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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Ball games > Football (Soccer, Association football)
Ken Barnes was widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of
his generation never to have won an England cap. During a
distinguished playing career with Manchester City, Ken appeared in
the FA Cup finals of 1955 and 1956 and later captained the club
before retiring in the early 60s. He spent nearly a decade away
from Maine Road as a manager of Wrexham and Witton Albion before
returning to Maine Road as a coach under Joe Mercer. Ken
subsequently went on to serve under every City manager as either a
coach or chief scout from Joe Mercer to Joe Royle. As someone who
holds forthright views on the game, especially when it comes to the
subject of coaching, Ken's views could be dismissed as the 'in my
day' rantings of another embittered former pro. Yet one should bear
in mind that his integrity and knowledge of the game saw him serve
under every Manchester City manager from Joe Mercer to Joe Royle.
In his time Ken has seen trends come and go -- from the 'deep lying
centre-forward' via 'wingless wonders' to today's 'holding
midfielder' and is uniquely placed to give his opinions on them
all. Away from football, Ken is described as a 'character'. Make of
that what you will. That may be a tale for another day. This is the
story of Kens life in football. Im honoured, and privileged, that
he asked me to help him tell it.
The autobiography of Tom Forsyth, the Rangers, Motherwell and
Scotland legend. However, the book is not just an account of one of
the most successful careers in Scottish football, it is also full
of anecdotes, controversies and encounters with the greats of
Scottish and world football.
Although well-known as the birthplace of Charles Darwin and for its
idyllic location on the River Severn, in footballing terms
Shrewsbury was still a backwater in the late 1970s. But Town's
promotion for the first time in their history to Football League
Division Two in 1979 changed all that. The 'Spirit of 79' propelled
them into the limelight with a famous FA Cup run and an unlikely
Third Division title triumph. Chelsea, Newcastle and West Ham would
now be heading to Gay Meadow, and predictably Shrewsbury were the
pundits' favourites for relegation. Come On You Blues is a vivid,
first-hand account of Town's inaugural campaign in Division Two in
1979/80, as seen through the eyes of a 15-year-old fan and proud
owner of a GBP12 junior season ticket. The book recalls the thrills
and anguish of following a small team from Shropshire battling for
survival in the second tier, and defying the odds by trouncing
footballing giants, upstaging local rivals and scrubbing up well
against exciting, up-and-coming sides.
The Quiet Man Roars is the enthralling story of David Robertson,
one of the finest attacking full-backs Scotland has produced in the
last 30 years. Spotted as a schoolboy, Robertson signed as an
apprentice with Aberdeen in the early 1980s. Initially a winger, a
series of unfortunate events saw David selected at left-back for a
youth game and he never looked back. He made his debut for Aberdeen
at 17 and was snapped up by Rangers for just shy of GBP1m at age
22. David was an integral part of the Rangers side that won nine
successive league championships and came within an ace of reaching
the first Champions League final. Later, he played in the English
Premiership for Leeds United before injury cut short his playing
career, prompting a move into management. As a player, he was the
epitome of the modern day marauding full-back. As a coach, he has
already made his mark across the globe and been the subject of a
BAFTA-winning BBC documentary. The Quiet Man Roars is the inside
story of one of football's most respected characters.
Firmly situating South African teams, players, and associations
in the international framework in which they have to compete, South
Africa and the Global Game: Football, Apartheid, and Beyond
presents an interdisciplinary analysis of how and why South Africa
underwent a remarkable transformation from a pariah in world sport
to the first African host of a World Cup in 2010. Written by an
eminent team of scholars, this special issue and book aims to
examine the importance of football in South African society,
revealing how the black oppression transformed a colonial game into
a force for political, cultural and social liberation. It explores
how the hosting of the 2010 World Cup aims to enhance the prestige
of the post-apartheid nation, to generate economic growth and
stimulate Pan-African pride. Among the themes dealt with are race
and racism, class and gender dynamics, social identities, mass
media and culture, and globalization. This collection of original
and insightful essays will appeal to specialists in African
Studies, Cultural Studies, and Sport Studies, as well as to
non-specialist readers seeking to inform themselves ahead of the
2010 World Cup.
This book was published as a special issue of Soccer and
Society.
