This handy guide to the greatest carnival of kick-a-ball the planet has ever seen won't just give you all the essential factual dope, but will dare to tell you all the things others won't.

Pretty Poly tells the fascinating story of the football shirt, charting its dramatic evolution over a 150-year period, from modest beginnings to a product at the centre of a billion-dollar industry. An emblem of everything it means to be a fan, the football shirt evokes memories of triumph and disaster and acts as a symbol of belonging to a chosen footballing tribe. Packed with facts, figures and anecdotes, Pretty Poly explores the history embedded in every feature of modern-day strips. It covers their ever-changing shape, the emergence of dedicated club and national colours and the often surprising reasons behind them. It also looks at the companies and designers behind some of our favourite strips, and explores the birth and exponential growth of the replica-kit industry. Along the way, we learn the histories of the iconic sponsors, names, numbers, patches and badges, and meet the kit collectors with a burning lifelong passion as we delve into the burgeoning vintage kit market that feeds their interest.

Soccer has long been known as 'the beautiful game'. This multi-disciplinary volume explores soccer, soccer culture, and the representation of soccer in art, film, and literature, using the critical tools of aesthetics, poetics, and rhetoric. Including international contributions from scholars of philosophy, literary and cultural studies, linguistics, art history, and the creative arts, this book begins by investigating the relationship between beauty and soccer and asks what criteria should be used to judge the sport's aesthetic value. Covering topics as diverse as humor, national identity, style, celebrity, and social media, its chapters examine the nature of fandom, the role of language, and the significance of soccer in contemporary popular culture. It also discusses what one might call the 'stylistics' of soccer, analyzing how players, fans, and commentators communicate on and off the pitch, in the press, on social media, and in wider public discourse. The Aesthetics, Poetics, and Rhetoric of Soccer makes for fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport, culture, literature, philosophy, linguistics, and society.

A Times Sports Book of the Year The story of Jack and Bobby Charlton, and a family that characterised English football for decades 'Gripping' Daily Mail 'Wilson is a fine, nuanced writer' TLS 'A powerful chronicle' Irish Times 'Surprisingly moving' Guardian 'Razor-sharp tactical analysis' Irish Independent In later life Jack and Bobby didn't get on and barely spoke but the lives of these very different brothers from the coalfield tell the story of late twentieth-century English football: the tensions between flair and industry, between individuality and the collective, between right and left, between middle- and working-classes, between exile and home. Jack was open, charismatic, selfish and pig-headed; Bobby was guarded, shy, polite and reserved to the point of reclusiveness. They were very different footballers: Jack a gangling central defender who developed a profound tactical intelligence; Bobby an athletic attacking midfielder who disdained systems. They played for clubs who embodied two very different approaches, the familial closeness and tactical cohesion of Leeds on the one hand and the individualistic flair and clashing egos of Manchester United on the other. Both enjoyed great success as players: Jack won a league, a Cup and two Fairs Cups with Leeds; Bobby won a league title, survived the terrible disaster of the plane crash in Munich, and then at enormous emotional cost, won a Cup and two more league titles before capping it off with the European Cup. Together, for England, they won the World Cup. Their managerial careers followed predictably diverging paths, Bobby failing at Preston while Jack enjoyed success at Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday before leading Ireland to previously un-imagined heights. Both were financially very successful, but Jack remained staunchly left-wing while Bobby tended to conservatism. In the end, Jack returned to Northumberland; Bobby remained in the North-West. Two Brothers tells a story of social history as well as two of the most famous football players of their generation.

Got That Lovin’ Feelin’ is the enthralling story of Nottingham Forest’s emotional return to the Premier League under Steve Cooper in 2022. It charts the promotions, relegations, financial problems and missed opportunities that made Forest’s journey back to the big time such a compelling one. Cooper’s side’s thrilling and unexpected promotion campaign put an end to 23 years outside the top flight. In those lean times, Forest frequently became a byword for decline on the pitch and madness in the boardroom. The book features opinions and insights from those who worked on the pitch, in the dugout and in the corridors of power. It also tells the story of Forest’s first season back in the big time, through the eyes of fans, players and pundits – all the while exploring what it means to be connected to this grand, historic and pioneering club. From Frank Clark’s European dreamers to Cooper’s play-off winners, this is Forest’s roller-coaster ride of a story.  

