Introduction to the Constraints-Led Approach: Application in Football is a coaching resource football coaches can use to understand key theoretical components of the constraints-led approach. Sections discuss ecological dynamics, perception-action, degrees of freedom and complexity theory. Examples are provided within theoretical chapters to assist readers in their practical application. Over 30 designed practices using the constraints-led approach show readers how the theory translates into practice. These are ordered by the aim of the practice, from in possession, to defensive transition, to out of possession and attacking transition. Currently, there are no books on the market covering the constraints-led approach specific to football. The aim is to make this book accessible to football coaches without the necessity to focus solely on academic theory.

'The Europe of football' is one of the aspects of the history of European integration that has generated the smallest amount of academic research. However, the successive invention of sporting traditions with a European calling since the Belle Epoque, followed by the creation of various European cups during the interwar constitute at the same time an original form of 'Europe-building' and a lasting contribution to the creation of a European space and spirit. The target of the authors in this book is to look back on the genesis of European competitions that leads to the creation of the European cups now organised by UEFA. It also seeks to show how football has made possible the setting up of a partially transnational space through sports journalism. Lastly, through the study of the mobility and connections of football's actors, the different chapters will also try to identify the various phases of football's Europeanisation process on the old continent. It will lay strong emphasis on the anthropological, cultural, economic, political and social aspects of this history, notably the production of body techniques, representations, emblematic figures, consumption habits and their role in the larger context of international relations. This book was previously published as a special issue of Sport in History.

'What Ned hasn’t seen on a sports TV channel isn’t worth knowing about.' Gabby Logan 'From falling out with Mourinho to flying with Gerrard, this is a wonderful journey through football.' Henry Winter Square Peg, Round Ball is a candid, insightful reminiscence on a life in football. Although best known as ITV's commentator on the Tour de France, Ned Boulting has spent most of his professional life covering football. Follow Ned's journey from football supporter to reporter – from criss-crossing the country in a banger of a car hoping for a word or two from the latest big signing, to the glamour of the Champions League. Ned really has been there, done that, and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it. Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters Ned shares his best stories with affection. Whether it's treading mud into Steven Gerrard's pristine white carpets, or nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich's house by some scary looking men on quadbikes – Ned has made a fool of himself to bring us the best tales from his experiences in 90s and 2000s football.

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 Conquerors charts the rise, fall and resurgence of AC Milan across one of the club's most legendary eras. Fresh from a coaching baptism of fire at either end of the top Italian divisions, former club favourite Carlo Ancelotti returned to a then-disjointed Rossoneri dressing room as first-team manager in 2001. Out of sorts, out of form and out of touch with the standards set by the side in Ancelotti's day, AC Milan found a much-needed stabilising influence in the new coach, who helped them through a phase of transition. Though his impact wasn't immediate, nor without its share of dissenters, Ancelotti would ultimately return the team to its former glory. The Conquerors is a homage to one of the greatest club sides in football history. It's a story of incredible talent, iconic moments and the kind of improbable redemption usually reserved for Hollywood movie scripts.

Mid-Atlantic, 10 April 1954: The Queen Elizabeth's crew commit to the deep a coffin containing the remains of Liverpool Football Club, relegated that day to the Second Division. Istanbul, 25 May 2005: Liverpool's heroes hold aloft the Champions League trophy, after the greatest final ever. Between those pivotal dates, the Reds touched glittering heights and plumbed the darkest depths. But what about the fans who followed the club every step along the turbulent way? On this journey of a lifetime, Neil Dunkin relies on the cast of characters including Shankly, Paisley, Dalglish, Benitez, Pele and even Ursula Andress...and the action swings from Liverpool to Rome, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, the High Andes, even the top of one of Istanbul's tallest minarets. Subject high acclaim, this title was shortlisted in the Best New Writer category at the 2009 British Sports Book Awards.

The Emergence of Football fuses sports history into mainstream economic, social and cultural history, setting the development of the people's game against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. The book challenges conventional histories of nineteenth-century football that surrounded mass games and the public schools and extends the revisionist critique of those histories with the imaginative use of new and original empirical evidence. It outlines the continuing presence of a working-class footballing culture across the century, arguing that the structure of football was a product of industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth that had resulted in a far-reaching restructuring of the class system and urban hierarchies. It was these new hierarchies and class system that gave birth to professional football by the late 1870s. It is essential reading for students of sports studies, economic, social and cultural history, urban and local history, and sociology, as well as a valuable resource for scholars and academics involved in the study of football across the world. This is an absorbing and fascinating read for any of the millions of fans of the game who are interested in the early history of football.

