'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.

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.

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.

This book assesses association football's history and development in Ireland from the late 1870s until the early twenty-first century. It focuses on four key themes-soccer's early development before and after partition, the post-Emergency years, coaching and developing the game, and supporters and governance. In particular, it examines key topics such as the Troubles, Anglo-Irish football relations, the failure of a professional structure in the Republic and Northern Ireland, national and regional identity, relationships with other sports, class, economics and gender. It features contributions from some of today's leading academic writers on the history of Irish soccer while the views of a number of pre-eminent sociologists and economists specialising in the game's development are also offered. It identifies some of the difficulties faced by soccer's players and administrators in Ireland and challenges the notion that it was a 'garrison game' spread mainly by the military and generally only played by those who were not fully committed to the nationalist cause. This is the first edited collection to focus solely on the progress of soccer in Ireland since its introduction and adds to the growing academic historiography of Irish sport and its relationship with politics, culture and society. The chapters in this book were originally published an a special issue in Soccer & Society.

'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 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.

'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.

'Steeped in glory, loved by players for his light touch, he is probably the most coveted coach in the world.' - Financial Times 'a treasury of anecdote and insight' - The Guardian 'Quiet Leadership contains page upon page of insight into his methods from Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, John Terry and more'. - Sport Magazine Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo. In Quiet Leadership, Ancelotti reveals the full, riveting story of his managerial career - his methods, mentors, mistakes and triumphs - and takes us inside the dressing room to trace the characters, challenges and decisions that have shaped him. The result is both a scintillating memoir and a rare insight into the business of leadership.

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.

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.

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."

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...

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.

Whilst corruption and organized crime have been widely researched, they have not yet been specifically linked to sport. Corruption, Mafia Power and Italian Soccer offers an original insight into this new research area. Adopting a psycho-social approach based mainly on Pierre Bourdieu's praxeology, the book demonstrates that corruption and the mafia presence in Italian soccer reflect the Italian socio-political and economic system itself. Supported by interviews with security agency officials, anticorruption organisations and antimafia organisations, and analysing empirical data obtained from a case study of 'Operation Dirty Soccer', this important study explains why mafia groups are involved in soccer, what the links are to political corruption and what might be done to control the problem. It also examines the mechanisms that make it possible for mafia groups and affiliates to enter the football industry and discusses how mafia groups exploit and corrupt Italian football. This is important reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers and academics working in the areas of sociology, criminology, policing, anthropology, the sociology of sport, sport deviance, sport management and organised crime. It is also a valuable resource for practitioners in the football industry.

Football is big business. The top teams and leagues in world football generate billions of dollars in revenue and serve an audience of billions of fans. This book focuses on the marketing of football as the apex of the contemporary football industry. Drawing upon key theories and concepts in sport marketing, it highlights the critical strategic and operational elements that underpin effective marketing in football clubs around the world. From the English Premier League to Major League Soccer, this handbook addresses the most important developments in sponsorship, marketing communications, digital marketing strategies, customer relationship management and social media. Written by a team of leading football marketing experts, it presents the latest cutting-edge research in case studies from countries including the UK, USA, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, China and Japan. The only up-to-date book on football marketing written from a truly international perspective, the Routledge Handbook of Football Marketing is an invaluable resource for any researcher or advanced student with an interest in football marketing, as well as all marketers working in the professional football business.

New topic: Give Back Phenomenon, which has contributed to a new knowledge of African footballers' migration to the European leagues. Highlights the link between the evolution of African football, footballers' migration strategies and the Give Back Phenomenon Multidisciplinary analysis based on a socioeconomic model New perspectives on research concerning professional football and local interpretation of socioeconomic development in African countries. Written by three experts in African football and economic sociology of which two are African migrants who studied in Europe.

Football in Fiction represents the most comprehensive historical mapping and analysis of novels related to association football (soccer). It offers a theoretically informed field guide, a scholarly cartography of football fiction's uncertain - and until now - only partially explored terrain. Combining an extensive search for texts with up-to-date academic research, journals, surveys, catalogues, and reviews the book demonstrates a topographic perspective of the field - one that captures and establishes its breadth, depth, and distinctive identity. The book uses and adapts two distinct reading models of abstraction, in conjunction with closer textual analyses. Together they assist in realising a set of demonstrable conventions, outline a taxonomy of fictive types, establish the genre's current state of play, and advance the football novel as a form with its own literary history and traditions. This book is a valuable resource for those studying and researching in the areas of the social and cultural aspects of football, sports fiction, sports writing, creative writing, and literary and genre studies. Furthermore, related industry professionals will find this a fascinating read, particularly football writers, fans of the sport, and those interested in sports history and cultural phenomena.