Susie Petruccelli grew up in a sports-mad, male-dominated family in California, fighting to find her own identity and path. And she did. She won a place on the soccer programme at Harvard University and felt on top of the world - talented, strong, loved and worthy. Less than a year later, however, it had all slipped away. The prize-winning RAISED A WARRIOR is Susie's honest, human and cathartic story of how she, as player and mother, rediscovered herself and the love of a game that almost broke her. Alongside, she examines the growth of the women's game and the issues still confronting the sport as it fights for the equalities it deserves. WINNER OF THE VIKKI ORVICE PRIZE.

Forgive your enemies, they say. Keep their addresses and keep notes, I say. In Access All Areas, you'll learn how to buy three Premier League points for just GBP25,000, what it's really like to face a Football Association disciplinary hearing, and why every footballer in the country shuddered when they heard about the Ched Evans case. Add to that The Secret Footballer's no-holds-barred tour of the country's Premier League clubs - telling us what it's like to play in each ground and revealing the one that all players really hate to go to - and you get an entertaining glimpse into a world that's normally off-limits to the fans. Unapologetically opinionated, witty and honest, Access All Areas is every thinking fan's guide to the beautiful game. I am The Secret Footballer and all bets from here on in are off...

'He's here, he's there, he's every-f*cking-where, Gerry Gow, Gerry Gow' was an anthem that could often be heard reverberating around Ashton Gate in the 1970s as Bristol City climbed towards the first division. Gow was one of football's original cult heroes that emerged throughout the seventies and eighties; often sporting long hair and bushy moustaches. Gow pulled off both with style during spells at Bristol City and Manchester City. Written with the help of the Gow family, He's Here, He's There: The Gerry Gow Story celebrates the career of the Ashton Gate 'Enforcer'. It provides a fascinating insight into a player that fans of a certain vintage consider the greatest to wear the red of Bristol City. With fresh insight from Gerry's family, friends, team-mates and opponents, including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Peter Reid and Chris Kamara, this is a captivating insight into a cult hero, a football hardman, a Bristolian icon; but also Gerry the man, and a man sorely missed but still loved by so many.

This short book provides a concise study of the mechanics of head impact in a soccer heading manoeuvre. It describes the development and validation of finite element models of soccer ball and human head, as well as the simulation of brain dynamics after ball-to-head impact. In addition, it also presents a computational study of the efficacy of wearing protective headgear in mitigating the risk of concussion due to heading in soccer.

The Untouchables: Anfield's Band of Brothers chronicles the rise and fall of one of the greatest Liverpool teams ever. In 1918 an enlisted man, Tom Bromilow, stepped off the streets of Liverpool and straight into the team. Still in uniform, he was one of tens of thousands of Liverpudlians who fought in World War One. His signing completed a jigsaw that eventually revealed an image of footballing perfection, a team so great they were called 'The Untouchables'. The book brings to life a host of incredible characters, uncovers friendships and rivalries and reveals amazing backstories. Meet men like Bootle-born Walter Wadsworth, tough-talking Irishman Elisha Scott, champion boxer Jock McNab and many other fascinating figures. The Untouchables reveals previously unknown detail and sheds new light on old controversies, including the real reason behind the departure of the club's manager, Dave Ashworth. Meticulously researched and lovingly told, the book breathes new life into a fascinating and long-forgotten story.

London's Fields: An Intimate History of London Football Fandom celebrates the turbulent rivalries, local antagonisms and even, on occasion, the fraternal harmonies held in common by the supporters of the capital's many professional football teams. The us and them dichotomy of a local derby is told here through the voices of us, the fans. In a one-club town or city your choice of team would appear to be simple. However, in a city with a dozen clubs the choice is less straightforward. London is a place of constant flux and change; it's diasporic nature may have taken people far from their ancestral heartlands but the football clubs that remain there have, in a sense, travelled with them - local bragging rights and capital gains remain just as important. The author's upbringing was steeped in football, he has played and coached the game; written on it and worked in it. His less than conventional path to choosing his own team forms the foundation upon which the stories of other fans are richly rendered.

