This ambitious and fascinating history considers why, in the space of sixty years between 1850 and 1910, football grew from a marginal and unorganised activity to become the dominant winter entertainment for millions of people around the world. The book explores how the world's football codes - soccer, rugby league, rugby union, American, Australian, Canadian and Gaelic - developed as part of the commercialised leisure industry in the nineteenth century. Football, however and wherever it was played, was a product of the second industrial revolution, the rise of the mass media, and the spirit of the age of the masses. Important reading for students of sports studies, history, sociology, development and management, this book is also a valuable resource for scholars and academics involved in the study of football in all its forms, as well as an engrossing read for anyone interested in the early history of football.

What Was Football Like in the 1990s? captures the spirit of a decade that witnessed so many changes in the game, especially off the field. This engaging and absorbing account of the era interweaves the author's memories and experiences with a wealth of research. The Taylor Report, the Bosman ruling, the advent of the Premier League, the increasing focus on the business of football, Sky television, the rising price of entry to top-flight football, hooliganism and racism are all covered along with the managers who defined the era - Ferguson, Dalglish, Wenger, Atkinson - and of course the players who lit up the decade, including Eric Cantona and other foreign stars who helped mould the Premier League. What Was Football Like in the 1990s? is an enthralling and illuminating account of a truly remarkable decade for the beautiful game, penned by a respected football author and journalist. It's a 'must' for any nostalgic fan.

When Jim Smith took charge of Derby County in the summer of 1995, he joined a club needing to balance the books after several seasons of failing to reach the Premier League. Little was expected of him. Yet alongside Steve McClaren, Smith oversaw a transformation that took Derby to a new home, a new division and to the brink of European competition for the first time since the days of Dave Mackay. Smith built a side capable of matching the very best in English football, amassing an array of international talent almost never before seen in the British game, alongside hugely impressive home-grown players. This is the story of Jim Smith's Derby County, told with the exclusive insights of Smith's players, coaching staff, friends and supporters. Rams legends including Igor Stimac, Stefano Eranio and Steve McClaren speak in depth on what made that Derby County side, while those closest to Jim reveal what the legendary man-manager was like to deal with, both in and out of football.

**Longlisted for The Telegraph Sports Book Awards 2021 - Football Book of the Year** FC St. Pauli is a football club unlike any other. Encompassing music, sport and politics, its fans welcome refugees, fight fascists and take a stand against all forms of discrimination. This book goes behind the skull and crossbones emblem to tell the story of a football club rewriting the rulebook. Since the club's beginnings in Hamburg's red-light district, the chants, banners and atmosphere of the stadium have been dictated by the politics of the streets. Promotions are celebrated and relegations commiserated alongside social struggles, workers' protests and resistance to Nazism. In recent years, people have flocked from all over the world to join the Black Bloc in the stands of the Millerntor Stadium and while in the 1980s the club had a small DIY punk following, now there are almost 30,000 in attendance at games with supporters across the world. In a sporting landscape governed by corporate capitalism, driven by revenue and divorced from community, FC St. Pauli demonstrate that another football is possible.

The book that inspired the major motion picture 'I loved it ... extremely funny. A must-read for anyone who loves football.' Peter Crouch In the late 1960s, in the warm glow of England winning the World Cup, Dave Roberts, like most teenage boys his age, was football mad. There was just one difference: rather than supporting the likes of Arsenal or Manchester United, Dave's team of choice was the ever so slightly less glamorous Bromley Football Club - one of the last genuinely amateur football teams left, fighting for survival in the lowest non-league division. This book is the story of Bromley's worst ever season. It is a funny and heart-warming tale of football at the very bottom: Dave turns up to each match with his football boots in his bag, just in case the team are a player short; the crowd is always announced as 400 as no-one can be bothered to count; the team ship so many goals that in one match, the taunting opposition fans actually lose count of the score. It's easy being a football fan when your team are always winning. The Bromley Boys is the touching true story about supporting a club through thin and even thinner: proof that the more your team may lose on the pitch, the more there is to gain on the terraces.

This updated edition of the bestselling and wildly popular I Am the Secret Footballer features a new introduction and an additional chapter. The anonymous writer of the Guardian's 'Secret Footballer' column gives Premier League fans an insider's look into the unseen world of professional football. 'It is often said that 95% of what happens in football takes place behind closed doors. Many of these stories I shouldn't be telling you. But I will.' Who is The Secret Footballer? Only a few people know the true identity of the man inside the game. Whoever he is-and whatever team he plays for - TSF is always honest, fearless and opinionated. Here he takes readers past the locker-room door and reveals the inner workings of a professional club, the exhilarating highs and crushing lows, and what it's really like to do the job most of us can only dream of doing. TFS chronicles the exploits of his Premiership colleagues with a gimlet eye and frank humour. Managers, agents and players are not spared from his observations - their mindsets, their relationships with those outside the sport, their behaviour good and bad. In his inimitable style, TSF recounts entertaining and eyebrow-raising vignettes, naming names and dropping colourful details along the way.

