In Safe Hands: Rangers' Goalkeeping Greats chronicles the careers of the players who have kept goal for Scotland's most successful football club. From as far back as the days of the founding fathers, Rangers have been blessed with some of the finest goalkeepers in the game. The likes of David Reid, Matthew Dickie, Harry Rennie, Willie Robb, Jerry Dawson, Bobby Brown, George Niven, Billy Ritchie, Peter McCloy, Chris Woods, Andy Goram, Stefan Klos and Allan McGregor have all served the club with distinction. But this book isn't just about the leading lights. Meticulously researched, it explores the Rangers careers of every player to have played in goal for the Gers. The stories are brought to life by personal insights and reflections from past and present Rangers keepers such as Peter McCloy, Jim Stewart, Chris Woods, Lionel Charbonnier, Andy Dibble, Neil Alexander and Allan McGregor. There is also a poignant tribute to the late Andy Goram, arguably the greatest Rangers goalkeeper of all time.

A Sprinkle of Magic tells the fascinating stories of non-league clubs who defied the odds and dared to dream big in the world's oldest cup competition. When August rolls in, so do the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup as non-league sides from across the land bid to make the first round proper and pick up a potential dream tie. Stretching back to the 2009/10 season, the stories include FA Cup runs from Bath City, Redbridge, AFC Totton, Stourbridge, Hendon and of course history-makers Lincoln City, who became the first non-league side to reach the quarter-finals in more than a century in 2017. Featuring colourful tales galore, A Sprinkle of Magic brings the magic of the FA Cup alive with some of the biggest upsets of recent years.

The second edition of a ground-breaking football book that concentrates wholly on the fast-growing women's game. This is the definitive annual, with coverage of the top six divisions and top 90 clubs in England - The Woman's Football Yearbook is the only printed annual to include a complete list of results, League tables, player appearances, goals and stats for the Women's Super League, The FA Women's Cup, Women's League Cup and Women's Premier Leagues. It includes an entry on each of the top 90 English league teams and also covers European and international results. With the Three Lionesses ranked second in the world, two English teams in the semi-finals of the European Cup, domestic games shown on BT Sport and BBC, Manchester United forming a women's team for the first time, a crowd of 45,000+ at the FA Women's Cup final, 6,000 women and girls teams and over 100,000 regular players... women's football is on the rise and this book is aimed squarely at this fast growing market place.

El Más Grande is the story of Argentina's biggest and most successful football club, River Plate. From their humble origins in the southern districts of Buenos Aires, River grew into one of the largest clubs in South America, earning the nickname 'The Millionaires' as they established themselves at the iconic Monumental Stadium. Over the years, River have propelled some of the greatest talents on the continent to fame, whilst enchanting generations of fans with their stylish play. The book journeys back to the 'máquina' team of the 1940s, arguably the most attractive club side of the pre-television era, with its fabled frontline of Moreno, Loustau, Pedernera, Labruna and Muñoz. It takes us through the great sides of the 1950s, 70s and 90s right up to the all-conquering reign of present coach Marcelo Gallardo. Along the way, we discover the great players who have worn the distinctive white shirt with the red sash - from Bernabé Ferreyra, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Enzo Francescoli to Manchester City's new signing Julián �lvarez.

'This terrific biography...well-researched, well written' David Winner 'Deeply researched...nicely written, and manages to get inside Cruyff's very bizarre head' Simon Kuper Argumentative, brilliant, arrogant, visionary. Johan Cruyff was one of the greatest footballers of all time, a worldwide phenomenon and arguably the most famous Dutchman of the twentieth century. Both on the pitch and from the sidelines as a coach, with his brand of Total Football he changed how the game was played and left a lasting legacy. Although Cruyff led a large part of his illustrious career and life in the spotlight, in many ways Cruyff the man and sportsman is still a complete mystery. Based on years of extensive research, this biography the first to cover all aspects of Cruyff's life and work, from his key influence in the great Ajax and Netherlands sides of the 1970s to his role in creating the modern footballing phenomenon that is Barcelona. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with friends from his childhood and school, coaches, teammates, on-pitch opponents, business associates and family members, Auke Kok has written the definitive biography of the skinny impish street footballer that became the genius player, inspirational manager, football philosopher and commercial pioneer that was Johan Cruyff.