Spurs On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable
moments from the club's glorious past, mixing in a maelstrom of
quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an
irresistibly dippable diary of the club's history - with an entry
for every day of the year. From their Victorian roots as Hotspur FC
up to the Premier League era, Spurs fans have witnessed a unique FA
Cup victory as a non-League side, League and Cup triumphs,
hard-fought derbies and unforgettable European nights - all
featured here. Timeless greats such as Glenn Hoddle and Danny
Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Jurgen Klinsmann and Bill Nicholson all
loom larger than life. Revisit January 22, 2008 when Spurs beat
Arsenal 5-1 in the Carling Cup semi-final. May 6, 1961 when Spurs
became the 20th century's first Double winners. And July 13 2001,
when Steffen Freund scored against Stevenage, his first and only
Tottenham goal!
It's 40 years since Ipswich Town's UEFA Cup triumph, a cup run that
saw them having to beat no less than three champions-elect to lift
the trophy in Amsterdam's Olympic stadium. In this, the definitive
account (to date!) of Town's European games, the authors take you
through the seasons: From Alf Ramsey's Champions playing in the
European Cup, through the Bobby Robson era and the UEFA Cup triumph
in Amsterdam, to the George Burley Premiership team, and the
'bonus' season in Europe ending under Joe Royle. Every tie is
summarised and most are well illustrated, with photos of action on
the pitch, memorabilia, and the fans on location. As the club's
appointed travel agents, the Houseley brothers were handed a huge
responsibility for smooth organisation, and seeing off any trouble
at a time of widespread football hooliganism. The Ipswich fans,
however, were a credit to club and country and took their good
behaviour and good humour as a badge of honour, something greatly
appreciated by the club's directors and owners, manager Sir Bobby
Robson and the players. The memories these trips produced are
priceless: ships, planes, trains and coaches were chartered as
thousands of fans made the journeys to some of the finest cities in
Europe, to see their team come up against some of Europe's most
famous names. Coach and manager Bobby Ferguson wrote the Foreword
and then gives his assessment of the players of 1980-81 team. There
are accounts from fans, stewards and club officials, journalists,
and the brothers themselves. The Travel Card scheme for fans
devised by David and Philip was ahead of its time: it was taken up
by other clubs, Dennis Howell's working party appointed by the
prime minister, and finally by the FA as the England Travel Club.
Blackpool FC Miscellany collects together all the vital information
you never knew you needed to know about the Seasiders. In these
pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing
stats and facts. Heard the one about the goalie who sported glasses
and a blue-and-white bandana? How about the fans in masks and fancy
dress, known as the Atomic Boys? Or the first ever live televised
League match, watched by 2.3 million viewers? Do you know which
Premier League-era favourite was sent off on his debut? Which 1970s
disco divas sung the official club song? Or who became the first
player to play for Blackpool in all four divisions? All these
stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched
collection of trivia - essential for any Seasiders fan who holds
the riches of the club's history close to their heart.
The Little Book of Arsenal is a hotshot collection of words of wit
and wisdom by and about the managers, players and officials who
have graced Highbury and the Emirates. From Herbert Chapman to
Arsene Wenger, via the likes of George Graham, from one Double to
another, and from Ted Drake, Thierry Henry, Jack Wilshere and Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain, here are more than 165 hot-shot quotations for
the avid Gooner. Enjoy the humour and poignancy as The Little Book
of Arsenal takes you through the highs and lows of the club's
fortunes on the pitch and savour some great moments. As England
rugby International and broadcaster Stuart Barnes says: 'I did not
have a choice, but I am so glad I was born an Arsenal supporter.'
Leeds United Miscellany collects together all the vital information
you never knew you needed to know about the Whites. In these pages
you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats
and facts. Heard the one about David Harvey's suicidal monkey? How
about the chairman who spent GBP240 on a goldfish for his office?
Or the gypsy who urinated on Elland Road's corner flags to help Don
Revie lift an ancient curse? Do you know when a Leeds side last
wore sock tags? The fate of the orange kit worn once in 1970? Or
how many miles of pipe make up the undersoil heating system at
Elland Road? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a
brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any
Leeds United fan who holds the riches of the club's history close
to their heart. Featuring a foreword by Leeds legend Eddie Gray.
