This is the story of the new King of the Kop. When Mohamed Salah signed for Liverpool from Rome in 2017, his record fee was initially greeted with some skepticism. While he'd been singled out as a future star back in Egypt, and performed well at the Italian club, no one could have predicted the impact he was to have at Anfield. Scoring an unprecedented thirty-two goals in thirty-six games for the club, he became the sensation of the Premier League. Not only that, but he has also won over fans of all stripes with his humility and grace off the pitch, as well as his versatility and flair on it. Few players have inspired such fervent admiration so quickly, with chants of his name still reverberating around Anfield, and after just a short time, he has already become a Liverpool legend. In this insightful biography, bestselling sports writer Frank Worrall examines Salah's electrifying journey to Liverpool, from the highs and lows that brought him there to the Champions League glory that crowned the 2018/19 season.

'The perfect Christmas gift' - Alan Brazil A brilliantly entertaining and hilarious quiz book from the country's favourite sports broadcaster Know your bull calf from your bullseye? Your Hawksbee from your Hawk-Eye? Your Saints from your Seagulls? Then join the talkSPORT team as they test you and your mates or family on some of the greatest sporting moments of the past 50-odd years. With over 2,500 questions - split into family-friendly Easy, Medium and Hard sections for each sport - this awesome quiz book is the ultimate test of sporting knowledge and the perfect gift for anyone who loves the ups, downs and hilarity of the world of sport. Don't be a numpty - pick up your copy of The talkSPORT Quiz Book ... NOW

This book offers an original Marxist critique of the European football business. It argues that the Marxist account of the difference between profits and surplus value is crucial to an understanding of the fluid and contradictory nature of the commodification of football. Section one analyses the nature of modern professional football and section two highlights attempts, via government agency and football clubs, to corral fans into ever greater identification with business logic aimed at breaking traditional social relations. Section three draws on a number of cases studies across Europe, to analyse how some fans are attempting to mount a counter ideological response to the assault of neo-liberalism on the game.

In the early 1970s in Scotland, women's football existed in the margins. Unrecognised by the Scottish Football Association, banned from playing in stadiums and with no recognised national team. Arrival tells the fascinating, inspiring and uplifting story of how Scotland's women footballers fought for their right to play, battling hostility, prejudice and intolerance in order to create a national side that the country could be proud of. Drawing on illuminating interviews with Scotland players and managers past and present, including Anna Signeul and Shelley Kerr, it tells the inside story of the remarkable journey that the Scotland women's national team made from formation to eventual qualification for the European Championship and World Cup. It reveals the passion, commitment and determination that enabled Scotland to build a squad capable of competing with the best in the world and inspiring a generation. Arrival is the true story of a team battling against the odds to take their place on the world stage.

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

International Research in Science and Soccer II showcases the very latest research into the world's most widely played sport. With contributions from scientists, researchers and practitioners working at every level of the game, from grassroots to elite level, the book covers every key aspect of preparation and performance, including: * performance and match analysis; * training and testing; * physiotherapy and injury prevention; * biomechanics; * youth development; * women's soccer; * sport science and coaching; * sport psychology. Sports scientists, trainers, coaches, physiotherapists, medical doctors, psychologists, educational officers and professionals working in soccer will find this in-depth, comprehensive volume an essential and up-to-date resource. The chapters contained within this volume were first presented at The Fourth World Conference on Science and Soccer, held in Portland, Oregon, in June 2014 under the auspices of the World Commission of Science and Sports.

High jinx and japes from Soccer Saturday's roving reporter extraordinaire, Chris "Kammy" Kamara, whose boyish enthusiasm and often baffling, at-the-ground football reportage has given him cult status and an army of fans.

Over the past decade, football results programme Soccer Saturday has become a television phenomenon, delivering goals and drama via a raft of ex-professional players positioned in TV studios and on precarious gangplanks in rusting stadiums around the country.