A helpful guide for Rapinoe fans looking to apply her wisdom to their own lives! In the summer of 2019, the US women's national soccer team offered fans a thrill when it won its fourth World Cup title and second straight, culminating in a 2-0 final over the Netherlands. Co-captain Megan Rapinoe led the team to victory with a penalty kick to score the first goal and ultimately captured MVP and top goal scorer designations for the tournament. The winger has also led the US to a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. In addition to her athletic success, Rapinoe has proven to be a leader off the field as well. A vocal advocate on behalf of several LGBT organizations and a voice behind the women's team's equal pay complaint, she is one of many players involved in the gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation. In Secrets of Success, the latest book in the Women in Power series, author Meg Linehan translates Rapinoe's success both on and off the field into digestible leadership lessons. In doing so, she draws from Rapinoe's still-young career as an athlete, businesswoman, and advocate.

Record Breakers: The Tactics Behind Liverpool and Manchester City's Title Triumphs and Record Points Totals lifts the lid on Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola's tactical systems and strategies. Written by a Premier League analyst, the book focuses on the seasons when these two footballing giants registered the highest points totals in Premier League history. It compares their styles and principles of play both with and without the ball, analyses the differences in the positioning of their players and outlines their specific movement patterns, all in the context of how opposition teams attempted to defend against them. Learn how Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling were used very differently from Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, how City's system got the best out of Kevin De Bruyne, and how Trent Alexander-Arnold became a unique playmaker from full-back. From 'inverted full-backs' to 'false 9s' via 'free 8s', discover how City and Liverpool's tactics reflect modern football's evolution.

From the post room to the board room, everyone thinks they can be the manager. But how do you manage outrageous talent? What do you do to inspire loyalty from your players? How do you turn around a team in crisis? What's the best way to build long-term success? How can you lead calmly under pressure? The issues are the same whether you're managing a Premier League football team or a FTSE 100 company. Here, for the first time, some 30 of the biggest names in football management reveal just what it takes. With their every act, remark, and success or failure under constant scrutiny from the media and the fans, these managers need to be the most adroit of leaders. In The Manager they explain their methods, offer lessons they've learned along the way, and describe the decisions they make and the leadership they provide. Each chapter tackles a key leadership issue for managers in any walk of life and, in their own words, shows how the experts deal with the challenges they face in an abnormally high-pressure environment. Offering valuable lessons for business leaders and fascinating behind-the-scenes insights for football fans, The Manager is an honest, accessible and unprecedented look at the day-to-day work of these high-profile characters and the world of top-level football management. Featuring: Roy Hodgson, Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger, Sam Allardyce, Roberto Mancini, Jose Mourinho, Brendan Rodgers, Harry Redknapp, Sir Alex Ferguson, Walter Smith, Mick McCarthy, Gerard Houllier, Tony Pulis, Martin O'Neill, Neil Warnock, Howard Wilkinson, Kevin Keegan, Dario Gradi, Andre Villas-Boas, David Moyes, Alex McLeish, Hope Powell, Martin Jol, Glenn Hoddle, Chris Hughton, David Platt, Paul Ince, and George Graham.

In January 1939, just months after hanging up his boots and a few weeks into his new career as a talent scout, William Ralph 'Dixie' Dean, the former Everton and England legend, received a surprise request for assistance from the far west of Ireland. Could he find a goalscorer for Sligo Rovers - the beating heart of a small, provincial town - to drive their dreams of a lucrative cup run and help protect the club's very existence? Dean set about finding the right man, but unable to locate candidates willing to make the move across the Irish Sea, he had an idea. What if he were to answer Sligo's call? And so began the unlikely story of how one of the greatest centre-forwards ever to grace the game added an unexpected and ultimately uplifting chapter to his storied football career. In the Shadow of Benbulben is a romantic tale of divine intervention, uncanny timing and drama on and off the pitch. It's the tale of 'Dixie' Dean's four months with the Bit O'Red that was to leave an indelible mark on the player, the club and the town.

'I love Tifo' Ian Wright 'Tifo are great' Alan Shearer 'Tifo have changed the game when it comes to football analysis' Elis James RULE #1: DON'T WATCH THE BALL Yes, football is about stars, goals and glory. But it's also about the intense calculations and movements being made by the twenty-one other players on the pitch. It's about the ticking clock, and the bellowing fans, and their impact on player psychology. It's about the coach, the club owner, and the director of football, who are watching, scouting and scheming from the side-lines. It's about money and data, about geopolitics and architecture, and even about climate change. Football is the most popular sport in the world, and Tifo Football is one of the world's most popular football channels. In this short, illustrated guide, its creators share fifty-two simple 'rules' for understanding and enjoying the beautiful game-both on and off the pitch. Covering the key concepts, tactics and philosophies that are shaping the sport today, How to Watch Football reveals surprising new perspectives on familiar elements of gameplay, while highlighting lesser-known aspects of the industry and its history. Whether you're a casual fan or a football obsessive, the fifty-two golden rules in this pocket-size guide will deepen your delight in the world's favourite sport.

