Milan-based architecture firm Onsitestudio have designed a new training campus for Italian Serie A soccer club U.S. Sassuolo Calcio. Located in the town of Sassuolo, in the Emilia-Romagna region, and inaugurated in 2019, it is a functional-modernist yet highly atmospheric structure that provides the professionals of U.S. Sassuolo Calcio with state-of-the-art training facilities and offices. As part of a pioneering social engagement of the club, its playing fields and other amenities are also available to local amateur teams and for recreational sports. This book features the Mapei Football centre through newly taken colour and black-and-white photographs by Stefano Graziani and Filippo Romano, as well as floorplans, sections, and construction detail drawings. Complementary essays are contributed by Onsitestudio's founding partners Giancarlo Floridi and Angelo Lunati, British historian and football expert John Foot; and Italian architect and intellectual Pier Paolo Tamburelli.

Wimbledon has long stood at the pinnacle of British and world tennis. But, as Kevin Jefferys shows in this ground-breaking new study, Britain has a rich history of international standard play beyond SW19, in top-level tournaments and Davis Cup competitions at iconic venues such as Queen's Club, Eastbourne and Edgbaston. The book traces the fluctuating fortunes of a dozen or so tournaments that have brought the world's finest players to English shores during the 140-year history of lawn tennis. Taking a tour around different regions of the country, the author sheds fresh light on the best-known events and on largely forgotten but once high-profile tournaments held in Bristol, Torquay and Scarborough. Both a record and a celebration of England's tennis heritage, the book is packed with stories about memorable players and matches, full results for singles finals and anecdotes about quirky or controversial incidents, ranging from the courtside fire that halted a tournament final to the anti-apartheid protests that disrupted a Davis Cup tie.

The Green Monster. The Triangle. Pesky’s Pole. They are but a few of the defining features of Fenway Park, home base for legions of devoted Red Sox fans. Now, a hundred years after Fenway first opened its gates, Mercy! tells the park’s history through Red Sox radio and TV announcers recalling and commemorating the American institution. Mercy! is three history books in one, covering Fenway, the Red Sox, and their Voices on the air. Announcers have become as much a part of Red Sox lore as the park has. Fred Hoey was the team’s first radio announcer. Successor Jim Britt called its first live TV broadcast. Curt Gowdy denoted respectability, courtesy, and pluck. Ken Coleman played his voice like a violin. Ned Martin’s signature exclamation gives Mercy! its title. He called one legendary game after another, including Carlton Fisk waving fair his World Series–tying home run in 1975. Other well-known Voices include Bob Murphy, Jim Woods, Jon Miller, Ken Harrelson, Dick Stockton, Sean McDonough, and Joe Castiglione. In 2004, when the Sox finally won their first World Series since 1918, Castiglione asked the Nation, “Can you believe it?” Many can’t, even now. Baseball historian Curt Smith’s interviews with many of these beloved broadcasting personalities provide the backbone for this unique celebration of “America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.”

'Sweet Shires' is a book about cricket; it is also a photo-book, with forty-two full-page, high-quality prints.Dave Morton has briefly detailed his own background in the game, from cricket-mad young boy in 1950s Bradford, through teenage years in Staffordshire, and on to thirty summers, and more, as an amateur league player in Manchester. The photographs belong to the author's later years. Follow him on a journey through the sweet green shires of England and Wales. The major grounds are represented here, and the smaller County HQs. There are the 'outgrounds' too, those venues used by County Clubs for occasional matches, or for 2nd XI fixtures. Nor has the grass-roots game been neglected, with many scenic views of club grounds, mostly in the North of England. Each photograph is accompanied by Dave's anecdotes of players and matches fondly remembered, and of his encounters with the eccentric folk who follow the game, away from TV's spotlight.

The hysterical story bestseller about one man's epic Celtic sojourn in search of ancestors, nostalgia, and the world's greatest round of golf
By turns hilarious and poetic, "A Course Called Ireland" is a magnificent tour of a vibrant land and paean to the world's greatest game in the tradition of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods." In his thirties, married, and staring down impending fatherhood, Tom Coyne was familiar with the last refuge of the adult male: the golfing trip. Intent on designing a golf trip to end all others, Coyne looked to Ireland, the place where his father has taught him to love the game years before. As he studied a map of the island and plotted his itinerary, it dawn on Coyne that Ireland was ringed with golf holes. The country began to look like one giant round of golf, so Coyne packed up his clubs and set off to play all of it-on foot.
"A Course Called Ireland" is the story of a walking-averse golfer who treks his way around an entire country, spending sixteen weeks playing every seaside hole in Ireland. Along the way, he searches out his family's roots, discovers that a once-poor country has been transformed by an economic boom, and finds that the only thing tougher to escape than Irish sand traps are Irish pubs.

