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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Sporting events, tours & organisations > General
The hilarious, heartwarming and - unbelievably - true story of
Maurice Flitcroft, the World's Worst Golfer.
The Masters. For any golf fan, the words evoke the immortal greats of the game and their quest for the most prized trophy of all -- the green jacket of Augusta National Golf Club. But behind the legendary links and timeless traditions is one of the most overlooked and misunderstood figures in the history of the Masters and Augusta National: Clifford Roberts, the club's chairman from its founding in 1931 until shortly before his death in 1977. Roberts' meticulous attention to detail, his firm authoritarian hand, and his refusal to settle -- even for perfection -- helped build the Masters into the tournament it is today, and Augusta National into every golfer's idea of heaven on earth. David Owen was granted unprecedented access to the archives and records of Augusta National Golf Club. He has produced an honest and affectionate chronicle of the Masters, from its conception to its modern greatness, and a fascinating portrayal of Clifford Roberts -- whose perseverance and pride forged the Augusta National we know today.
In May 1977, the cricket world awoke to discover that a thirty-nine-year-old Sydney Businessman called Kerry Packer had signed thirty-five elite international players for his own televised `World Series'. The Cricket War is the definitive account of the split that changed the game on the field and on the screen. In helmets, under lights, with white balls, and in coloured clothes, the outlaw armies of Ian Chappell, Tony Greig and Clive Lloyd fought a daily battle of survival. In boardrooms and courtrooms Packer and cricket's rulers fought a bitter war of nerves. A compelling account of the top-class sporting life, The Cricket War also gives a unique insight into the motives and methods of the man who became Australia's richest, and remained so, until the day he died. It was the end of cricket as we knew it - and the beginning of cricket as we know it. Gideon Haigh has published over thirty books, over twenty of them about cricket. This edition of The Cricket War, Gideon Haigh's first book about cricket originally published in 1993, has been updated with new photographs and a new introduction by the author.
Written by European professors and focusing on the specificities of European sport, When Sport Meets Business analyses the growing commercialisation of professional sport in recent years and explains how it has developed into a major global industry. Structured into four sections, the book covers the key issues in the Business of professional sport: The New Sport Environment - Analysing the consequences of increasing commercialisation by looking at the multi-billion dollar sports goods industry; the effects of globalisation and how commercial influences have made running one of Europe's most popular sports. Sport Marketing and Media - Investigating the role media and marketing has in commercialisation, with emphasis on the growth of sponsorship; media rights in European club football and the growing influence of social media in sport. Sport and Finance - Relating to the economics of European sport: there is an investigation into the financial policies employed by European Football clubs, specifically in regards to the Financial Fair Play regulations, and the topical issue of high level corruption. Sporting Events - Looking at additional factors that affect professional sport: highlighting the impact an Olympic Games can have on a host city and the longevity of an Olympic urban legacy. The authors have included insightful case studies from across the continent, including anti RB-Leipzig media campaigns in Germany, financial policies at England's Chelsea FC, French Tennis Federation corporate responsibility, Media rights in Spain's LaLiga, the sponsorship viability for Ukraine's Klitschko brothers and the case of Denmark's Viborg F.F. Suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students in sport related courses, including sport management, sport economics, sport marketing and the sociology of sport.
'There is me trailing home 131st and, for all I know, I might be a top 50 rider if we all started on a level playing field . . . Bollocks to you all. You are a bunch of cheating bastards. At least I can look myself in the mirror.' Bradley Wiggins contemplates Floyd Landis testing positive for testosterone in the 2006 Tour de France. This 2010 account was an instant book published in the autumn following the Tour. Part day-by-day diary, it includes wider, deeper reflections on the history of the Tour, its famous figures and what they mean to him and is also illustrated with Scott Mitchell's atmospheric, black and white photography. The Tour was featured in Wiggins's 2008 autobiography, In Pursuit of Glory, but really only in the light of a scandal he was caught up in at the time. The emphasis of his previous memoir was very much on his childhood, his father and track cycling at the Olympics; here, Wiggins' new found love of road racing, and its pinnacle, the Tour de France, take centre stage, particularly the gruelling 2010 race, which although played out somewhat in the shadow of his high finish in 2009, was nevertheless an exemplary exercise in true grit and fighting spirit against the odds.