If you have a player in your life but don't understand the game at all, then this is the book for you. Aimed at friends and family who go along to watch but have no real idea what is going on.This is the first in a series of guides for bemused supporters. After reading this book, you will know all about free kicks (direct and indirect), the difference between a goal kick and a corner kick and of course you will stun everyone with your knowledge of the infamous offside law and the way to beat the offside trap. You may even surprise family footballers by knowing more than them about the history of the game.We'll guide you on choosing kit, keeping it clean and ensuring your favourite player (whatever their relationship is to you) turns up to play looking well prepared and feeling part of the team. We've also included the latest support etiquette guidance if you're going along to matches for the first time.This book is for all bemused supporters, male and female, who loyally turn out to cheer in all weathers.

Ten Big Ears is the story of one of the biggest football clubs in the world, told through an eyewitness account that spans four decades. The story begins and ends with Barcelona in disgrace and threatened with a ban from UEFA competition. In between is a fascinating account of some of the greatest football the world has ever seen, including all five of the club's European Cup Final triumphs. Find out what it was like to attend Barcelona games in European club competitions in six different countries. Drawing on wider historical and cultural references to provide an alternative and quirky take on the rollercoaster that is Barca, this is almost certainly the only football book to reference philosophy, classical antiquity, religion, popular music and reality television dance shows. Written by a fan of another football club, Ten Big Ears is a personal and occasionally satirical account that commemorates the 30th anniversary of the club's first European Cup win in 1992. It is also a unique record of how watching the game has changed.

When he was inducted into the Hibs’ Hall of Fame on Eater Road in 2012, Eric Stevenson declared “This means everything to me. My uncle founded the Bonnyrigg Hibs supporters’ club in 1949-50 and I started going to games when I was seven”. This book traces Stevenson’s fanatical interest in the club from a very young age , his time as a left-winger wearing the number eleven green and white jersey in the 60s, and the well-deserved recognition that he has gained today.

It's an embarrassing truth for many football fans that it was only when professional football was eventually forced to close down that we recognised Covid-19 as a genuine threat to our way of life. Maybe just as shameful was the fact that once lockdown became normalised, it didn't take long for chatter to start about when the game might begin again. This book begins by charting what happened in the weeks leading up to that point, placing football in the context of furloughs, some new-found community awareness and dithering politicians. At the heart of the book are seven case studies of teams. From Burnley in the Premier League, down through the divisions to grassroots football, Project Restart looks at the hopes and fears of supporters and the actions of those charged with keeping their beloved clubs afloat. It looks at how we almost adjusted to the eerie echo of games on TV with no crowds and finishes by trying to address the biggest question in town: what will football look like in a post-Covid future?

England appearances, a courtroom drama and a spell in prison were just the start. He later returned to Sheffield Wednesday's first team before going into management and guiding Matlock town to the FA Trophy, but since retiring he has faced an increasing battle with Alzheimers. Setting the Record Straight lifts the lid on what was termed 'the biggest sports scandal of the century' and all that happened afterwards for this outstanding footballer.

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

The FA Cup is the oldest and most famous knockout competition in the world. Each year, countless lower division and non-League clubs dream of landing a glamorous tie against Manchester United, Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, and each year there is at least one upset whereby a Football League club is defeated by a side lower down the food chain.

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.

Set in the 1980s, Not All-Ticket: From Withernsea High to Boothferry Park Halt chronicles a dramatic period in the history of Hull City AFC through the eyes of a young fan from rural East Yorkshire. From relegation and receivership to the 'Robinson renaissance', Lusmore experiences a rollercoaster of emotions, culminating in dismay at perhaps the most contentious managerial dismissal in the club's history. In the process, he charts a course through his coming of age, capturing how it feels to follow an unfashionable team in an often unloved city. He flirts with rival sporting attractions, then tosses them aside in favour of the small-fry team in this tatty fish town. The football-fuelled adrenalin rush is soon replicated in his first forays into the local music and club scene. Discovering the delights of Hull after dark, he soon realises that Saturday is about much more than just the match. First-hand terrace tales and musical memories abound in this uplifting memoir.

The Year We (Nearly) Won the League charts one of the closest ever top-flight title battles in English football. It was 1974/75 and with just four games to go, no fewer than ten clubs had a chance of winning. One was Stoke City, fielding the best team they had ever had. This book follows Stoke as they rise to the top spot, only to fall at the final hurdle. You'll discover the unorthodox methods of Tony Waddington, a manager with an eye for talent and a flair for sensational signings. Some of them are legends of English football: Banks, Hurst, Hudson and Shilton. This campaign was the final glorious hurrah of that team, before the club met near bankruptcy and relegation. Half a century on, the players themselves recall a time when hearts - and legs - were broken, when the football flowed and the drink did too. Although the focus is on one club, this story of Stoke's 'nearly men' will resonate with every fan whose team has promised much, but never quite scaled the summit.