'Simply magnificent.' Mail on Sunday A massive audience in sitting-rooms, parks and pubs watched England in the 2018 World Cup. Yet as Duncan Hamilton demonstrates with style, insight and wit in Going to the Match, watching on TV is no substitute for being there. Hamilton embarks on a richly entertaining, exquisitely crafted journey through football. Glory game or grass roots, England v Slovenia or Guiseley v Hartlepool, he delves beneath the action to illuminate the stories which make the sport endlessly compelling. Along the way he marvels at present-day titans Harry Kane, Mo Salah, Kevin De Bruyne and Paul Pogba, reflects on sepia-tinted magicians Stanley Matthews, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Charlton and Pele, and assesses managerial giants from Brian Clough and Jose Mourinho to Arsene Wenger and Gareth Southgate. The odyssey takes Hamilton from Fleetwood to Berlin, via Glasgow and a Manchester derby, making detours into art, cinema, literature and politics as he explores the game's ever-changing culture and character. The result, like the L.S. Lowry painting that inspired the book, is a football masterpiece.

When the Rogers Place arena opened in downtown Edmonton in September 2016, no amount of buzz could drown out the rumours of manipulation, secret deals, and corporate greed undergirding the project. Working with documentary evidence and original interviews, the authors present an absorbing account of the machinations that got the arena and the adjacent Ice District built, with a price tag of more than $600 million. The arena deal, they argue, established a costly public financing precedent that people across North America should watch closely, as many cities consider building sports facilities for professional teams or international competitions. Their analysis brings clarity and nuance to a case shrouded in secrecy and understood by few besides political and business insiders. Power Play tells a dramatic story about clashing priorities where sports, money, and municipal power meet.

The latest release in the Remarkable illustated sports series features Britain's idyllic village cricket grounds. Featuring original photography from all corners of the British Isles. Written by Brian Levison, author of the 8,000-selling Remarkable Cricket Grounds, an Amazon No.1 bestseller.

Across the nation, stadiums and sports centers are a vital aspect of urban redevelopment. How do these projects affect the communities near the new facilities? Focusing on the controversies surrounding three major Chicago projects-the United Center, Comiskey Park, and lighting Wrigley Field-It's Hardly Sportin' suggests fresh ways for cities to coordinate the expansion of sports facilities with neighborhood life. Shared interest in the home team's triumphs and tragedies can unify a city. But when disputes arise over new and improved sports stadiums, who wins and who loses at the neighborhood level? Using Chicago as a case study, Spirou and Bennett show what happens to neighborhoods when cities use sports as a strategy for revitalization. They argue that stadiums serve as effective tools for urban revitalization only if community organizations and local conditions are closely involved in the planning process. Offering provocative insights into the challenges of contemporary urban economic development, It's Hardly Sportin' calls attention to the crucial role of sports centers in American culture.

Study the masters! Improve your handicap, swing, and technique. Move from Saturday-golfer to amateur extraordinaire. Packed with everything golfing - from the history of golf, key players, and famous courses to insightful tips on how to step up your own game and master key shots. Learn golf as a beginner or improve your game through tried and tested tips, a look into the most common mistakes and how to fix them, and how to perfect every swing. Inside, you'll find: - Practical instructions about every aspect of golf - 1,500 photos, illustrations, maps, and diagrams to develop correct, consistent technique - Performance charts to assess your progress - Chapters to help you "read" the course, deal with different situations, learn the all-important etiquette, terms and rules, and make decisions about choosing equipment - Recent changes to the official rules of golf and the latest clubs, kit, and accessories Authored by award-winning golf writer, Nick Bradley, this golf book engages keen golfers from start to finish. There is little about golf left untouched and the pages of this exciting book. It explores the game from its ancient origins to where it stands today, profiles great golfers, women's golf, competitions, and key moments in golfing history. Brimming with detail and superbly illustrated, The Golf Book is the ultimate golfing gift and definitive guide to the famous game for players and fans alike. Bringing you face-to-face with stars such as Tiger Woods, Gary Player, and Nancy Lopez - golf courses like Augusta National USA and prolific competitions such as The Open, The Ryder Cup, and the Curtis Cup. You'll be inspired to book your time on the green and master your chip, pitch, and hybrid shots.