Celtic's Cult Heroes is devoted to 20 players who, over the years, have won a special place in the hearts of the Parkhead faithful - not necessarily the greatest footballers, but a unique brotherhood of mavericks and stalwarts, local lads and big signings. The cast list alone is enough to stir up the memories and tug at the heartstrings of any Hoops fan - Stein, Johnstone and Nicholas, Larsson, McInally and Aitken - recalling how these charismatic personalities used to ignite passion on the terraces. Find out which Celtic icon scored direct from a corner, was made to retake it and promptly scored again. Who celebrated his Scottish Cup Final hat-trick with a somersault, and which heroes were affectionately known as 'Yogi Bear' and 'The Golden Crust'. Discover and delight in the magical qualities of these 20 mere mortals elevated to cult status by the green half of Glasgow.

There are few football clubs in the world that attract as much interest in the modern game as Chelsea. Whether it is the latest observations from former coach Maurizio Sarri, his successor Frank Lampard, big-money transfer targets, the style of play or results in Europe, everybody thinks they know what's happening – or at least has an opinion on it. The arrival in 2003 of Russian billionaire tycoon Roman Abramovich as owner turned a glamorous club with a long history of under-achievement, into an international powerhouse. After one championship in 99 years, the Blues have, in a dozen years, won five Premier League titles, plus the UEFA Champions League, two UEFA Europa League titles, five FA Cups and three Football League Cups. The club always was a magnet for well-known names – vaudeville legend George Robey played for the Pensioners in the club's earliest days – and, in the modern era, Stamford Bridge has become home to a dazzling array of world stars. From Ron 'Chopper' Harris and Ken Bates through Ruud Gullit, Roberto Di Matteo and Glenn Hoddle to Jose Mourinho, John Terry, Zola, Diego Costa and Eden Hazard, there is no lack of characters to draw on for quotes.

Between 1974 and 1997 Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp have conducted numerous interviews with Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest footballers the world has ever seen. In these extraordinarily candid interviews, Cruyff talks about how he learnt his trade, going on to play football for Barcelona and Ajax, two of the world's greatest club side. He also talks about the philosophy behind 'total football', the driving force behind the great Dutch side of the seventies, and a style of football many top teams attempt to emulate today. Then there was the eight years of success as manager of Barcelona, one of the most stressful jobs in the game, and back to Ajax, where with his emphasis on youth and home-grown talent, he put together another team of fantastic ability.

Vincent Kompany relives a spectacular and unique season for Manchester City, in which as club captain he led the Blues to a unique Treble success of Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup triumphs. Told from his unique viewpoint, this is the definitive account of a remarkable campaign. After Manchester City had won the Premier League title in 2018, collecting a record number of points along the way, the pressure was on for them to go one better in 2019 - but instead they went two better, winning every single major domestic trophy, starting with the Community Shield. In this frank and compelling book, Kompany tells the dramatic story of Manchester City's record-breaking season. In the league, they faced a formidable challenge from Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool that went all the way to the final game of the campaign. He takes the reader behind the scenes, to give them an insight into how manager Pep Guardiola inspired them and came up with the right decisions at the right time; he explains what made his team-mates, from Aguero up front to Ederson in goal, so special; and, having scored a spectacular thunderbolt of a goal to virtually secure the title, he explains how and why he decided that the time had come to move on from the club he had adorned for more than a decade. Vincent Kompany is a club legend, and now he has delivered an account of a special season that will be treasured by City fans everywhere.

'I Feel Fine' is a beautifully produced official book, a must-buy for every Reds fan wanting to revel in the colour, culture and pride of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool FC.

Following Leeds United is anything but easy. The ups and downs as the club has marched on together range from huge highs to near extinction. As the Whites celebrate 100 years since they came into existence in 1919, James Buttler chronicles a dramatic history through the eyes of the 36 managers that have taken their turn in the dugout. From Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson, who both took Leeds United to the pinnacle of the English game, to Brian Clough, Dave Hockaday and Darko Milanic, whose tenure came and went in a matter of days. The 36 managers of Leeds United have stepped up, excited, enjoyed and endured. Whether successful or not, they took on the challenge. Relaying their experiences through extensive research and exclusive interviews with Kevin Blackwell. Simon Grayson, Howard Wilkinson, George Graham and Eddie Gray, the tale of a great club is told. 100 years where dreams, careers and legends were forged. Where trophies and titles were won. Huge European evenings and stylish football, which made Leeds United the best team in the game. And relegations, financial calamities and strife, which tested them all. 100 years of Leeds United has often frustrated, sometimes delivered dreams, but has never been dull.

