also turn the tide of public opinion that the team was too old and too slow. But with thirteen wins on the trot as they entered finals, they would emerge as the team to beat. Relive the lows to highs of this incredible AFL season to Grand Final victory with The Greatest Team of All,an official AFL book.

This book contains the papers presented at the second World Scientific Congress of Golf. The overall theme of the congress is the application of science, scientific method and scientific research in golf. The congress is intended to provide a forum for scientists of different disciplines to meet and discuss their ideas and research and for practising coaches to interact with scientists.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203474708

The Working Hands of a Goddess is the story of how Atalanta BC rose from the lower reaches of Serie A to become Champions League quarter-finalists in just four years. The appointment of Gian Piero Gasperini as manager in 2016 changed the club's fortunes forever. Quickly making his mark, he developed a squad that play one of Europe's most scintillating brands of football, and upset the status quo by going toe-to-toe with the giants of the Italian game. The Working Hands of a Goddess analyses and details the tactics and systems that underpin this thrilling team, the stories and backgrounds of the unique players that define it, and the culture and history that not only produced a beautiful football team but a special club and city-wide community. When the pandemic rocked the community, Atalanta became far more than just a football team by uniting a city in strife.

A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching presents a new approach to baseball coaching and practice. Applying a CLA to player development process across the skill spectrum from the beginners to elite, this book uses practical examples to demonstrate the theoretical principles of the Constraints-led coaching style embedded in research showing the numerous benefits of the approach. This book incorporates cases studies and examples of how constraints are manipulated to develop more adaptable players that can perform at a higher level with a reduced risk of injury, shifting the reader's view of skill acquisition from the concept of one "correct" solution, acquired through repetition, to the ecological dynamics framework focused on variability, adaptability and self-organization. Individual chapters cover major topics such as hitting, pitching and fielding for players at range of levels form little leagues to the pros and illustrating the underlying principles so that coaches can develop their own practice activities. A Constraints-Led Approach to Baseball Coaching is key reading for undergraduate students and practising sports coaches, physical education teachers and sport scientists alike as well as practising players and coaches in baseball and related sports.

From the late 1950s to the 1980s, baseball's American League mismanaged integration and expansion, allowing the National League to forge ahead in attendance and prestige. While both leagues had executive structures that presented few barriers to individual team owners acting purely in their own interests, it was the American League that succumbed to infighting-which ultimately led to its disappearance into what we now call Major League Baseball. Stumbling around the Bases is the story of how the American League fell into such a disastrous state, struggling for decades to escape its nadir and, when it finally righted itself, losing its independence. The American League's trip to the bottom involved bad decisions by both individual teams and their owners. The key elements were a glacial approach to integration, the choice of underfinanced or disruptive new owners, and a consistent inability to choose the better markets among cities that were available for expansion. The American League wound up with less-attractive teams in the smaller markets compared to the National League-and thus fewer consumers of tickets, parking, beer, hot dogs, scorecards, and replica jerseys. The errors of the American League owners were rooted in missed cultural and demographic shifts and exacerbated by reactive decisions that hurt as much as helped their interests. Though the owners were men who were notably successful in their non-baseball business ventures, success in insurance, pizza, food processing, and real estate development, didn't necessarily translate into running a flourishing baseball league. In the end the National League was simply better at recognizing its collective interests, screening its owners, and recognizing the markets that had long-term potential.

The rapid global growth of the sport industry has prompted the need for a more commercial approach to the management of sport clubs. This book is the first study of its kind to focus on the management of professional football clubs, providing a real-world insight into management principles and their practical application. The international commercialisation of football has led to a fundamental transformation of the industry's management practices, given the financial rewards of success and the high price of failure. This book presents a critical examination of this transformation, questioning why clubs are increasingly adopting management strategies from other industries. Each chapter analyses the role played by a key leadership figure within a club, such as the owner, chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), director of football (DoF), and head coach. Full of exclusive interviews, case studies and examples of best practice, this book sheds new light on the challenges of working in this extraordinarily high-pressure environment. Football Club Management: Insights from the Field is fascinating reading for all those working in or studying the management, marketing or administration of football.

This book includes all the papers presented at a second World Congress of Science and Football (Liverpool 1987) (Eindhoven).

LONGLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2022 'Anyone wanting an example of never being beaten should look at the incredible Francis Benali.' - Alan Shearer 'Honest, revealing story of a strong man who pushed his body to its limits and beyond on and off the pitch. Incredible read.' - Henry Winter, The Times 'The iron man with a will of steel and a heart of gold. Truly fran-tastic!' - Jeff Stelling, Soccer Saturday ------- Francis Benali is a Southampton Football Club legend and a celebrated charity endurance athlete, and he's ready to tell his story. Francis 'Franny' Benali played football for 20 years for Southampton FC in nearly 400 games, almost his entire career. His utter dedication to the club caused him to be a hero to Saints fans around the world. Written with the acclaimed Daily Mail sportswriter Matt Barlow, this book details Benali's humble beginnings and has countless tales involving players, managers, and matches detailing Benali's illustrious football career. But his story is much more than that. The intense commitment he had as a player found a new outlet in the world of endurance sport. Through Ironman triathlons and marathons, he has raised more than GBP1 million for Cancer Research UK. Benali's story shows us what can be achieved through dedication and commitment on and off the pitch. Through football and charity, he has made a positive difference in countless people's lives. His is truly an inspirational story.

A History of the Women's FA Cup Final is an exhaustive account of fifty finals, from the first (on a bumpy field inside an athletics stadium) to the fiftieth (at Wembley, televised to millions), complete with match reports and interviews with some of the greatest players ever to grace the pitch. Every women's FA Cup Final goal scorer can be confirmed in one place for the first time, and the achievements of previously unknown record holders can at last be fully recognised. But this is more than just a stats book; it is a tribute to the pioneers of the game, who fought to overturn a fifty-year ban on female players and who paved the way for the incredible game we have today.