In spring 1914, a new ballpark opened in Chicago. Hastily constructed after epic political maneuvering around Chicago's and organized baseball's hierarchies, the new Weeghman Park (named after its builder, fast-food magnate Charley Weeghman) was home to the Federal League's Chicago Whales. The park would soon be known as Wrigley Field, one of the most emblematic and controversial baseball stadiums in America.
In" Wrigley Field: The Long Life and Contentious Times of the Friendly Confines, "Stuart Shea provides a detailed and fascinating chronicle of this living historic landmark. The colorful history revealed in "Wrigley Field "shows how the stadium has evolved through the years to meet the shifting priorities of its owners and changing demands of its fans. While Wrigley Field today seems irreplaceable, we learn that from game one it has been the subject of endless debates over its future, its design, and its place in the neighborhood it calls home. To some, it is a hallowed piece of baseball history; to others, an icon of mismanagement and ineptitude. Shea deftly navigates the highs and lows, breaking through myths and rumors. And with another transformation imminent, he brings readers up to date on negotiations, giving much-needed historical context to the maneuvering.
"Wrigley Field" is packed with facts, stories, and surprises that will captivate even the most fair-weather fan. From dollar signs (the Ricketts family paid $900 million for the team and stadium in 2009), to exploding hot dog carts (the Cubs lost that game 6-5), to the name of Billy Sianis's curse-inducing goat (Sonovia), Shea uncovers the heart of the stadium's history. As the park celebrates its centennial, Wrigley Field continues to prove that its colorful and dramatic history is more interesting than any of its mythology.

What can possibly account for the strange state of affairs in professional sports today? There are billionaire owners and millionaire players, but both groups are constantly squabbling over money. Many pro teams appear to be virtual "cash machines," generating astronomical annual revenues, but their owners seem willing to uproot them and move to any city willing to promise increased profits. At the same time, mayors continue to cook up "sweetheart deals" that lavish benefits on wealthy teams while imposing crushing financial hardships on cities that are already strapped with debt. To fans today, professional sports teams often look more like professional extortionists.

In "Hard Ball, " James Quirk and Rodney Fort take on a daunting challenge: explaining exactly how things have gotten to this point and proposing a way out. Both authors are professional economists who specialize in the economics of sports. Their previous book, "Pay Dirt: The Business of Professional Team Sports, " is widely acknowledged as the Bible of sports economics. Here, however, they are writing for sports fans who are trying to make sense out of the perplexing world of pro team sports. It is not money, in itself, that is the cause of today's problems, they assert. In fact, the real problem stems from one simple fact: pro sports are monopolies that are fully sanctioned by the U.S. government. Eliminate the monopolies, say Quirk and Fort, and all problems can be solved. If the monopolies are allowed to persist, so will today's woes.

The authors discuss all four major pro team sports: baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. "Hard Ball" is filled with anecdotes, case studies, and factual information that are brought together here for the first time. Quirk and Fort devote chapters to the main protagonists in the pro sports saga--media, unions, players, owners, politicians, and leagues--before they offer their own prescription for correcting the ills that afflict sports today. The result is an engaging and persuasive book that is sure to be widely read, cited, and debated. It is essential reading for every fan.

It used to be said that whenever a football (UK) manager needed a goal scorer, all he had to do was travel to the North East of England, call down a mineshaft and up would pop a centre forward. But while the careers of Alan Shearer, Raich Carter, Bobby Robson, Brian Clough and Jackie Milburn all attest to the famous description of the North East as 'the hotbed of football', the region's miners and shipbuilders were just as likely to be formidable boxers, rowers, runners, cricketers or pigeon-racers. In Played on Tyne and Wear, the 16th book in English Heritage's groundbreaking Played in Britain series, architectural historian Lynn Pearson guides the reader on an intimate tour of the area's sporting treasures, from the site of the celebrated Blaydon Races in Newcastle to a cockfighting pit in Tynemouth, and from the cantilevered heights of Sunderland's Stadium of Light to the homespun delights of Britain's only listed pigeon cree in Ryhope. On Newcastle's Town Moor - one of the great open spaces of urban Britain - Pearson traces the path of the Toon's old racecourse and the haunts of strong-armed pot-share bowlers (whose mathces drew tens of thousands of gamblers in the 19th century), while an echo from the other side of the Moor recalls the smoky clamour of the 5,000 capacity St James' Hall, where the likes of 'Seaman' Tommy Watson and Jack Casey 'the Sunderland Assassin' drew massive crowds between the wars. The River Tyne itself has witnessed many an epic rowing battle, not least featuring the legendary oarsman Harry Clasper, whose funeral drew an estimated 100,000 to the streets in 1870. More recently the likes of Brendan Foster and Steve Cram have continued the North East's reputation for great athletes and for great events, such as the Great North Run and the now annual Gateshead Grand Prix. Lesser known gems from the Victorian era include the Ashbrooke sports ground in Sunderland, a real tennis court at Jesmnd, and a handball wall in Wallsend, while the region is dotted with charming bowls and tennis pavilions, golf courses and cricket grounds. Profusely illustrated with archive images, specially commissioned contemporary photography and detailed mapping, Pearson's study may not get Geordies and Mackems to bury the past, but it shows they have sporting heritage aplenty to share as neighbours.