At the heart of this success is free-wheeling pundit and roving reporter extraordinaire, Chris "Kammy" Kamara, the former footballer-turned-manager-turned-cult hero who has astounded and dumbfounded a legion of armchair fans with his crackpot catchphrases, hyperactive reporting style and Lionel Richie haircut.

Mr Unbelievable is his rags to riches tale. As a player, Kammy trawled football's outposts with the likes of Bradford City, Stoke City and Portsmouth where he suffered the slings, arrows and hurled bananas of racial abuse. Later, during the autumn of his career, he played in Howard Wilkinson's swashbuckling Leeds team where he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Eric Cantona.

On hanging up his boots, he moved into the dugouts at Bradford and Stoke as manager before joining the Sky football revolution as roving reporter on Soccer Saturday and Goal On Sunday's eagle-eyed analyst, amassing a raft of catchphrases along the way.

Mr Unbelievable is a hugely entertaining, moving, shocking and laugh out loud funny story of a genuine cult hero.

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

"OUR IDENTITY IS INTENSITY," declares Liverpool FC assistant-manager Pep Lijnders in this compelling account of the 2021/22 season, and from the very first chapter he takes us on a footballing thrill-ride we will never forget. Liverpool's blistering brand of football has revived a sleeping giant, energised its vast army of fans, entertained crowds at home and all over the world, and redefined coaching excellence. Now Pep tells the inside story of a season which, even by LFC standards, has been truly sensational. Week by week as the drama unfolds it's all here: from pre-season to unforgettable finale; great goals and gruelling schedules; passionate team-talks and personal reflections; unsung heroes and Kop idols; the pride and the passion, the joy and the heartache... and the fun. In his own engaging and inspiring style, Pep takes readers behind-the-scenes at Anfield, the AXA Training Centre and the team hotel; on the pitch, in the dugout and back in the dressing-room away from the media glare. In forming a 'one-club' mentality, Jurgen Klopp, Lijnders and co have also created countless modern memories for the LFC family, and this unique book chronicles their legacy. It's an unprecedented account of a season at an elite football club from one of the game's most thoughtful students.

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.

In Football and Accelerated Culture, Steve Redhead offers a new and challenging theorisation of global football culture, exploring the relationship between sport and culture in a rapidly shifting world. Incorporating cutting-edge concepts, from accelerated culture and claustropolitanism to non-postmodernity, he reflects on the demise of working class football cultures and the rapid media globalisation of 'the people's game'. Drawing on international empirical research and a unique and ground-breaking study of football hooligan memoirs, the book delves into a wide array of disciplines, examining fascinating topics such as the relationship between music and football; hooligans and ultras; the rise of social media and anti-modern football movements; and ultra-realist criminology. Football and Accelerated Culture offers a new way of thinking about sporting cultures that expands the boundaries of physical cultural studies. As such, it is important reading for anybody with an interest in the culture of sport and leisure, social theory, communication studies, criminology or socio-legal studies.

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.

This special issue addresses the complex reality of English community football organisations, including Football in the Community (FitC) schemes, which have been attending to social agendas, such as social inclusion and health promotion. The positioning of football as a key agent of change for this diverse range of social issues has resulted in an increase in funding support. Despite the increased availability of funding and the (apparent) willingness of football clubs to adopt such an altruistic position within society, there remains limited empirical evidence to substantiate football's ability to deliver results. This book explores the current role of a football and football clubs in supporting and delivering social inclusion and health promotion to its community and seeks to examine the philosophical, political, environmental and practical challenges of this work. The power and subsequent lure of a football club and its brand is an ideal vehicle to entice and capture populations that (normally) ignore or turn away from positive social and/or health behaviours. The foundations of such a belief are examined, outlining key recommendations and considerations for both researchers and practitioners attending to these social and health issues through the vehicle of football. This book was originally published as a special issue of Soccer & Society.