The Rhondda Valleys have always produced hard men. The descendants of those who flocked there in the nineteenth century to work in the expanding coalfield combined to form a special kind of society, in which brawn and brain were equally respected. While the famous miners' institutes nurtured the intellect, each village also had its gymnasium and these spawned some of the fight game's most famous practitioners. Jimmy Wilde was arguably the greatest British boxer of all time, while a whole nation stayed up to listen to the radio commentary of Tommy Farr's brave challenge to the legendary Joe Louis. Since this book first appeared Liam Williams has breathed new life into an old tradition. This updated and expanded volume tells the stories of Wilde and Farr, of course, but also those of more than 45 others, including Wales's forgotten world champion, Percy Jones, and two who wore the Lonsdale Belt, Tom Thomas and Llew Edwards. With 125 illustrations, many seen for the first time, this is the definitive account of Rhondda's boxing heritage and is essential reading for anyone interested in the square ring.
The great tea-break escape! A bumper book of fun puzzles celebrating every aspect of Britishness from Britain's King of Puzzles -- perfect to relax, de-stress and unwind, perhaps with a cup of tea! Whether focused on queuing, the weather or the overwhelming desire to apologise entirely unnecessarily, these are puzzles with a sense of humour and a love of all things British. The puzzles cover every aspect of modern Britain, from food and drink through to language and literature, and from places and people through to sports and entertainment. There is an extraordinary variety of content, from word and logic puzzles of all kinds through to relaxing dot-to-dots and spot the differences, all designed to take us on a unique and intriguing tour of our fascinating island.
*SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2015* A man punches the wall in a strategic show of anger. Another complains he has become a stranger to those he loves. A third relies on "my three a day: coffee, Nurofen and a bottle of wine." Yet another admits he is an oddity, who would prefer to be working in cricket. A fifth describes his professional life as "a circus". These are football managers, live and uncut. Arsene Wenger likens the job to "living on a volcano: any day may be your last". He speaks with the authority of being the longest serving manager in the English game, having been at Arsenal for 17 years. The average lifespan of a Football League manager is 17 months. Fifty three managers, across all four Divisions, were sacked, or resigned, in the 2012-13 season. There were fifty seven managerial changes in the 2013-14 season. What makes these men tick? They are familiar figures, who rarely offer anything more than a glimpse into their personal and professional lives. What shapes them? How and why do they do their job? Award-winning writer Michael Calvin provides the answers. Insecurity is a unifying factor, but managers at different levels face different sets of problems. Depending on their status, they are dealing with multi-millionaires, or mortgage slaves. Living on the Volcano charts the progress of more than 20 managers, in different circumstances and in different phases of their career. Some, like Brendan Rodgers and Roberto Martinez, are at the peak of their profession. Others, like Chris Hughton, Brian McDermott and Gary Waddock, have been sacked, and are seeking a way back into the game. They offer a unique insight into a trade which is prone to superficial judgement and savage swings in fortune. Management requires ruthlessness and empathy, idealism and cunning. Stories overlap, experiences intermingle, and myths are exposed.
SHORTLISTED FOR CYCLING BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 'Paris-Roubaix is the best race in the world and knocks spots off the Tour de France.' Sir Bradley Wiggins. Paris-Roubaix. The Hell of the North. The ultimate monument in cycling's Classics. More than 150 miles across dusty or muddy roads, much of it puncture-inducing and bone-breaking cobblestones. Even professional riders blanche at the very mention of it. Tour de France winners (with the notable exception of Wiggins in 2014) make their excuses from it. So why on earth would an amateur even dare to attempt it? In To Hell on a Bike, Iain MacGregor does just that and as he prepares for the ride of his life, he explores the history and culture of this extraordinary race. With insights from legends of the sport, trainers, mechanics and fellow writers, as well as those who have maintained the traditions of Paris-Roubaix since its inception over a century ago, it is the ultimate story of the ultimate cycling challenge.