From Accra and Algiers to Zanzibar and Zululand, Africans have
wrested control of soccer from the hands of Europeans, and through
the rise of different playing styles, the rituals of spectatorship,
and the presence of magicians and healers, have turned soccer into
a distinctively African activity.
"African Soccerscapes" explores how Africans adopted soccer for
their own reasons and on their own terms. Soccer was a rare form of
"national culture" in postcolonial Africa, where stadiums and
clubhouses became arenas in which Africans challenged colonial
power and expressed a commitment to racial equality and
self-determination. New nations staged matches as part of their
independence cele-brations and joined the world body, FIFA. The
Confederation africaine de football democratized the global game
through antiapartheid sanctions and increased the number of African
teams in the World Cup finals.
In this compact, highly readable book Alegi shows that the result
of this success has been the departure of huge numbers of players
to overseas clubs and the growing influence of private commercial
interests on the African game. But the growth of women's soccer and
South Africa's hosting of the 2010 World Cup also challenge the
one-dimensional notion of Africa as a backward, "tribal" continent
populated by victims of war, corruption, famine, and disease.
The Sheffield United - a book on the Blades like no other, packed
with facts, stats, trivia, stories and legends. Sheffield United FC
enjoy a notable history. Names such as Ernest Needham, Jimmy Hagan
and Alan Woodward have worn the famous red and white stripes
hundreds of times. As has the mercurial Tony Currie plus the
infamous William 'Fatty' Foulke - a huge keeper who walked off the
field at a whim and once dumped a forward on his head in a muddy
penalty area. The Sheffield United Miscellany charts these events
and many more in an intriguing format. Well known events are
covered as are some priceless trivia gems - who can claim to have
known the club was founded on the site of one of snooker's most
hallowed venues and hosted the obscure winter sport of bandy? Also
featured are a wide range of statistics, quotes and biographies
from the club's 110-year history, making it a must for any Blade.
Can you really afford not to own a copy?
'Compelling from start to finish...Downie does full justice to an
extraordinary life' Pete Davies, author of All Played Out. A
stunning new biography of Socrates, the iconic captain of the
greatest Brazil side never to win the World Cup. Socrates was
always special. A hugely talented athlete who graduated in medicine
yet drank and smoked to excess. The attacking midfielder stood out
- and not just because of his 6'4" frame. Fans were enthralled by
his inch-perfect passes, his coolness in front of goal and his back
heel, the trademark move that singled him out as the most unique
footballer of his generation. Off the pitch, he was just as
original, with a dedication to politics and social causes that no
player has ever emulated. His biggest impact came as leader of
Corinthians Democracy - a movement that gave everyone from the
kitman to the president an equal say in the running of the club. At
a time when Brazil was ruled by a military dictatorship, it was
truly revolutionary. Passionate and principled, entertaining and
erudite, Socrates was as contradictory as he was complex. He was a
socialist who voted for a return of Brazil's monarchy, a fiercely
independent individual who was the ultimate team player, and a
romantic who married four times and fathered six children. Armed
with Socrates' unpublished memoir and hours of newly discovered
interviews, Andrew Downie has put together the most comprehensive
and compelling account of this iconic figure. Based on
conversations with family members, close friends and former
team-mates, this is a brilliant biography of a man who always stood
up for what he believed in, whatever the cost. 'Brilliantly written
and researched. Amazing life.' Alex Bellos, author of Futebol: The
Brazilian Way of Life
From the earliest FA Cup finals in the 1870s played between teams
of former public schoolboys, to twenty-first-century Champions
League matches contested by teams of billionaires - with stops
along the way for Leicester City's extraordinary Premier League
triumph, the Hand of God, and the 1966 World Cup - this is football
history as it happened, straight from the pages of The Times. 'The
players came off arm in arm. They knew they had finally fashioned
something of which to be proud.'
The second volume of the popular 101 Youth Football Coaching
Sessions: an authoritative and invaluable resource for football
coaches looking for varied and inclusive coaching ideas. Written by
celebrated football coaches Tony Charles and Stuart Rook, this
clearly illustrated new volume contains 101 brand new warm-ups,
skills training, games and final practice drills, with a linking
system for each exercise so that the coach can create a session
using a number of the exercises. The sessions are designed
specifically for younger players. Each session aims to make
football fun yet informative, and help young players develop. Each
session is inclusive, allowing every child to take part and be
active. Every session is aimed at enjoyment and has progressions
which allow the players to develop at their own pace.
