Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
|||
Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Sporting events, tours & organisations > Sports teams & clubs
This book is the definitive guide to Sheffield Wednesday and will be on the wish list of every Owl fan. The story of Wednesday, from its beginnings in the 19th century to the present day, is covered in fascinating detail. It is followed by profiles of the club's great players, the managers, matches to remember and a history of the grounds. In addition, the full season-by-season record of every first-team League and Cup game they have contested is documented. Summaries, records and statistics complete the picture. The result is a volume that is an essential addition to the bookshelves of any Owls fan. Put simply, this is a book that provides everything any Sheffield Wednesday fan, and indeed any football fan, would want to know about Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.
The Leicester City FC Miscellany is packed full of fascinating facts, figures, trivia, stats, stories and anecdotes all relating to the long and colourful history of Leicester City Football Club. From the most memorable matches and the men who helped shaped the club's history; to the more gruesome games and the unsung heroes, this book tells the tales that have seen the football club become the force it is today. The ultimate guide to footballing trivia, the Leicester City FC Miscellany is a book no self-respecting Foxes fan should be without.
After coming close to winning the pennant on more than one occasion during the early 1920s, the Pittsburgh Pirates finally shed the stigma of being underachievers and claimed the National League flag in 1925, ending the New York Giants' four-year reign at the top of the league. Manager Bill McKechnie's brigade of young guns moved on to oppose the defending world champion Washington Senators in the World Series. After falling behind three games to one, Pittsburgh pulled off the greatest comeback in World Series history when they rallied to win in a thrilling seventh game. This detailed history recounts the entire 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates season, paying special attention to the team's construction and the World Series. Appendices provide complete statistics for the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates, box scores for all seven games of that year's World Series, and World Series statistics for both teams.
When Babe Ruth left the New York Yankees in 1935, some feared that the loss would cripple the club for years. However, the post-Ruth era Yankees continued to dominate until the start of World War II. Their forward-thinking administrative staff signed and developed top-flight talent like Joe DiMaggio and retained superstars like Lou Gehrig, who remained the greatest first baseman in the game until he succumbed to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This history of Yankees from 1936 to World War II details the team's swift recovery from losing Ruth, reintroduces unheralded players, examines the personal styles of the key men, and chronicles the team's remarkable achievements, including winning six American League pennants in eight years and five World Series, a time triumph and tragedy, of characters colorful and sorrowful.
In June 2018 Leeds United made an appointment that shocked the footballing world. Despite being stuck in the second tier of English football and tagged the Championship's perennial chokers, they attracted one of the most revered coaches in world football. What followed captivated the hearts and minds of Leeds United's legion of passionate supporters worldwide. Marcelo Bielsa has crafted a team in his image, a team that plays in an almost bewildering attacking style with fluidity across the pitch. Leeds have become synonymous with exciting, attacking, vertical football and this style has seen them promoted back to the Premier League. Professional football analyst Lee Scott explains how, breaking down the tactics that have made Leeds so successful during Bielsa's time. He shows just how they occupy spaces and overload defences; how they press and cut off passing lanes to deny the opposition space to attack in the defensive phase; and more than that, he delves into Bielsa's mindset, to explain what makes the Argentine mastermind tick.
Of all winter sports, none is so widely watched and commented upon by the media as figure skating, which is often considered the Winter Olympics' centerpiece. This critical text examines the ways in which media attention has gradually altered and affected the sport, from the early appearances of Sonja Henie, to skating's gradual audience growth via television, and to the ramifications of the scandals in the 1994 and 2002 Olympics. The topic is illuminated by more than 30 interviews with commentators, skaters, producers, directors and others. In addition to numerous photos, illustrations show the compulsory figures for which "figure skating" got its name, as well as a sample of the charted-out "camera blocking" for TV directors. Appendices include collected anecdotes from early broadcasting experiences; a profile of broadcaster Jim McKay; and commentary from Carol Heiss on her 1961 musical Snow White and the Three Stooges.
In 1947, the University of California and Yale University baseball teams took the field in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to play the first-ever NCAA Division I College World Series. It was a two-day, three-game Series with an attendance of less than 4,000. Today, it is a weeklong Series held in Omaha, Nebraska, with eight teams, tens of thousands of fans and millions more watching on television. This book covers each College World Series from the first game in 1947 through the 2003 Series, between Rice and Stanford universities. The authors devote a chapter to each decade, and then cover each game of each Series. They also provide information on standout players' careers (in baseball and other professions) after playing in the College World Series. NCAA Division II and III teams are also covered, and the appendix features short profiles of great college coaches.