Football fans love nothing more than to read about their favourite teams. Although this books is aimed at young teenagers they will delight all ages with their mixture of funny and enlightening stories and will give hours of pleasure discovering quirky facts about your favourite team. Each title is also augmented with a selection of sketches by the young sketch artist Becky Welton that depict some of the stories within.

This book presents an overview on sport history research in Europe by giving insights into various topics between Europes south and north. Examples are physical activities in the middle ages in Cordoba, bullfighting in Spain, aspects of football in various countries to winter sports in France. Football is mainly looked at in the period of the late 1930s to the 1940s, a period of dictatorship in many European countries. This is shown at the example of the German press coverage of German-Danish sport collaborations and the identity of Spanish football during this time. A further focus are the Olympic Games. This topic is taken up in two articles: One discusses as its main subject the famous painting 'Sport Allegory/The Crowing of the Athletes' created by the father of Pierre de Coubertin, the other one has a more current content and shows stakeholders and challenges of the European Youth Olympics in 2015. Besides these broad topics, a focus is put on research in sport history by reflecting on historical frameworks and various methodological approaches. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue in The International Journal of the History of Sport.

'A heady mix of football history, nostalgia and modern-day action that collectors of all ages will cherish' - When Saturday Comes 'Excellent... This book is like a journey through time, revealing some of the coolest-ever albums and stickers' - Match 'Countless memories come flooding back...' - The Sun 'Lovely book... One for your dad...' TalkSPORT 'A cool, snappy retrospective if the last 60 years of albums.' - The Athletic WELCOME TO THE GLORIOUS WORLD OF PANINI FOOTBALL STICKERS. Collecting Panini football stickers has always been a joy. Tearing open those packets and excitedly filling an album is a rite of passage for millions of kids - and adults. It's so popular, it even has its own language - 'swapsies', 'got, got, need' and 'shinies'. And now, for the first time, Panini have granted access to their archives for this superbly illustrated celebration of their iconic football sticker collections. Licensed by Panini and written by respected sticker authority Greg Lansdowne, this volume showcases Panini's UK domestic football, FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championship albums, as well as all the great players, from Pele and Maradona to Marta, Ronaldo and Mbappe (via Frank Worthington, Chris Waddle, Gary Lineker, Eric Cantona, Ally McCoist and a few dodgy haircuts). A heady mix of football history, wonderful nostalgia and modern-day action that collectors of all ages will cherish, this book shows why, for the last 60 years, collecting Panini stickers has been - and remains - a global phenomenon. PANINI FOOTBALL STICKERS: A CELEBRATION includes: - More than 2,000 images of iconic PANINI stickers, album covers and sticker packet designs - Specially curated chapters on every UK-published collection (Football League/FIFA World Cup) - Breakout features on foils, haircuts styles and collecting etiquette

During the 2012 European Soccer Championship (popularly called the Euro ), nearly one and a half million people attended the matches. It was the third most-watched sporting event in the world, with the best teams on the continent competing for the title. Yet, only half a century ago the idea of a European championship wasn t widely supported. When it finally received the green light from the world soccer authorities, the best European teams weren t interested in participating in the new event. But as the popularity of soccer grew across the world, and the reputation of the tournament increased with each competition, the Euro has become one of the most popular sporting events world-wide. In European Soccer Championship Results: Since 1958, Tomasz Malolepszy charts the growth and expansion of this popular sport in Europe with a complete statistical history of both the men s and women s competition. For the first time ever, soccer fans can find detailed results, rosters, medalists, and standings for the European Championships all in a single volume. In addition, this book contains a list of interesting records, many of which have never before been published. European Soccer Championship Results is a valuable resource for any soccer fan, journalist, or researcher. Companion volumes to this book include European Basketball Championship Results: Since 1935, European Ice Hockey Championship Results: Since 1910, and European Volleyball Championship Results: Since 1948."