From the team’s inception in 1903, the New York Yankees were a floundering group that played as second-class citizens to the New York Giants. The team was purchased in 1915 by Jacob Ruppert and his partner, Til Huston. Three years later, when Ruppert hired Miller Huggins as manager, the unlikely partnership of the two figures began, one that set into motion the Yankees’ run as the dominant baseball franchise of the 1920s and the rest of the twentieth century, capturing six American League pennants with Huggins at the helm and four more during Ruppert’s lifetime. The Yankees’ success was driven by Ruppert’s executive style and enduring financial commitment, combined with Huggins’s philosophy of continual improvement and personnel development. The Colonel and Hug tells the story of how these two men transformed the Yankees in their rise to dominance. It also tells the larger story of America’s gradual move from neutrality to entry into World War I and the emergence and impact of Prohibition on American society. This story tells of the end of the Deadball Era and the rise of the Lively Ball Era, a gambling scandal, and the collapse of baseball’s governing structure—and the significant role the Yankees played in it all. While the hitting of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig won many games for New York, Ruppert and Huggins institutionalized winning for the Yankees. Â
This history of women in baseball demonstrates that, far from being strictly a men's sport, baseball has long been enjoyed and played by Americans of all genders, races, and classes since it became popular in the 1830s. The game itself was invented by English girls and boys, and when it immigrated to the United States, numerous prominent women's colleges formed intramural teams and fielded intensely spirited and powerful players. With the professionalization of the sport in the late nineteenth century, however, American boys and men shoved girls off the diamonds and sandlots. Girls have been fighting to get back in the game ever since. Jennifer Ring questions the forces that try to keep girls who want to play baseball away from the game. Focusing on a history that, unfortunately, repeats itself, Ring describes the circumstances that twice stole baseball from American girls: once in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and again in the late twentieth century, after it was no longer legal to exclude girls who wanted to play. In the early twentieth century, Albert Goodwill Spalding--sporting goods magnate, baseball player, and promoter--declared baseball off limits for women and envisioned global baseball on a colonialist scale, using the American sport to teach men from non-white races and non-European cultures to become civilized and rational. And by the late twentieth century, baseball had become serious business for boys and men at all levels, with female players perceived as obstacles or detriments to rising male players' chances of success. Stolen Bases also looks at the backgrounds of American softball, which was originally invented by men who wanted to keep playing baseball indoors during cold winter months but has become the consolation sport for most female players. Throughout her analysis, Ring searches for ways to rescue baseball from its arrogance and sense of exclusionary entitlement.
After the first ever intercontinental rally - the London-Sydney in 1968 - there was widespread enthusiasm for an even more difficult test. With the Football World Cup being held in Mexico in 1970, it was the perfect opportunity to hold a parallel, much tougher challenge - the World Cup Rally. Organisers John Sprinzel and John Brown secured sponsorship from the Daily Mirror and planned a unique high-speed event, lasting six weeks and covering 16,000 miles from London to Mexico City via some of the most varying, tortuous and difficult terrain on three continents. Serious works teams such as Ford and British Leyland spent tremendous amounts choosing and developing new cars, completing months-long route surveys, and analysing every detail of diets, oxygen provision, and the number of crew members. Despite all this planning, out of an entry of more than 100, only 23 cars made it to the finish. It was then, and remains now, the toughest rally of all time. This book, now reprinted in paperback, tells the complete story.
International sporting events, including the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, have experienced profound growth in popularity and significance since the mid-twentieth century. Sports often facilitate diplomacy, revealing common interests across borders and uniting groups of people who are otherwise divided by history, ethnicity, or politics. In many countries, popular athletes have become diplomatic envoys. Sport is an arena in which international conflict and compromise find expression, yet the impact of sports on foreign relations has not been widely studied by scholars. In Diplomatic Games, a team of international scholars examines how the nexus of sport and foreign relations has driven political and cultural change since 1945, demonstrating how governments have used athletic competition to maintain and strengthen alliances, promote policies, and increase national prestige. The contributors investigate topics such as China's use of sports to oppose Western imperialism, the ways in which sports helped bring an end to apartheid in South Africa, and the impact of the United States' 1980 Olympic boycott on U.S.-Soviet relations. Bringing together innovative scholarship from around the globe, this groundbreaking collection makes a compelling case for the use of sport as a lens through which to view international relations.
"Richly layered....An entertaining and informative portrait of two
underappreciated teams in an unforgettable time."--Boston Sunday
Globe
On a sunny Fourth of July during World War I, King George V went out to a ball game. Along with Queen Mary and other royalty, Winston Churchill, dozens of VIPs, thousands of troops and ordinary Londoners, the monarch cheered an extraordinary “baseball match†between American soldiers and sailors. This historic event helped solidify the transatlantic alliance that was vital to winning the war. The game itself was a thriller, reported throughout the English-speaking world. The players ranged from kids fresh off the sandlots to a handful of major and minor leaguers and a future Hall of Famer. The two veteran pitchers went the distance, the outcome in doubt until the last batter. Drawing on American and British sources and game-day coverage, this first-ever full account of the “King's game†records every play and explores the lives of several players. The author provides a brief history of the Anglo-American Baseball League and armed forces baseball played in England, France and the United States during the Great War.