Manchester City stormed to the clubs fourth Premier League title in 2019, the fourth championship in seven seasons, which is a far cry from the 44-year wait which ended in 2012! It is hard to believe that less than 20 years ago, City were in what is now League One. Their loyal fans spent so many years riding on the wildest roller-coaster in English football, with so many ups and downs that they hardly knew in which division they were competing, but things have changed and now City are among not only England's elite, but also Europe's. This incredible journey is recorded in this updated edition of The Little Book of Man City, a selection of the wit and wisdom of the great characters who have been associated with the club. From managers, such as Malcolm Allison, Kevin Keegan, Roberto Mancini and Pep Guardiola, via garrulous fans such as Radio 1's Mark and Lard and the Gallagher brothers to voluble players such as Francis Lee, Dennis Tueart, Rodney Marsh, Kun Aguero and Vincent Kompany, here are more than 170 funny and biting quotes for the avid fan of 'the only club in Manchester'. As their chaplain once said, 'Imagine where City would be if I hadn't been praying for them all these years.'
The history of Major League doubleheaders is presented in this volume, beginning with their inception as a way to make up missed games, to their current decline as a result of changes in society. The role of the doubleheader as a celebration of holidays and as a Sunday event is explained, as well as its crucial role in enabling Major League Baseball to survive as an economic entity during the Great Depression and World War II.
While the NFL Super Bowl has become a worldwide cultural event, the annual league championship games had a long history even before the first Super Bowl in January, 1967. From the first American Football League's attempt to settle the league title on the gridiron in 1926 to the separate NFL and AFL championships of the 1965 season, this history offers a narrative of each game, including line-ups, box scores, and team statistics.
The Brooklyn Dodgers are one of the most popular and most beloved baseball teams of all time. This book is a collection of writings about the Dodgers, arranged chronologically to give the readers a sense of the team's long history. Included are news reports, articles and excerpts from both fiction and non-fiction works, written by some of the best baseball writers of the past sixty years. Among them are James L. Terry (excerpted from Long Before the Dodgers); John Lardner (""The Unbelievable Babe Herman""); Red Barber and Robert Creamer (excerpted from Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat); Harold Parrott (excerpted from The Lords of Baseball and ""Owen Drops Third Strike""); Robin Roberts and C. Paul Rogers, III (excerpted from My Life in Baseball); Red Smith (""Erskine Fans 14 Yanks,"" ""Over the River"" and ""Last Chapter"").
Blackpool FC On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the club's rollercoaster past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Seasiders diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's formation in 1887 through to the Premier League era, the Bloomfield Road faithful have witnessed top 6 finishes, promotions and relegations, breathtaking Cup runs and triumphs - all featured here. Timeless greats such as Stanley Matthews and Alan Suddick, Charlie Adam, Stan Mortenson and Mickey Walsh all loom larger than life. Revisit 2nd May 1953: the day of the 'Matthews Final', and Blackpool's finest hour. 5th August 1966, when a World Cup civic reception was held for England stars Alan Ball and Jimmy Armfield. Or 5th August 1989, which saw inflatable Towers on the terraces for the very first time!
Organized in 1845, the New York Knickerbockers were the first fully organized base ball club to play the game with written rules similar to those used today. While the Knickerbockers did not invent the game, they played an unparalleled role in stabilizing the playing rules and maintaining standards of conduct in a way that fostered the astonishing proliferation of players and clubs which helped to shape the early development of baseball. Based on years of research and told in the style of oral history, this fictional work features all the principal figures from the Knickerbocker club, including Doc Adams, James Whyte Davis, Alexander Cartwright, William Wheaton, and, Duncan Curry.
This ambitious study of major league managers through the entire history of baseball since the formation of the National League applies a sabermetric approach to gauging the performance and tendencies of such men as Connie Mack, John McGraw, Tommy Lasorda and scores of others. Rather than focusing solely on in-game tactical decisions, it also analyzes broader, off-the-field management issues such as handling players, fans, and media, enforcing team rules, working with the front office, and balancing pressure versus performance to develop a fuller appraisal of each manager's effectiveness and stature among his peers.
The Albion On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from West Brom's illustrious history, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Baggies diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's formation in 1878 as West Bromwich Strollers to the Premier League era, Albion fans have witnessed League and Cup triumphs, promotions and relegations, hard times and hard-fought local derbies - all featured here. Timeless greats such as John Wile and Bob Taylor, Cyrille Regis, Jeff Astle and Bryan Robson all loom larger than life. Revisit 25th April 1931, when the Throstles won Division Two to take a unique FA Cup and promotion Double. 18th April 1952: the appointment of manager Jesse Carver, architect of the 'Team of the Century'. Or 6th March 1977: the signing of Laurie Cunningham, first of the 'Three Degrees'!
For more than five decades, pioneering researcher Dorothy Seymour Mills has studied and written about baseball's past. With this groundbreaking book, she turns her attention to the historians, stat hounds, and many thousands of not-so-casual fans whose fascination with the game and its history, like her own, defies easy explanation. As Mills demonstrates, baseball elicits a passion--and inspires a slightly off-kilter, obsessive behavior--that is only slightly less interesting than the people who indulge it.