From the legendary Ebbets Field in the heart of Brooklyn to the amenity-packed Houston Astrodome to the "retro" Oriole Park at Camden Yards, stadiums have taken many shapes and served different purposes throughout the history of American sports culture. In the early twentieth century, a new generation of stadiums arrived, located in the city center, easily accessible to the public, and offering affordable tickets that drew mixed crowds of men and women from different backgrounds. But in the successive decades, planners and architects turned sharply away from this approach. In Modern Coliseum, Benjamin D. Lisle tracks changes in stadium design and culture since World War II. These engineered marvels channeled postwar national ambitions while replacing aging ballparks typically embedded in dense urban settings. They were stadiums designed for the "affluent society"-brightly colored, technologically expressive, and geared to the car-driving, consumerist suburbanite. The modern stadium thus redefined one of the city's more rambunctious and diverse public spaces. Modern Coliseum offers a cultural history of this iconic but overlooked architectural form. Lisle grounds his analysis in extensive research among the archives of teams, owners, architects, and cities, examining how design, construction, and operational choices were made. Through this approach, we see modernism on the ground, as it was imagined, designed, built, and experienced as both an architectural and a social phenomenon. With Lisle's compelling analysis supplemented by over seventy-five images documenting the transformation of the American stadium over time, Modern Coliseum will be of interest to a variety of readers, from urban and architectural historians to sports fans.

Combines the business acumen of Ernst & Young with the inside knowledge of renowned sports writer, Skip Rozin, for a unique behind-the-scenes look at how sports have evolved from games to big business. Explains the business reasons behind why popular players are traded, why teams move from cities full of loyal fans, the importance of TV in sports and the real value of advertising to sports teams. Features interviews with sports enterprise figures including Victor Kiam, Jerry Jones and Red Auerbach.

'They're places skiers will love.' - Metro 'An intercontinental romp through a galaxy of ski trivia.' - Scotsman 'Whether you've ever skied or never been near a chairlift or the piste, there is gold in these pages. ' - Press & The Journal The amazing history behind the best ski trails in the world. Veteran ski journalist Patrick Thorne has unearthed the incredible stories behind 50 unique runs from the utterly unmissable to the totally unexpected. Discover the two different Alpine ski areas who claim to be Hannibal's route through the mountains with his elephants; the debate around what is really the world's steepest slope; how smugglers have used ski runs to escape custom patrol; and why hundreds of skiers dress as witches at Belalp in Switzerland every year. Features skiing from across Europe, North America and South America, as well as fascinating global ski destinations including China, Iran and even North Korea. Along the way we'll meet Franz Klammer, the greatest ski racer in history, as well as The Beatles, Count Dracula, St Patrick and James Bond. Complimented with practical information and trail maps, it is the perfect gift for the skier in your life.

Generations after its demise, Ebbets Field remains the single most colorful and enduring image of a baseball park, with a treasured niche in the game's legacy and the American imagination. In this lively story of sports, politics, and the talented, hilarious, and charming characters associated with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Bob McGee chronicles the ballpark's vibrant history from the drawing board to the wrecking ball, beginning with Charley Ebbets and the heralded opening in 1913, on through the eras that followed. McGee weaves a story about how Ebbets Field's architectural details, notable flaws, and striking facade brought Brooklyn and its team together in ways that allowed each to define the other. Drawing on original interviews and letters, as well as published and archival sources, ""The Greatest Ballpark Ever"" explores the struggle of Charley Ebbets to build Ebbets Field, the days of Wilbert Robinson's early pennant winners, the ears of the Daffiness Boys, Larry MacPhail, and Branch Rickey, the tumultuous field leadership of Leo the Lip, the fiery triumph of Jackie Robinson, the golden days of the Boys of Summer, and Walter O'Malley's ignominious departure. With humor and passion, ""The Greatest Ballpark Ever"" lets readers relive a day in the raucous ballpark with its quirky angles and its bent right-field wall, with the characters and events that have become part of the nation's folklore.