Securing financial resources through sponsorships is a prominent element in the job descriptions of many sport managers and the importance of that task has increased exponentially in recent years. Sponsorship for Sport Managers provides readers with an understanding of how companies use sponsorship in their marketing programs and how sport managers can leverage that knowledge into greater sponsorship opportunities. Widely acclaimed author John Crompton masterfully integrates the conceptual with the applied as Sponsorship for Sport Managers helps readers to: understand how companies use sponsorship in their marketing programs; be responsive to sponsors' needs; charge an equitable fee for providing sponsors with leveraging opportunities; be active partners with the sponsors to help them meet their objectives, and measure the extent to which the objectives were accomplished.
When China hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics - and amazed Yunxiang Gao is an associate professor of East Asian
The Isle of Man TT - the world's most dangerous race - as seen through the eyes of Cummins, Martin, McGuinness and Dunlop. THAT NEAR DEATH THING is a life-affirming journey to the heart of the world's most dangerous race. The Isle of Man TT is a throwback to a maverick era that existed before PR platitudes and PC attitudes. WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR-shortlisted author Rick Broadbent gets inside the helmets of four leading motorcycle racers as they battle fear, fire and family tragedy for a gritty sort of glory. Guy Martin is a tea-drinking truck mechanic and TV eccentric who 'sucks the rabbits out of hedges', but must now deal with the flipside of fame; Conor Cummins is the local hero facing a race against time as he battles depression and a broken body after falling down the mountain; John McGuinness is the living legend fending off the ravages of middle-age for one last hurrah; Michael Dunlop is the wild child living with one of the most remarkable legacies in sport. They tell their astonishing stories in a book that provides the most rounded, intimate, behind-the-scenes account yet of the last great race. Rick Broadbent has delivered the final word on the Isle of Man TT, one that really gets to grips with an event that continually pulls unsung riders and fans back year after year to witness That Near Death Thing.
The first fifty years of America's most popular spectator sport
have been strangely neglected by historians claiming to tell the
"complete story" of pro football. Well, here are the early stories
that "complete story" has left out. What about the awful secret
carried around by Sid Luckman, the Bears' Hall of Fame quarterback
whose father was a mobster and a murderer? Or Steve Hamas, who
briefly played in the NFL then turned to boxing and beat Max
Schmeling, conqueror of Joe Louis? Or the two one-armed players who
suited up for NFL teams in 1945? Or Steelers owner Art Rooney
postponing a game in 1938 because of injuries? These are just a few
of the little-known facts Dan Daly unearths in recounting the
untold history of pro football in its first half century. These
decades were also full of ideas and experimentation, such as the
invention of the modern T formation that revolutionized offense,
unlimited player substitution, and soccer-style kicking, as well as
the emergence of televised pro football as prime-time
entertainment. Relying on obscure sources, original interviews, old
game films and statistical databases, Daly's extensive research and
engaging stories bring the NFL's formative years--and pro
football's folk roots--to life.
International cricket is being contaminated by crooked players, ruthless gamblers and bent officials. This staggering catalogue of revelations exposes appalling scandals involving the biggest names in the sport. Often under enormous pressure from gambling gangs who threaten serious physical harm and even abduction if their orders are not carried out, many of them have frequently and deliberately cheated. These riveting revelations will shock and disgust any fan and honest player, from those in school elevens and local clubs, right up to the sportsmen who play at county and international levels. Caught Out shines a light upon the most extraordinary cricketing tales, including the tragic death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer, whose body was discovered in his hotel room; the disgraced former South African captain Hansie Cronje, who was killed in a plane crash in 2002; the terrified Pakistan wicket-keeper who was forced to seek asylum in Britain after fleeing angry bookmakers; and how slippery Enland literally licked the Aussies with Murray Mints to bag the Ashes. Icons are named and shamed, including Salam Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, in a wealth of disclosures that cover match fixing, spot-fixing, cocaine smuggling, death threats, kidnapping, ferocious betting, and even high-class prostitutes, who are paraded as additional rewards for players who cheat at the behest of illegal bookmakers.
The Tour de France is one of the best-known and most challenging athletic events in the world. In the first three weeks of July every year, the pros pit their strength, wit and skill against each other over the gruelling 3,500km route. And every year, amateur riders the world over dream of tackling one of the Tour's legendary stages themselves. Ride a Stage of the Tour de France is the first book that allows non-professional cyclists to do just that. A thorough 'how to' guide, it covers forty of the Tour's classic ascents, including Mount Ventoux, Galibier and Tourmalet. Each route is described in detail by an author who has ridden them all. There's information to help you prepare, train and choose the right stage, and each route comes with a map and vital statistics like altitude, length and difficulty. From where to park to when to go, from what to wear to the characteristics of the road, Riding a Stage of the Tour de France has all you need to complete the challenge safely and successfully.