In the fall of 1908, no one could have guessed that the Chicago Cubs, a team that had dominated the National league three straight years, would for a century be shut out in its efforts to reclaim the world championship. Stars like Frank Chance, Johnny Evers, Ed Reulbach, and Three Finger Brown were still in their primes, and they had just emerged the winner in the most remarkable pennant race in major league history.In the decades since, the achievement of the 1908 Cubs has been overshadowed first by the events of the season, which included the Merkle Game and a playoff that pitted two all-time great pitchers against each other, and more recently by the calendar, as the centennial anniversary of the last Cubs championship closed in. This engaging book rescues the 1908 team from its status as footnote to baseball history, following one of the all-time great clubs on a thrilling, season-long march toward the World Series.
When the 1949-1953 New York Yankees won an astounding five consecutive World Series, they did it without the offensive firepower that characterized so many of their championship teams before and after. The franchise came to rely instead on three aging pitchers, an unlikely trio that won 255 games during the five-year championship run.This book focuses on the close relationship and quiet achievement of Allie Reynolds, Vic Raschi and Eddie Lopat. Soon after Robinson and the cross-town Dodgers had publicly confronted the issues of race and ethnicity, these men from very different backgrounds - Creek Indian, Italian and Polish - established a deep communion with each other, became lifelong friends, and over a handful of years re-wrote baseball history.This entry refers to the Large Print edition.
With a line-up that included future Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Tony Perez and Pete Rose, the "Big Red Machine" powered its way to six division titles, four pennants, and two World Series, all in the 1970s. Three other times in that decade they finished second in their division to the eventual pennant winner. While much has been written about the players and manager Sparky Anderson, no book until now has given adequate attention to the man behind the Machine, general manager Bob Howsam. From his hire in 1967 through the end of his first stint with the Reds in 1978, Howsam brought about a remarkable change in fortune for the Reds, who had claimed only one pennant in the 26 years before his arrival. This detailed history of baseball's last dynasty shows not only how the team performed but why, delving into the off-field strategy and moves behind the Reds' success.
"The Surfing Tribe" is the definitive story of the history of surfing in Britain. First published in 2009, this second edition has been significantly updated and expanded with an additional 32 pages and 60 new photos. Written by renowned surf historian Roger Mansfield, the book pieces together the origins and history of the sport around the country. All the key characters are profiled, from early pioneers like Rod Sumpter to international heroes on the pro circuit like Russell Winter. The book also charts the evolution of British surfboards and looks back at the films and magazines that have portrayed the British scene over the decades.
I n 1945 the most famous curse in sports was placed on the Chicago Cubs when Bill Sianis and his goat were ejected from Wrigley Field. Though Sianis purchased two tickets for the fourth game of the World Series against Detroit, the goat's stench led to the pair's ouster. The indignant Sianis allegedly cursed the Cubs, promising that they'd never again play in the World Series at Wrigley Field. More than six decades later, the team has yet to win a pennant. There were years when fortune seemed to pluck defeat from the wings of sure victory. The book focuses on the attitudes of players and fans, as well as attempts to exorcise the curse. It features photographs and interviews of former Cub players, as well as a foreword by Hall of Fame shortstop Ernie Banks.
Publishing on the 50th anniversary of that magic season, the definitive chronicle of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only undefeated team in NFL history-from an award-winning literary sportswriterThe 1972 Miami Dolphins had something to prove. Losers in the previous Super Bowl, a ragtag bunch of overlooked, underappreciated, or just plain old players, they were led by Don Shula, a genius young coach obsessed with obliterating the reputation that he couldn't win the big game. And as the Dolphins headed into only their seventh season, all eyes were on Miami. For the last time, a city was hosting both national political conventions, and the backdrop to this season of redemption would be turbulent: the culture wars, the Nixon reelection campaign, the strange, unfolding saga of Watergate, and the war in Vietnam.Generational and cultural divides abounded on the team as well. There were long-haired, bell-bottomed party animals such as Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, as well as the stylish Marv Fleming and Curtis Johnson, with his supernova afro, playing alongside conservative, straight-laced men like the quarterbacks: Bob Griese and the crew-cut savior, 38-year-old backup Earl Morrall. Larry Csonka and Jim Kiick, nicknamed "Butch and Sundance," had to make way for a third running back, the outspoken and flamboyant Mercury Morris. But unlike the fractious society around them, this racially and culturally diverse group found a way to meld seamlessly into a team. The perfect team. Marshall Jon Fisher's Seventeen and Oh is a compelling, fast-paced account of a season unlike any other.
This work, which picks up where the author's previous book, ""The Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1940s"" (McFarland, 2005), left off, covers the Dodgers' final eight years in Brooklyn. Chapters carry the reader from the 1951 playoffs, when a late season collapse and Thomson's ""Shot Heard Round the World"" dealt Brooklyn a heartbreaking blow, through the 1955 World Series title, and finally to Walter O'Malley's controversial decision to move the team to Los Angeles. The author covers each season in-depth and assesses popular perceptions of the Dodgers, their players and owners, and considers O'Malley's culpability in the team's departure, which ended a string of 74 years in which Brooklyn had major league baseball. |
You may like...
|