Norwich City Miscellany collects together all the vital information
you never knew you needed to know about the Canaries. In these
pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing
stats and facts. Heard the one about the first Brazilian-born
player in English football? How about the stand built on the site
of an ancient hunting camp, dating back to 11,500BC? Or the fashion
designer who was worried about City getting his kit muddy? Do you
know which 'England Manager' led City to the Mr Clutch Cup? Which
winger was locked in the toilet by his team-mates for a four-hour
away coach trip? Or how many days it took to build the new stadium
on Carrow Road? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a
brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any
Canaries fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to
their heart.
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Ultra
(Paperback)
Tobias Jones
1
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R318
R261
Discovery Miles 2 610
Save R57 (18%)
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Ships in 9 - 15 working days
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Ultras are often compared to punks, Hell's Angels, hooligans or the
South American Barras Bravas. But in truth, they are a thoroughly
Italian phenomenon... From the author of The Dark Heart of Italy,
Blood on the Altar and A Place of Refuge. Italy's ultras are the
most organised and violent fans in European football. Many groups
have evolved into criminal gangs, involved in ticket-touting,
drug-dealing and murder. A cross between the Hell's Angels and
hooligans, they're often the foot-soldiers of the Mafia and have
been instrumental in the rise of the far-right. But the purist
ultras say that they are are insurgents fighting against a police
state and modern football. Only amongst the ultras, they say, can
you find belonging, community and a sacred concept of sport. They
champion not just their teams, they say, but their forgotten
suburbs and the dispossessed. Through the prism of the ultras,
Jones crafts a compelling investigation into Italian society and
its favourite sport. He writes about not just the ultras of some of
Italy's biggest clubs - Juventus, Torino, Lazio, Roma and Genoa -
but also about its lesser-known ones from Cosenza and Catania. He
examines the sinister side of football fandom, with its violence
and political extremism, but also admires the passion, wit,
solidarity and style of a fascinating and contradictory subculture.
Where was the first World Cup held? A Argentina B France C Uruguay
D The Netherlands Here's the ultimate challenge for all football
fans and armchair contestants. If you think you could compete with
the contestants who sit in the famous Who Wants to be a
Millionaire? hot-seat, then this is the quiz book for you. Packed
with 1,000 brain teasing questions about UK, European and
international football, created by the Who Wants to be a
Millionaire? question masters, this is the ultimate quiz book for
any football fan. This World Cup, find out if you really know your
football by playing Who Wants to be a Football Millionaire?
Oxford United On This Day revisits all the most magical and
memorable moments from the club's rollercoaster past, mixing in a
maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce
an irresistibly dippable U's diary - with an entry for every day of
the year. From the club's formation as Headington in 1893 through
to more recent flirtations with the First Division and the
Conference, the United faithful have witnessed promotions and
relegations, breathtaking Cup runs and Wembley triumph - all
featured here. Timeless greats such as Ron and Graham Atkinson,
John Aldridge, Maurice Kyle and Dean Saunders all loom larger than
life. Revisit 20th April 1986, when Oxford won the Milk Cup final.
2nd June 1962, when the Yellows were elected into the Football
League. Or 8th February 1975, when the U's beat Man U in front of
16,000 fans, plus thousands more on that evening's Match of the
Day.
'Football looked at in a very different way' Pat Nevin, former
Chelsea and Everton star and football media analyst Football - the
most mathematical of sports. From shot statistics and league tables
to the geometry of passing and managerial strategy, the modern game
is filled with numbers, patterns and shapes. How do we make sense
of them? The answer lies in the mathematical models applied in
biology, physics and economics. Soccermatics brings football and
mathematics together in a mind-bending synthesis, using numbers to
help reveal the inner workings of the beautiful game. This new and
expanded edition analyses the current big-name players and teams
using mathematics, and meets the professionals working inside
football who use numbers and statistics to boost performance.
Welcome to the world of mathematical modelling, expressed
brilliantly by David Sumpter through the prism of football. No
matter who you follow - from your local non-league side to the big
boys of the Premiership, La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A or the
MLS - you'll be amazed at what mathematics has to teach us about
the world's favourite sport.
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