A History of the Women's FA Cup Final is an exhaustive account of fifty finals, from the first (on a bumpy field inside an athletics stadium) to the fiftieth (at Wembley, televised to millions), complete with match reports and interviews with some of the greatest players ever to grace the pitch. Every women's FA Cup Final goal scorer can be confirmed in one place for the first time, and the achievements of previously unknown record holders can at last be fully recognised. But this is more than just a stats book; it is a tribute to the pioneers of the game, who fought to overturn a fifty-year ban on female players and who paved the way for the incredible game we have today.

The "Premiership in Focus" celebrates 15 years that have changed the face of football. When "Football Focus" began life on BBC1 in 1968 as "Football Preview", football in England was about old wooden terraces, grounds that were ankle deep in mud or covered in snow and a Bovril at half time. In 1992 came the Premier League and the sport changed forever. The Premier League was established as one of the most exciting, cosmopolitan and widely watched national sporting leagues in the world and fans are now able to watch hundreds of Premiership matches live as football has seemingly taken over much of national life. Why has this happened? How has it affected the clubs, fans, players and managers? How long can it be sustained? This book aims to examine these questions as well as celebrate 15 amazing years of football. It will look back at the great moments, outstanding matches, stunning goals, incredible saves, controversial decisions and the sheer excitement that has been the Premiership.

*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER* This is the remarkable story of a local lad who grew up in the shadow of Upton Park and became ‘Mr West Ham’: a one-club man who lived the dream. A modern footballing legend, Mark Noble is the embodiment of what it means to be a Hammer, pouring his heart and soul into the club he supported as a boy. Born and raised in Canning Town, Mark joined the West Ham youth squad in 2000 and made his senior-team debut aged just 17. Now, after over 20 years, with a wealth of memories and more than 500 appearances for his boyhood club under his belt, Mark finally looks back at his remarkable career, reflecting on his journey from boot boy to club captain, bossing the midfield, scoring pressure penalties and becoming an inspirational figurehead on and off the pitch. This is the story of a brilliant footballer, a genuine ambassador and a local legend. This is the unforgettable autobiography of Mark Noble.

Association Football did no less than reshape British and indeed global society in its fast development as an organised sport over the course of the second half of the nineteenth century and leading up to the First World War. In this newly released edition of Tony Mason's essential account of the game's rise, issues such as the amateur professional divide, social class and mass spectatorship are seen as fundamental to the development of what is now a multi-trillion dollar industry. Dilwyn Porter supplements this classic text with a brand-new introduction.

From 1904 to 2020, Griffin Park was the iconic, idiosyncratic, and much-loved home of Brentford FC. For 116 years, and deriving its name from the symbol of a brewery that owned the orchard before the stadium, Griffin Park witnessed highs and lows and much in-between, hosting over 2,800 football matches and numerous other occasions. One of a kind, it was the only English football stadium that had a pub on each corner. In this fascinating book, lifelong Bees fan Jonathan Burchill draws from contemporaneous resources to present a unique history of Brentford through season-by-season reviews of the events at Griffin Park. Recounting stories and statistics from both on and off the pitch - from fires to fax machines, from abandoned redevelopment plans to multiple missed penalties - Jonathan weaves an extended, fascinating insight not just into this remarkable West London football club but into the social history affecting those connected with it for over a century. As the Bees settle into their new home at Brentford Community Stadium in the Premier League, A Pub On Each Corner provides a comprehensive and insightful account into their time at Griffin Park, and is a must-read for any Brentford fan, old or new!