Stories from on and off the pitch by two legendary Welsh Rugby World Cup referees. -- Welsh Books Council

'Hillsborough will be remembered as one of the biggest injustices of the twentieth century, because those who were there to protect the public turned against them in their hour of need. The power of print media was at its absolute peak at that time, before the internet and mobile phones, so they had huge power but no accountability as we found out with Hillsborough. It was a one-way street. The media basically set opinion.' Andy Burnham, Shadow Home Secretary Hillsborough used to be known simply as a suburb of Sheffield and the home of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. After Saturday 15 April 1989, the meaning of the word changed forever for an entire generation and the date remembered as the worst sporting disaster in British history. Many thousands of men, women and children set off to support Liverpool in the semi-final of the FA Cup with hope in their hearts but, tragically, 96 never came home. A human crush on the Leppings Lane terraces ended the lives of those 96, injured hundreds of others and traumatised thousands more. Documenting eyewitness accounts from before, during and after the disaster, with statements from the bereaved families and fans of other clubs, and a foreword by Margaret Aspinall, Chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, The Hillsborough Disaster: In Their Own Words is the story of those whose lives changed forever on that bright, sunny day in Sheffield. This book is their truth.

**THE ONLY DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST RACE - FULL OF EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH NIKI LAUDA, ROSS BRAWN, DAMON HILL, DAVID COULTHARD, SIR JACKIE STEWART, OLIVER PANIS AND 2016 WORLD CHAMPION NICO ROSBERG** Circuit de Monaco. Monte Carlo. The ultimate race in the Formula One calendar. When you think of Formula One, you think of Monaco. Once a year, yachts jam the harbour, celebrities fill the stands and luxury sports cars litter the streets as of thousands of people gather from across the world to watch the greatest, and one of the oldest, races in motorsport. Monaco is glamorous, prestigious and seductive. But for the drivers, it is the most demanding race of the year. The narrow streets, tight corners and sharp elevations make it the ultimate test of driving skill. It is physically draining and mentally exhausting. Proposed today, the race would not exist but it remains the jewel in the crown for every Formula One driver. There is simply no other race like it. Win at Monaco and your name is etched in history. You will join the likes of Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. With exclusive interviews and insight from drivers and a wealth of F1 insiders, award-winning sportswriter Malcolm Folley goes behind the scenes to discover what it's really like to drive and live and breathe this iconic circuit. He reveals along the way a unique and definitive portrait of the circuit, and recreates in thrilling detail its most extraordinary weekend, when only three cars finished.

Over the years, I have seen more than a thousand football matches at locations across Britain and Europe, from grounds that were little more than park pitches to some of the world's best stadia. This volume details my initial visit to the second hundred of these grounds, with background information about the home club in each case. The visits cover the period from late 1999 to 2001, as I completed the ninety-two in England and the forty-two in Scotland.

The "Indy 500" is the most exciting auto race, on the most famous track, before the largest in-attendance audience for any sporting event ever in history. Every driver wants to win this event, assuring him or her fame forever and probably a huge amount of money as well. Drivers at Indy seem willing to take that "extra chance" to win, such as Rick Mears did in his chapter in this book by going high into even more danger instead of the low, less risky line on the track. The author has driven on the track at the Speedway in a race car, and has covered the race more than forty times as a reporter. The 500 is, he admits, one of his favorite topics about which to write in his over 200 book career, and he has written several books on this subject. He always looks forward to it every year on Memorial Day, either at the track or on television. He advises that everyone should see this great race in person at least one time, but that it is possible you can see more of the event on television.

Over the years, I have seen more than a thousand football matches at locations across Britain and Europe, from grounds that were little more than park pitches to some of the world's best stadia. This volume details my initial visit to the first hundred of these grounds, with background information about the home club in each case. The visits cover the period from the early 1960s to almost the turn of the Millennium, as I have relished being a spectator at the wonderful game.