The Beautiful Badge tells the fascinating story behind the UK's football club badges, from 1860s hand-embroidered symbols on home-knitted jerseys to today's multi-million pound brands. The book not only covers hammers, cannon and Liver birds but also reveals the link between Peterhead FC and Viz comic; which TV celebrity designed Aldershot Town FC's badge; and whose GBP10 doodle became the opposition's badge. Some clubs have sported ten or more different badges over the decades, ranging from their town's coat of arms to cartoon insects and initials. Promotion, moving to a new stadium or an owner with controversial views often results in a new badge. The book plots the influence of fashion, technology and fans, and investigates the tensions between clubs and supporters over changes to their beloved badge. Do you know why your club's badge looks the way it does? The Beautiful Badge is essential reading for football enthusiasts, historians, designers and anyone who enjoys putting their feet up in the boot room.

Football Dark Arts provides detailed knowledge about crafty, deceitful, and outrageous gamesmanship that will help you and your team win matches. Within this book are 80 football tricks, traps, and tips. These "dark arts" help give ultra-competitive managers and street-smart players a competitive edge that will prevent their opponents from performing at their optimal level. Masters of the dark arts know how to bend the rules, to deceive, to con, and ultimately to negatively affect their opponents. This book highlights the ugly, unpleasant, and unsporting aspects of the Beautiful Game. Whether you are a player, coach, match official, fan, commentator, journalist, or club director, your best option is to read this book and understand the dark arts!

After one too many late night discussions, football journalist Paul Watson and his mate Matthew Conrad decide to find the world's worst national team, become naturalised citizens of that country and play for them - achieving their joint boyhood dream of playing international football and winning a 'cap'. They are thrilled when Wikipedia leads them to Pohnpei, a tiny, remote island in the Pacific whose long-defunct football team is described as 'the weakest in the world'. They contact Pohnpei's Football Association and discover what it needs most urgently is leadership. So Paul and Matt travel thousands of miles, leaving behind jobs, families and girlfriends to train a rag-tag bunch of novice footballers who barely understand the rules of the game. Up Pohnpei tells the story of their quest to coach the team and eventually, organise an international fixture - Pohnpei's first since a 16-1 defeat many years ago. With no funding, a population whose obesity rate is 90 percent and toad-infested facilities in one of the world's wettest climates, their journey is beset by obstacles from the outset. Part travelogue, part quest, Up Pohnpei shows how the passion and determination of two young men can change the face of football - and the lives of total strangers - on the other side of the world.

Marcelo Bielsa vs The Damned United is a fan's account of two extraordinary seasons at Leeds United, which culminated in the club's return to the Premier League after a 16-year exile. Bielsa, one of the most revered managers in world football, quickly transformed a mediocre group of players into would-be title winners and raced to the top of the Championship.But his biggest foe was the very club he had come to save, a club where controversy and calamity are never far away. The controversial 'Spygate' saga derailed the seasonand the team collapsed at the finish line in heartbreaking and calamitous fashion. The following season Bielsa faced more controversy, more chaos, and just as his team reached the finish line again, along came a global pandemic.This book captures the essence of a unique football genius, and the trials and tribulations of a long-suffering fan base - in love with their manager, electrified by his football and often deranged by a rollercoaster two-year promotion race.