Through 1996 and 1997 bestselling author Joe McGinniss followed the Italian football season from Castel di Sangro, a small town nestled in the Abruzzi region of Italy. The motley crew that comprised the di Sangro soccer team in the early 90s masked an unparalleled prowess for playing soccer. This is the story of a team and a town with no aspirations, just a passion for the game, and how that passion allowed this team to rise to the top of the professional Italian soccer league. With the lust for life of Robert Crichton's THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA and the sporting dreams of modern movie classic FIELDS OF DREAMS, THE MIRACLE OF CASTEL DI SANGRO is an ebullient story of how a two-hour game transformed a dot on the map into a place of magic, miracles and wonder.

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.

Celtic Football Club's story is laced with drama and excitement, featuring a host of colourful individuals and a social history matched by few, if any, football clubs. In Celtic: Pride and Passion, Lisbon Lion Jim Craig and Pat Woods, a historian of the club, take a fresh look at several lesser-known episodes in Celtic's history, including: the fascinating link between Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and a dramatic Ne'erday match at Celtic Park; the unforgettable night the 'playboy of the Eastern world' lit up Parkhead with a performance that helped to sow the seeds for a revolution at the club; the remarkable story of a trophy that was such a source of friction that the club kept it locked in a safe; and the pivotal year in which the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers took on a darker hue. They also recount the revealing story, told through the eyes of the European press, of how Celtic captivated a continent in the annus mirabilis of 1967. Celtic: Pride and Passion is a book that no discerning fan of Celtic Football Club will want to be without.

Origin Stories: The Pioneers Who Took Football to the World charts the growth of the game in each major footballing country, from the very first kick to the first World Cup in 1930. Football's global spread from muddy playing fields to colossal, purpose-built stadiums is a story of class, race, gender and politics. Along the way, you'll meet the people who established football around the world and discover the challenges they faced. Featuring interviews with leading historians, journalists, club chairmen and descendants of club founders and players, Origin Stories tells the fascinating country-by-country tale of how football put down its roots around the world. The sport's early growth includes a cast of English aristocrats and 'Scotch professors', French tournament pioneers, international merchants, keen students, raucous rebels and more. Origin Stories shows that football's early development was a truly global team effort.

11th edition of this popular, bright and quirky annual soccer records book. Crammed with records, facts, stats and amazing feats from the world's greatest game, The Vision Book of Football Records 2020 is the perfect Christmas present for football fans of all ages. It includes an entry on every English Premier League and Football League team and all the Scottish SPL clubs plus the major European and world clubs from AC Milan to Real Madrid and an all-star squad of current and former soccer legends. On top of that there are a whole wealth of fun and quirky entries which celebrate the more bizarre soccer facts and records, like the team relegated four times in succession, the FA Cup tie that required six replays and the goalkeeper who refused to be substituted!

'A brilliant take on the modern game - Robbie tells it like it is' Rio Ferdinand Robbie Savage is one of Britain's most recognisable football pundits. Incisive, forthright and bold, Savage never holds back where the beautiful game is concerned. No Premier League footballer has ever divided opinion quite like Robbie Savage. Mr Marmite, as he was often known (among other things), rampaged his way through almost 350 games in the Premier League and along the way picked up more yellow cards than Gary Lineker has crisps and more enemies than Joey Barton and Neil Warnock put together. In his explosive new book, I'll Tell You What..., Savage lifts the lid on all aspects of the modern game. Managers, players, the Premiership, the European game, the FA Cup, kids' football, and pushy football parents are just a few of the topics that Savage takes on in his inimitable provocative style. Robbie tells us why: * Brian Clough, not Sir Alex Ferguson, is the best Manager the world has ever known * * As a player, he would have complimented any one of Jose Mourinho's teams * * * Vanity should not be confused with 'Good Grooming' * * You simply can't knock on Mark Hughes' door and invite him for a game of golf - even if he invites you * * Drinking wine does not win you football matches * Coaching badges are ridiculous * * He could never become a manager. Or could he? * * Football is easy * * Good manners should come before diamond earrings * * The League Cup has the edge over the FA Cup Robbie Savage's straight-talking common sense is only the start of it. I'll Tell You What is a modern-day guide to life, and should be read by anyone who has an interest in anything at all, especially football. Few may actually agree with him, but everyone listens.