The World Cup as World History uses football’s premier event to analyze modern sports and world history. William D. Bowman traces the history of a tournament that has become a global phenomenon that generates intense political, economic, and cultural interest and profound discussions about racial, ethnic, and gender identity in the contemporary era. By focusing on the World Cup, the book keeps a tight thematic focus that allows for an integrated discussion of the core issues of globalization, money and finance, sport as spectacle, race and gender, and contemporary politics.

Association football is now the global sport, consumed in various ways by millions of people across the world. Throughout its history, football has been a catalyst as much for social cohesion, unity, excitement and integration as it can be for division, exclusion and discrimination. A Sociology of Football in a Global Context examines the historical, political, economic, social and cultural complexities of the game across Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America. It analyses the key developments and sociological debates within football through a topic-based approach that concentrates on the history of football and its global diffusion; the role of violence; the global governance of the game by FIFA; race, racism and whiteness; gender and homophobia; the changing nature of fans; the media and football's financial revolution; the transformation of players into global celebrities; and the growth of football leagues across the world. Using a range of examples from all over the world, each chapter highlights the different social and cultural changes football has seen, most notably since the 1990s, when its relationship with the mass media and other transnational networks became more important and financially lucrative.

The World Cup 2018 saw a record 66 goals scored from set-piece situations (42% of the 155 total goals scored), a remarkable and emphatic statement regarding the influence of set-pieces on the modern game. Yet very little, if any, attention is paid to the influence of set-pieces in coaching literature, coaching courses, or symposiums. The Ultimate Book of Soccer Set-Pieces is the most comprehensive examination of set-piece planning on both the attacking and defending sides of the ball. It carefully and thoroughly examines the potential of all manner of restarts in soccer, from throw-ins to corner kicks and free kicks. From simple organizational considerations to complex plays featuring many variations, this book is the tool coaches at every level need to prepare their teams to win the set-piece battle.

In this unique book, one of football's greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the sport and draws upon his own experience to offer an honest assessment on one of its final remaining taboos: mental health. The most difficult position in football? Being a goalkeeper. That's what they say, right? You must be mad to stand between those posts and bat away shots and crosses all game long. Neville Southall should know. He was the goalkeeper for one of the best teams of the 1980s and became an icon of the game during his 20-year career between the sticks. But what did it take to prepare himself mentally for the difficulties of the position? How did he dig so deep on the biggest occasions and in the highest-pressured moments? What scars were left at the end of his long career - a tenure that saw the highs of winning trophies, but also the lows of losing games, making mistakes and feeling the full weight of club and country on your shoulders. And how has he used his post-playing career to campaign for a better future for the next generation? In this unique book, one of football's greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the modern game, how some of society's problems are reflected within it and draws upon his own experience to tackle one of its final remaining taboos: mental health. On fear of failure, confidence, sexuality and homophobia, suicide, social media and many other talking points - Neville doesn't hold back on the biggest subjects and gets stuck in to some of the most important topics surrounding the beautiful game.

** AS SEEN ON BBC FOOTBALL FOCUS AND BT SPORT ** ** 'Excellent and thoroughly enjoyable' Sunday Sport ** ** 'Informative and eye-opening . . . an inspirational and motivational book' footballbookreviews.com ** 'ONE MAN AND HIS QUEST TO SEE A GAME IN EVERY UEFA NATION IN ONE SEASON' Paul Doyle, Guardian In June 2017, Matt said farewell to his job, surrendered his Fulham FC season ticket and set off for Georgia, the first stop on his mission. He would end his adventure eleven months later in Montenegro, having conquered the continent and captured the imagination of its sporting media. His epic journey would pose its challenges. Yet no amount of airport confusion in Iceland, unusual betting activity in Latvia, spectator bans in Albania or ropey breakfast buffets in Moldova would make Matt miss a matchday. And then there were the games themselves: showcasing the full spectrum of footballing theatre, from the truly sublime to the utterly ridiculous. This is the story of one fan on a once-in-a-lifetime experience: travelling to Europe's unseen corners, talking with its unsung supporters, and tracing the beautiful game across the breadth of our brilliant, bizarre continent.