A Financial Times Sports book of the Year 2018 pick Who's better: Ronaldo or Messi? Ask any football fan and they'll have an opinion. For the best part of the last decade football has seen a personal rivalry unlike any seen before. Cristiano and Leo. This is their definitive story, from children kicking a ball halfway around the world from each other to their era-defining battle to be number one. One the preening adonis, a precision physical machine who blows teams away with his pace and power. The other a shuffling genius, able to do things with a football that seem other-worldly. Their differences seem to tap into something fundamental about football and indeed life. Between them they have scored over a thousand goals, won the Ballon d'Or nine times and redefined modern football. For the past eight seasons they have shared the accolade of best footballer in the world and arguments rage over which one deserves the title of greatest player of all time. Cristiano and Leo by Spanish and South American football expert and journalist Jimmy Burns is the essential book to understand the defining players of a generation. 'Burns is incapable of writing a boring sentence.' - Irish Times

The study of football fandom is a fast-growing area of research in the sociology of sport. The first work of its kind, this book explores football fan activism and its impact on contemporary football culture in England, Italy and the Czech Republic. Presenting a comparative study of fan activism in national and transnational contexts, it explores the characteristics of each country's football fan culture as well as the varying and at times volatile dynamics between fans, authorities and the mass media. Its chapters address key themes and issues including: fans' reactions to policing and security measures in football stadiums; the socio-cultural significance of symbols and rituals for fans at football games; and fans' critical engagement with football club ownership and management. Offering original insights into the power of fan activism to influence social change, this book has wider implications for understanding social movements in other cultural and political spheres beyond Europe. Football Fans, Activism and Social Change is fascinating reading for all students, scholars and football fans with an interest in sport studies, fan culture, politics and society.

The book examines the transformation of European football in recent years by focusing on the impact of Europe in general and the EU in particular on the way that the game has evolved in a broad cross section of European states. The book brings together two significant research agendas: first, that on the governance of sport in Europe/the European Union; secondly, that within European integration studies on 'Europeanisation' (most commonly understood at the process of change in the domestic arena resulting from European integration). The concept of Europeanisation and in particular' top down' Europeanisation is used to shape the individual country case studies. Other transformational factors such as globalization are also assessed. The three chapters in the introductory section set the context within which the transformation of European football has occurred with particular emphasis on the role of UEFA and EU institutions. The ten country studies in the central part of the book include the five leading football nations in Europe and smaller countries that are facing new challenges in the competitive environment of modern European football. They include an example of a country that is a recent accession state and one outside the EU. What emerges from these chapters is both the shaping influence of Europeanisation but also the extent to which it is countered and modified by national culture and structures. What is also noticeable the sense of decline amongst some of the small and even larger footballing nations in the continent. This book will be of interest to students of European politics, sports governance and football, it also represents a substantial contribution to the debate on Europeanisation. -- .

Football has traditionally been an institution hostile toward sexual minorities. Boys and men in the sport have deployed high levels of homophobia for multiple reasons. However, the ground-breaking research within this book shows that intolerant attitudes toward gay men are increasingly being challenged. Based on unprecedented access to Premier League academies, Inclusive Masculinities in Contemporary Football: Men in the Beautiful Game explores these changing attitudes toward homophobia in football today. Revealing a range of masculine identities never before empirically measured at this level of football, this book discusses the implications for the complex and enclosed structures of professional sport, and extends our understanding of contemporary masculinity. It also offers fresh insights to the importance of "banter" in the development of relationships and identities. This culture of banter often plays a paradoxical role, both facilitating and disrupting friendships formed between male footballers. As the first title in the Routledge Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities Series, this book is fascinating reading for all students and scholars interested in football and the study of gender, sexuality and the sociology of sport.