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. From the superstar who is going to Tokyo for her fourth Olympics--the oldest player the US women's national team has ever sent. "If you are a real soccer player--then this is the book for you to read . . . Inspiring and uplifting."--GoalNation In 2015, the US Women's National Soccer Team won its first FIFA championship in sixteen years, culminating in an epic final game that electrified soccer fans around the world. It featured a gutsy, brilliant performance by team captain and midfielder Carli Lloyd, who made history that day, scoring a hat trick during the first sixteen minutes.? But there was a time when Carli almost quit the sport. In 2003 she was struggling, her soccer career at a crossroads. Then she found a trusted trainer, James Galanis, who saw in Carli a player with raw talent, skill, and a great dedication to the game. Together they set to work, training day and night, fighting, grinding it out. Despite all the naysayers, the times she was benched, the moments when her self-confidence took a nosedive, she succeeded in becoming one of the best players in the world and bound for the Summer Games in 2021 at thirty-nine.

Association Football did no less than reshape British and indeed global society in its fast development as an organised sport over the course of the second half of the nineteenth century and leading up to the First World War. In this newly released edition of Tony Mason's essential account of the game's rise, issues such as the amateur professional divide, social class and mass spectatorship are seen as fundamental to the development of what is now a multi-trillion dollar industry. Dilwyn Porter supplements this classic text with a brand-new introduction.

'My identity is built on conflicts, and I'm proud of who I am ... I can walk through the rest of my life with something to say.' Nedum Onuoha was not a typical footballer. A young black Mancunian picked by the Manchester City Academy aged ten, he was determined to continue his education despite the lure of a career under the floodlights. Fiercely intelligent on and off the pitch, Onuoha developed into a talented defender and played his part in City's meteoric rise. He was at the Etihad Stadium when they won their first Premier League title - as an opposition player for QPR, having left the Blues just four months earlier. In this characteristically forthright book, Onuoha reveals what goes on behind the scenes at top-tier clubs. Stuffed with insights into household names like Stuart Pearce, Sven-Goeran Eriksson, Roberto Mancini and Harry Redknapp, this is football and its most famous figures as you've never seen them before. Kicking Back is also the story of one man's search for identity: as a footballer, as a black man in England and as an outsider in the US during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. What is it like to receive horrific racist abuse while doing your job? And how has football utterly failed the black community? Onuoha provides a damning assessment of the sport's authorities, finally claiming his voice as he dives deep into a life spent on the pitch.

Showcasing some of the most important current research in football studies, this book demonstrates the value of social theory and sociology in helping us to better understand the world's favourite sport. This book sheds critical new light on key issues in contemporary football, with each chapter using a different theoretical lens, drawing on the work of key thinkers from Elias and Foucault to Hall and Maffesoli. It explores issues and topics central to the study of modern football, including homophobia, feminist-informed coaching practice, the racialised experiences of black professional footballers, the concussion crisis and the role of identity in online football communities. It also looks ahead at the issues that are likely to define the research agenda in football studies in years to come. This is fascinating reading for any student or researcher with an interest in football, the sociology of sport, social theory or social issues in wider society.

From the makers of the UK's best football magazine! MATCH is the UK's bestselling football annual and is top of Christmas wishlists for footy fans everywhere. Inside the Match Annual 2021 you can find the ultimate guide to Euro 2020, epic interviews with the stars, plus the UK and Ireland dream team and also discover everything you need to know about Messi, Ronaldo, Kane, Salah, Mbappe, Maguire, Hazard, Pogba and all the other top footballers. Plus, it's packed with legendary Prem No.7s, craziest hair of 2019, brain-busting quizzes, the greatest Premiership team ever, bonkers pics, footy stars emojis, cool cartoons and loads more! Don't miss it!

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."

The FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event on earth. This book is the first to focus on the business and management of the World Cup, taking the reader from the initial stages of bidding and hosting decisions, through planning and organisation, to the eventual legacies of the competition. The book introduces the global context in which the World Cup takes place, surveying the history and evolution of the tournament and the geopolitical background against which bidding and hosting decisions take place. It examines all the key issues and debates which surround the tournament, from governance and corruption to security and the media, and looks closely at the technical processes that create the event, from planning and finance to marketing and fan engagement. Analysis of the Women's World Cup is also embedded in every chapter, and the book also considers the significance of World Cup tournaments at age-group level. No sport business or management course is complete without some discussion of the FIFA World Cup, so this book is essential reading for any student, researcher or sport business professional looking to fully understand global sport business today.