Step up to table tennis success "Table Tennis: Steps to Success" combines the knowledge and experience of master instructor Richard McAfee with essential table tennis techniques and strategies for today's player.

With a unique 11-step approach designed to maximize table tennis instruction, you'll learn the proper grip for your style of play, execution of the basic strokes, and the correct way to apply spin to the ball. Then, build on these core techniques with masterful footwork, serves, returns, and stroke combinations.

Best of all, learn how and when to apply those skills in match play. With competitive strategies--adapted for both you and your opponent's playing style--you'll raise your game to a new level. And with clear instruction, comprehensive coverage, detailed photo sequences, and drills to ensure mastery of every technique, you'll be playing--and winning--in no time.

As part of the Steps to Success Sports Series--with more than 1.5 million copies sold--rest assured that "Table Tennis: Steps to Success" is the #1 resource for learning, and loving, the game.

In this ground-breaking approach to golf instruction, Dr Joseph Parent, both a noted PGA Tour coach and a respected Buddhist teacher, draws on this natural connection to teach golfers how to play with more consistency and less frustration, and consequently how to lower their scores. 'When body and mind are synchronized, we can uncover our inherent dignity and confidence. The ultimate goal is not just to help people become better golfers, but better human beings.' Zen Golf offers a fresh perspective for golf and for life. Instead of focusing on what's wrong with us - what's broken, flawed or missing - we can take the attitude that there is something fundamentally, essentially right with us. In chapters such as 'How to Get from the Practice Tee to the First Tee', 'You Practice What You Fear', and 'How to Enjoy a Bad Round of Golf', author Joseph Parent shows how to make one's mind an ally rather than an enemy: how to stay calm, clear the interference that leads to bad shots, and eliminate bad habits and mental mistakes. Rather than an instruction manual that takes you through a systematic programme, it is a collection of brief chapters offering the wisdom of traditional Zen stories and teachings distilled from a lifetime of actual lessons with golfers, many of whom are PGA professionals. Continued success at golf (and any other endeavour) requires preparation, action and response - these form the framework for the instructions presented in Zen Golf. Applied correctly, they will help every reader of this unique book to achieve their peak performance.

Golf Course Management & Construction presents a comprehensive summary and assessment of technical and scientific research on the environmental effects of turfgrass system construction and maintenance. Although the book focuses on golf courses, it also discusses turfgrass systems for residential and commercial lawns, parks, and greenways. The book is an excellent introduction to the concepts of nonpoint source environmental impacts of turfgrass management for turfgrass scientists and specialists, landscape and golf course architects, turfgrass system and golf course developers, golf course superintendents, environmental scientists, and land-use regulators.

This book critically examines how rugby union has developed in recent years, in nations on the periphery of the sport. Focusing on people and places on the fringes, it examines contemporary issues and challenges within the global game. Such a collection is timely, as the sport's governing body seeks to expand influence and participation beyond the eight core nations, with the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan being the first time that that tournament has taken place outside of the core. Presenting case studies from Europe, Africa, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East, this collection offers an interdisciplinary account of a sport that is undergoing a period of significant change. Through examination of topics such as the development of rugby sevens and the growth of women's rugby, it considers what the future may hold for the sport. Rugby in Global Perspective is important reading for students of sport in society, the globalisation of sport, sports studies, sport development and associated fields. It is also a valuable resource for academic researchers working in rugby union or sport in the peripheral rugby nations, as well as those with an interest in cultural geography, sociology, development studies, events studies, event management and sport management.

'A rollicking read and a mighty achievement' - Donald McRae, The Guardian 'Magnificent' - Owen Slot, The Times The 1997 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa is one of the most iconic in rugby history. Written off at home and abroad, Martin Johnson's men were given no hope of success against the world champion Springboks in their own backyard. But a combination of brilliant coaching, astute selections and outstanding players laid the foundations for the touring side's outstanding attacking mindset and brutal stonewall defence. On the other side was a team expected to stamp their authority on the tourists and confirm their place as the best side on the planet. But with political, racial and economic scandals swirling around the Springbok camp, plus a rookie coach parachuted into office just before the tour began, the hosts were under huge pressure. In a Test series that will go down in legend as one of the most compelling of all time, the sides could barely be separated. This is the inside story from both camps as they battle for supremacy, lifting the lid like never before as a huge cast of characters look back on those extraordinary weeks and the impact it had on their lives and careers thereafter. Hilarious, insightful and spine-chilling, Tom English and Peter Burns provide the perfect read for all Lions fans.

Who is the richest, the first, the best, the most beautiful, the most influential, the most important, the poorest, the best-dressed WAG? --- As the influx of money into English football grew stratospheric, so did the wealth of the footballers and their WAGS. Once housewives, today WAGgery guarantees instant celebrity. Their own WAG 'league' draws as much media attention as the beautiful game. Here is the first-ever history of WAGs and how they came to dominate the front pages as much as the footballers do the sports pages. There are epic rivalries, catfights and gossip between and about the women and their husbands; from the first stirrings of the phenomenon 1960s to the WAGs' roaring entry on to the front pages, to today where they are an institution with winners and losers. What makes WAGs tick? Do they want to get to know the man behind their footballer? Or is it something else? Come and find out! --- Victoria Beckham, Coleen Rooney, Rebekah Vardy, Cheryl Cole, Joy Beverley, Angie Best, Tina Moore, Danielle Souness, Karen Souness, Sheryl Gascoigne, Ulrika Johnson, Nancy Dell'Olio, Stacey Giggs, Natasha Giggs, Vanessa Perroncel and many others.