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE BIOGRAPHY OF ARSENE WENGER EVER PUBLISHED, NOW FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED TO THE END OF HIS ARSENAL CAREER. When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in 1996, he was little known to fans at the club and many doubted he could bring back the glory days of George Graham. But soon he was transforming the way the team played, melding the famous English defensive spine of Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and David Seaman with a hugely creative foreign attacking spirit, epitomised by Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Robert Pires, that could both outplay and outmuscle their rivals. At the same time, he introduced new ideas on diet, exercise, training and tactics, which many players believe extended their careers. Having won numerous trophies, and led the Invincibles to an unprecedented unbeaten league season in 2003-04, Wenger then had to help the Gunners through the next stage of their development when they moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, a move that was followed by a nine-year trophy drought. Despite the financial constraints he faced, he still managed to keep the club playing in the Champions League year after year while remaining true to his philosophy of how the game should be played. Some began to question whether he had been left behind, despite picking up back-to-back FA Cups in 2014 and 2015, and in the end in April 2018 he decided the time was right to step away. Now, in this updated edition of John Cross's acclaimed biography, the author provides a compelling account of the man and his methods across 22 years in charge. He assesses the scale of Wenger's achievements and whether the criticism he faced towards the end was justified. Arsene Wenger builds into the most complete portrait of the Frenchman yet written.

In recent years, football's status as "the world's sport" has shown little sign of waning. From increasing participation at grassroots levels and to the highly lucrative media rights deals secured by the top elite clubs, the game appears to be thriving as it continues to excite and enthral billions of people around the globe. Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges and opportunities facing the football industry today that warrant further examination. This book brings together leading international researchers to survey the current state of the global football industry, exploring contemporary themes and issues in the marketing of football around the world. With contributions from Europe, Asia and the Americas, it discusses key topics such as football club management, the economics of the football industry, match-fixing, social media, fan experiences, the globalized marketplace, and the growing popularity of the women's game. Offering insights for researchers, managers, and marketers who are looking to stay ahead of the game, The Global Football Industry: Marketing Perspectives is essential reading for anyone with an interest in international sport business.

I'm with the Cosmos' was the phrase New York Cosmos players used to get a table reserved at the city's best restaurants or skip the queue at the glamorous Studio 54 nightclub. And it was one Steve Hunt became used to trotting out, after he was transferred from Aston Villa to New York Cosmos at the tender age of 20, having played just seven times for the first team at Villa. He walked straight into a world of celebrity and a team of superstars including two of the world's finest players, Pele and Franz Beckenbauer. This is Steve's story of those heady days in New York - but also a stellar career back in England during the early 1980s. Returning to the West Midlands, Steve played for Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion and returned to his beloved Aston Villa for a second spell - and at the age of 28, he won the first of two England caps under Bobby Robson, realising an ambition held since early childhood. This is Steve's story, and in it he writes frankly about his football career, as well as his life outside the game.

Women's football is the fastest growing participation sport in both the UK and across the world, and the 2015 Women's World Cup was the biggest tournament the sport had ever seen. This book explores the experience of fans of women's football who followed their teams in Canada, examining their practices and fan behaviour. How did host cities manage the influx of visitors? And how did fans manage to support their teams, considering the vast amounts of travel expected across such a big country? Dunn also examines the way that the England team is structured and run, relating this to the country's domestic competition, as well as assessing the media coverage of women's football globally. This research is all framed within the author's own experiences of the Women's World Cup, as both an academic and as a sports journalist.

This book analyzes the 2018 and 2019 men's and women's World Cups to understand how the use of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) affected each tournament. Unlike goal technology, where the decision is entirely left to the machine's algorithm, the VAR still has a human component, making it prone to errors and controversies. Building on the theories of justice, the book quantitatively reviews event-level data while using a historical perspective to depict a novel approach to the effects of VAR in major soccer tournaments. The six chapters examine the use of VAR, discuss when it was not used (but maybe should have been used), and explore how the World Cup evolved with the new technology. Combining the VAR events of 2018 and 2019 with comparable situations from past World Cups guides the reader into debating the meaning of justice and the potential of ever achieving fairness in soccer.

The story of FIFA's fall from grace has it all: power, betrayal, revenge, sports stars, hustlers, corruption, sex and phenomenal quantities of money, all set against exotic locales stretching from Caribbean beaches to the formal staterooms of the Kremlin and the sun-blasted streets of Doha, Qatar.