The world s most popular sport, soccer is a global and cultural phenomenon. The television audience for the 2010 World Cup included nearly half of the world s population, with viewers in nearly every country. As a reflection of soccer s significance, the sport impacts countless aspects of the world s culture, from politics and religion to business and the arts. In The World through Soccer: The Cultural Impact of a Global Sport, Tamir Bar-On utilizes soccer to provide insights into worldwide politics, religion, ethics, marketing, business, leadership, philosophy, and the arts. Bar-On examines the ways in which soccer influences and reflects these aspects of society, and vice versa. Each chapter features representative players, providing specific examples of how soccer comments on and informs our lives. These players selected from a wide array of eras, countries, and backgrounds include Diego Maradona, Pele, Hugo Sanchez, Cha Bum-Kun, Roger Milla, Jose Luis Chilavert, Zinedine Zidane, Paolo Maldini, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi, Neymar, Clint Dempsey, Mia Hamm, and many others. Employing a unique lens to view a variety of topics, The World through Soccer reveals the sport s profound cultural impact. Combining philosophical, popular, and academic insights about our world, this book is aimed at both soccer fans and academics, offering readers a new perspective into a sport that affects millions."

Nii Lamptey: The Curse of Pelé is the authorised biography of Ghanaian footballer Nii Lamptey, a one-time bright young talent who was hailed as 'the next Pelé' by Pelé himself. By age 16, Lamptey had won the Belgian title with RSC Anderlecht and the world championship with Ghana's under-16s. One year later, he won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. After joining Dutch masters PSV Eindhoven on loan in 1993 and scoring 10 times in 22 games that season, Lamptey appeared to have the world at his feet. Spells at Aston Villa and Coventry City followed, but he failed to fulfil Pelé's bold prophecy. Instead, his career became a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when too much pressure is applied to young players. Injuries, lack of schooling, domestic violence, bad agents and a tragic and turbulent personal life pushed Lamptey to the brink of suicide, but thankfully he recovered. In this 'warts and all' account he finally lifts the lid on his incredible story.

England On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the national side's rollercoaster past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Lions diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the first ever international match in 1872 to the Premier League era, England's faithful fans have witnessed decades of world domination and tragicomic failures, grudge matches, World Cup heroics, bizarre goals, fouls and metatarsals - all featured here. Timeless greats such as Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Paul Gascoigne, Steve Bloomer, David Beckham and Stanley Matthews all loom larger than life. Revisit 12 May 1971, when England beat Malta 5-0 and Gordon Banks only got four touches - all backpasses! 1 September 2001: Germany 1-5 England! Or 12 July 1966, when the England team took a morale-boosting trip to the set of You Only Live Twice...

The history of the fierce football rivalry between England and Germany is encapsulated in a single moment - Geoff Hurst's extra-time shot off the crossbar in the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final and the decision of an infamous Russian linesman to award a goal. It is a rivalry that now spans more than 90 years since the first official match between the two nations. For the English, a series of high-profile defeats at major tournaments saw Germany become the Angstgegner on the field, as well as an enduring obsession for the national press. For Germans, Wembley still represents the home of football, where the memories of 1966 have been supplanted by numerous successes and the appropriation of the English anthem 'football's coming home'. The rivalry has long crossed the lines of the football field, with the two nations at various moments forced to admire and learn from each other, and with football encounters between England and Germany repeatedly marking important developments in a unique and ever-changing political and cultural relationship.

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.

Soccer has the unique ability to represent and strengthen different cultural identities and ideologies throughout the world. Perhaps nowhere can this be seen more prominently than in Spain, which has surged to the forefront of the world's most popular sport. The national team has won the last two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup, while the two preeminent club teams in Spain, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, have reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Even before the sport became a global phenomenon, soccer had established a strong connection with Spanish identity and culture. In Soccer in Spain: Politics, Literature, and Film, Timothy J. Ashton examines the sport's association with Spanish culture and society. In this volume, Ashton demonstrates how Spain's soccer clubs reflected the politics of the region they represented and continue to reflect them today. The author also explores the often-tenuous relationship between the intellectual classes and the soccer community in Spain. Although some of the country's most highly-praised literary figures had a passion for soccer-which was often reflected in their work-many intellectuals deemed the topic unsuitable for critical study. Ashton also discusses how soccer films faced a similar rebuff from Spanish intellectuals, though the popularity of these films has grown in recent years. As soccer continues to be one of the modern world's most significant representations of globalization, its importance as a cultural touchpoint cannot be ignored. For anyone wanting to learn more about the relationship between soccer, politics, and popular culture, this volume offers critical insights. Soccer in Spain is a valuable read for students and scholars of Spanish political history, literature, film, and sport.

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