Twelve of Liverpool Football Club's biggest names reflect on their most memorable games during their careers with the club. Laurie Hughes, Ian St John, Ian Callaghan, Tommy Smith, Phil Neal, Alan Kennedy, Mark Lawrenson, Jan Molby, John Barnes, Mark Wright, Gary McAllister and Jamie Carragher recall contributions to memorable triumphs, including league championships, domestic cup success - such as the 1986 all-Merseyside FA Cup Final - and three of the five European Cup wins - with Carragher recalling that night in Istanbul, when Liverpool completed one of the most remarkable comebacks of all time to beat AC Milan. With a foreword by Ronnie Moran, Match of My Life is an evocative and absorbing look back at some of the great moments in the history of the most successful English club side of all time.

After an astonishing career-first in Scotland, and then over 27 years with Manchester United Football Club- Sir Alex Ferguson delivers Leading, in which the greatest soccer coach of all time will analyze the pivotal leadership decisions of his 38 years as a manager and, with his friend and collaborator Sir Michael Moritz, draw out lessons anyone can use in business and life to generate long-term transformational success. From hiring practices to firing decisions, from dealing with transition to teamwork, from mastering the boardroom to responding to failure and adversity, Leading is as inspiring as it is practical, and a go-to reference for any leader in business, sports, and life.

A dozen Sunderland legends come together to tell the stories behind their favourite ever games for the club - enabling Black Cats fans of all ages to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men who were there, playing their hearts out for the red-and-white stripes...Niall Quinn relives the rollercoaster 1998 League Division Two play-off final which went to 4-4 before Charlton pinched it 7-6 on penalties; Jim Montgomery recounts heroic tales of the landmark 1973 FA Cup Final. Ever the crowd pleaser, Gary Rowell waxes lyrical about a 4-1 defeat of Newcastle at St James' Park, while the club's all-time record scorer Bobby Gurney remembers a ten-goal thriller back in 1935! Sunderland greats Marco Gabbiadini, Len Ashurst and Charlie Hurley also turn in characteristic star performances, winding back the clock to relive treasured memories of the Match of Their Lives for the Black Cats.

Berwick Rangers, England's only expatriate football club, have been ploughing a lone furrow in the Scottish league for more than a century. In The Lone Rangers, journalist and lifelong Berwick fan Tom Maxwell explores the confused national identity of Berwick-upon-Tweed and its unique football team - a side for whom every fixture is an international. With a foreword by Jim Jefferies and featuring exclusive interviews with a host of Berwick legends, as well as former international stars such as Gary Lineker, Ally McCoist and Trevor Steven, The Lone Rangers is one of a kind.

Coventry City Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Sky Blues. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the substitute who scored on his debut after just 26 seconds? How about the FA Youth Cup winners who were signed by Kenny Dalglish? Or the media pundit who scored in six successive top-flight matches? Do you know what Des Bremner and Gilles de Bilde have in common with Steve Ogrizovic? Which was the last side to win a League game at Highfield Road? And who was the only Irishman who didn't know where Dublin was? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any Coventry City fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.

The worlds best soccer players are incredibly fit, fast, lean, and strong. Achieving this level of athleticism requires a rigorous soccer fitness training program applying the most effective drills, exercises, and core training methods. In Soccer: Functional Core Training, the authors present numerous drills for this training. Based on the latest the findings in sports science and on the authors long-term coaching experience, they present an extensive practical guide to help you improve your teams performance through core training, soccer specific exercises, and drills. The exercises can be used for amateurs and professional players, youth and adults alike. Your players can learn how to score the most exciting and acrobatic goals, how to tackle without fouling, and how to avoid injuries. The drills in the book create typical match situations to help your team prepare for the game and stay motivated. Many of the fitness exercises require no extra equipment and rely only on bodyweight, thus targeting many different muscles at once. The book is easy to use on the pitch and the ideal tool to turn youth players into the next Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, or Bastian Schweinsteiger.