Enjoy an activity packed advent calendar with this fantastic football themed advent calendar featuring 24 individually wrapped books

Football Biomechanics explores the latest knowledge of this core discipline in sport science across all codes of the sport. Encompassing a variety of styles, including original scientific studies, syntheses of the latest research, and position statements, the text offers readers the most up-to-date and comprehensive reference of the underlying mechanics of high-level football performance. The book is divided into five parts, covering fundamental football actions, the biomechanics of direct free kicks, footwear, biomechanical considerations in skill acquisition and training, and artificial turf. It bridges the gap between theory and practice in a variety of key areas such as: ball kicking mechanics (in soccer and other football codes) ball impact dynamics aerodynamics of ball flight special techniques (such as the 'knuckle ball shot') by world-famous players the efficacy and development of footwear biomechanical and motor performance differences between female and male soccer players artificial turf from an injury and a performance perspective. Made up of contributions from leading experts from around the world, Football Biomechanics is a vital resource for researchers and practitioners working in all football codes, and useful applied reading for any sport science student with an interest in football.

This is the book that many Welsh football fans thought they'd never get to read; a tale of outstanding performances at home and away, qualification success and a FIFA Top Ten ranking, and the best thing is...it's all true! Zombie Nation Awakes tells the inside story of Wales' amazing journey to qualifying for the finals of Euro 2016 in France; the first time Wales has played in finals of a major tournament since 1958. Packed with passion, tinged with sadness, and written with great humour, Bryn Law's diary of the campaign perfectly describes the emotions of following the Welsh national football team; when years of despair vanished in a wave of glorious euphoria to the sounds of Zombie Nation. It will bring a tear to your eye and put a massive grin on your face. Game by game, and after an almost disastrous start in Andorra, Bryn's diary reflects the growing but guarded optimism of the players, the supporters and the Welsh nation, as he reported on the campaign for Sky Sports. His passion for Welsh football shines through on every page of Zombie Nation Awakes and fans of Welsh football will love it.

Tim Quelch takes a nostalgic look back on a 60s childhood and early adulthood immersed in Sussex sport. Hastings United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sussex County Cricket Club were his three great loves, his passion for football ignited by United's plucky 1953/54 giant-killing side that came tantalisingly close to a fifth-round FA Cup clash with Arsenal. Later, Brighton secured Tim's lasting loyalty when he witnessed their brave 1961 FA Cup battle with First Division champions Burnley. That same year, Tim was captivated by explosive Sussex batsman Ted Dexter and mesmerised by West Indian fast bowler Wes Hall. Good Old Sussex by the Sea takes us on a whirlwind tour of the highs and lows of Sussex football and cricket in the 1960s, a time when local allegiances counted and expectations of success were more modest. But it was hardly an age of innocence as Hastings United's involvement in a major police corruption scandal shows. The book recalls a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and woes, bringing to life many local heroes of yesteryear.

This is the tale of West Ham United's two 1960's cup winning teams made up entirely of English players. The last time this feat was achieved. It is a compelling book about a unique time in English football. This is primarily for fans of West Ham United, but will also appeal to those who love football history, especially those World Cup winning heroes, Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters who all feature in the teams. It includes a foreword by Martin Peters MBE. The young men who played in West Ham's FA Cup Final victory over Preston North End in 1964 were all born and raised in England. In each tie from the third round, only English players had worn the Hammers over their hearts. This feat has not been repeated since and is unlikely to be replicated in the future. A year later West Ham fielded another all-English team to win the European Cup-Winners' Cup, something no other English club has ever done. Thus, the West Ham players of 1964 and 1965 were The First And Last Englishmen, and this is their story. It is a tale told partly from the point of view of Irons striker Alan Sealey, who was right in the middle of the action, and his team-mates. But the voice of the supporters is just as important in this epic. West Ham's rise to European glory is portrayed through the memories of those who played and of those who watched. It is a compelling book about a unique time in English football.