Cycling is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Many people are looking to cycling as the solution to concerns about rising fuel costs, environmental issues, and lack of exercise. Biking to school or work is inexpensive, active, and green, but some children have never learned to ride a bike and many adults haven't dusted off their bikes in years. These new cyclists need help building their skills before they take to the road. If your school or organization wants to offer bicycle skill and safety classes in your community, "Smart Cycling: Promoting Safety, Fun, Fitness, and the Environment" is the one resource you will need. In the book, the League of American Bicyclists shares proven instructional strategies that will help you teach cyclists of any age the basics they should know before hopping on a bike. "Smart Cycling: Promoting Safety, Fun, Fitness, and the Environment "contains all the information you need to teach new or returning cyclists to take to the road safely and confidently: - Tips on choosing the bike and gear that best fit their needs, whether they're commuting to school or work or riding for fun on the weekends -An overview of basic cycling skills that all cyclists should know, such as braking, turning, and shifting gears, which serves as essential instruction for new riders or as a refresher for those returning to biking -Coverage of the most common rules of the road as well as information on moving appropriately through traffic, which will help them ride safely and legally -Basic maintenance and quick repairs that will help them keep their bikes in road-ready shape -Safety strategies, avoidance maneuvers, and advice on choosing a route that fits their skill level, commuting, and riding in groups The book also includes the Enjoy Your Ride DVD, which contains four videos that can be shown to participants to help them better visualize the skills being taught. The first video, Essential Bicycling Skills, is an overview of all of the information covered in the book. Bicycle Safety Tips for Adults focuses on the most important safety skills that adult riders should know. Cyclist's Eye View uses video from a bike-mounted camera to show the proper techniques for operating a bike confidently in traffic. Kid's Eye View (included in both English and Spanish) covers safety skills appropriate for children or parents who want to teach their children how to ride a bike. Cycling is an equal-opportunity adventure. From adults commuting to work and kids riding to school to families exploring the trails that cross their cities, cycling offers everyone a chance to stay active and have fun. They just need help getting started. Take the first step toward making your community healthier, happier, and more bicycle friendly with "Smart Cycling."
Development and Dreams: The urban legacy of the 2010 Football World Cup considers the effects of South Africa's hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is held that here lies the greatest potential benefit of the 2010 World Cup - a repudiation of Afropessimism and an assertion of a contemporary African identity both at home and on a global stage. The contributors to this volume, both academics and practitioners, provide an interdisciplinary perspective on the probable consequences of the World Cup for the economy of South Africa and its cities, on infrastructure development, and on the projection of African culture and identity. Attention is given to a range of topics including the management, costs and benefits associated with the 2010 World Cup, the uncertain economic and employment benefits, venue selection, and investment in infrastructure, tourism and fan parks. The contributors then explore the less tangible hopes, dreams and aspirations associated with the 2010 World Cup and interrogate what it means to talk about an African Cup, African culture and identity. Academics, policy-makers and the reading public will find this title an invaluable companion as South Africa prepares to host the world's largest sporting event.
No one gave James "Buster" Douglas much of a chance when he faced "Iron" Mike Tyson on February 11, 1990, in the Tokyo Dome. Tyson was Godzilla, and Buster wasn't expected to be anything more than a moth for Tyson to swat away, much less Mothra. Douglas had four losses already and 42-1 odds against him in this bout. One reporter, going through Japanese customs, announced he was in town for business. When asked how long he would be working, he laughed and responded "Oh, about a minute." The match lasted longer than that, though. When it was over, it was the greatest upset in boxing history. Buster Douglas was the new heavyweight champion of a shocked, surprised, and stunned world. Here is the inside story of just how the biggest of underdogs, dealing with the recent death of his mother, dethroned the invincible Tyson. John Johnson, Douglas's manager for this slugfest and most of his career, takes the reader into the ring in Tokyo and details the beginning of Douglas's career - how he positioned himself to be the champ - as well as the post-fight fall that started with a loss in his first defense of the title. Johnson and coauthor Bill Long interviewed people who were in the ring, at ringside announcing the match, and in the crowd both covering the bout or just watching it for the expected devastation. Announcers Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Sugar Ray Leonard discuss their memories, and men in both corners detail the in-fight machinations for both Tyson and Douglas. Mike Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas truly rocked the world and threw heavyweight boxing into a tumult that still resonates today. |
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