In Red Card, investigative journalist Ken Bensinger takes a journey to FIFA's dark heart. He introduces the flamboyant villains of the piece - the FIFA kingpins who flaunted their wealth in private jets and New York's grandest skyscrapers - and the dogged team of American FBI and IRS agents, headed by Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who finally brought them to book. Providing fresh insights on a scandal which has gripped the world, he shows how greed and arrogance brought down the most powerful institution in sporting history.

A wild, gritty, gripping, and at times blackly comic story, Red Card combines world-class journalism with the pace of a thriller. Red Card (filmed as Houses of Deceit) will be a major film, produced by Pearl Street Films, the production company owned by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

As football clubs have become luxury investments, their decisions increasingly mirror those of any other business organisation. Football supporters have been encouraged to express their club loyalty by 'thinking business' - acting as consumers and generating money deemed necessary for their clubs to compete at the highest levels. In critical studies, supporters have been portrayed as passive or reluctant consumers who, imprisoned by enduring club loyalties, embody a fatalistic attitude to their own exploitation. As this book aims to show, however, such expressions of loyalty are far from hegemonic and often interface haphazardly with traditional ideas about what constitutes the 'loyal fan'. While there is little doubt that professional football is experiencing commodification, the reality is that football clubs are not simply businesses, nor can they ever aspire to be organisations driven solely by expanding or protecting economic value. Rather, clubs hover uncertainly between being businesses and community assets. Football Supporters and the Commercialisation of Football explores the implications of this uncertainty for understanding supporter resistance to, and compromise with, commodification. Every club and its supporters exist in their own unique national and local contexts. In this respect, this book offers a Euro-wide comparison of supporter reactions to commercialisation and provides unique insight into how football supporters actively mediate regional, local and national contexts, as they intersect with the universalistic presumptions of commerce. This book was previously published as a special issue of Soccer and Society.

Fantastic Football is the second book in the Stupendous Sports series which aims to do for PE what Horrible Histories did for Year 7 history. Full of cartoons, jokes, fun facts and useful stats, it gives a brief history of football, details of player positions, the future of the game, the importance of diversity, the forthcoming Football World Cup, the rise of women's football, plus a great section on skills and tricks. Brilliantly illustrated by Matt Cherry, this is for fans of the beautiful game, their parents (and grandparents), but firstly for young readers who want something entertaining to dip into and, like the game itself, to share with friends.

'If you want to know and understand how football really works, this is the book for you.' Guillem Balagué

'A myth-busting and hugely entertaining look at the ever more complex machinations of the beautiful game. Essential.' Raphael Honigstein

'A must-read for football fans.' Freddie Ljungberg

Insightful, enlightening and thought-provoking, leading Premier League lawyer Daniel Geey lifts the lid on the inner workings of modern football.

What really happens inside a club on transfer deadline day? Are football agents overpaid? Which club put a clause forbidding space travel into a midfielder's contract? And which team's players can never wear red boots?

Whether it is a manager being sacked, a star player transfer, billion-pound television rights negotiations or a controversial club takeover, leading football lawyer Daniel Geey has all the insight. With an accessible and thoughtful perspective, and featuring expert contributions, Done Deal explores the issues that shape the modern game, providing football fans with a fresh and authoritative look at all off-field football matters.

Across the history of football, a select group of teams have achieved iconic status. Sometimes it's through sheer success. For others, their stature is built by star performers. On occasions, it's because a team has gifted a new way of playing to the world. Most rarely it's because of all three. The Ajax teams that conquered Europe with their enthralling 'totaalvoetbal' are one of those rare cases. Those Dutch artists used the pitch as their canvas, the skills of the players provided a palette of gloriously bright colours and their totaalvoetbal inspired the brushstrokes that delivered masterpieces of football creativity. The Dutch Masters is the entrancing tale of how that iconic white shirt with a broad red band down its centre not only became synonymous with the beautiful game of totaalvoetbal, but also symbolised the success of the club that created a new paradigm of play. It's the story of how Ajax came to dominate the European game as the epitome of footballing perfection.