From the thousands of matches ever played by Swansea City, stretching from their early days at the Vetch to their wonderful Premier League era, here are 50 of the club's most intense, emotional and thrilling games of all! Expertly presented in evocative historical context, and described incident-by-incident in atmospheric detail, Swansea City's Greatest Games offers a terrace ticket back in time, taking in everything from their first ever game against Cardiff and Toshack's rampant rise to their glorious Premier League days, and beyond. An irresistible cast list of club legends - Alan Curtis and Ivor Allchurch, Leon Britton, Roger Freestone and Lee Trundle - springs to life at breathtaking moments including epic cup finals and Premier League giant-killings, European nights and unforgettable South Wales derby triumphs. In all, a journey through the highlights of Swansea's 102-year history which is guaranteed to make any fan's heart swell with pride.

Glamorgan CCC Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Dragons. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the opposing vicar who scored a hundred, the game when Glamorgan only had five fielders, or the side that were all born in Wales? How about the times when a number 11 was top scorer for the county, or when a batsman was dismissed twice in the space of a minute? Do you know who was keeping wicket when Glamorgan won the 1969 Championship? Who took a wicket with his first-ever ball? Or who was the club's tallest ever player? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any Dragons fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.

The Yankees and New York baseball entered a golden age between 1949 and 1964, a period during which the city was represented in all but one World Series. While the Yankees dominated, however, the years were not so golden for the rest of baseball.
In "The Postwar Yankees" David George Surdam deconstructs this idyllic period to show that while the Yankees piled on pennants and World Series titles through the 1950s, overall Major League Baseball attendance consistently declined and gate-revenue disparity widened through the mid-1950s. Contrary to popular belief, the era was already experiencing many problems that fans of today's game bemoan, including competitive imbalance and callous owners who ran the league like a cartel. Fans also found aging, decrepit stadiums ill equipped for the burgeoning automobile culture, while television and new forms of leisure competed for their attention.
Through an economist's lens, Surdam brings together historical documents and off-the-field numbers to reconstruct the period and analyze the roots of the age's enduring mythology, examining why the Yankees and other New York teams were consistently among baseball's elite and how economic and social forces set in motion during this golden age shaped the sport into its modern incarnation.

Rooting for the Home Team examines how various American communities create and maintain a sense of collective identity through sports. Looking at large cities such as Chicago, Baltimore, and Los Angeles as well as small rural towns, suburbs, and college towns, the contributors consider the idea that rooting for local athletes and home teams often symbolizes a community's preferred understanding of itself, and that doing so is an expression of connectedness, public pride and pleasure, and personal identity. Some of the wide-ranging essays point out that financial interests also play a significant role in encouraging fan bases, and modern media have made every seasonal sport into yearlong obsessions. Celebrities show up for big games, politicians throw out first pitches, and taxpayers pay plenty for new stadiums and arenas. The essays in Rooting for the Home Team cover a range of professional and amateur athletics, including teams in basketball, football, baseball, and even the phenomenon of no-glove softball. Contributors are Amy Bass, Susan Cahn, Mark Dyreson, Michael Ezra, Elliott J. Gorn, Christopher Lamberti, Allison Lauterbach, Catherine M. Lewis, Shelley Lucas, Daniel A. Nathan, Michael Oriard, Carlo Rotella, Jaime Schultz, Mike Tanier, David K. Wiggins, and David W. Zang.

It is probably not surprising to learn that the modern craze for running is not new: our species has been running since we were able to stand upright. What may be surprising, however, are the many ways and reasons we have performed this painful, exhausting and yet exhilarating activity down the ages. In this original, humorous and almost improbable world history, Thor Gotaas brings us many unusual and curious stories showing the remarkable diversity of running, from earliest times to the immense popularity of running today at athletics meetings, world championships and Olympic games. Amongst the myriad characters the author describes are King Shulgi of Mesopotamia, who four millennia ago boasted about his ability to maintain high speeds while running long distances, and once claimed to have run from Nippur to Ur, a distance of not less than 160 kilometres, and Norwegian Vikings who exercised by running races against animals. There are also the little-known naked runs, backward runs, monk runs, snowshoe runs, the Incas' ingenious infrastructure of professional runners and the running culture of Native Americans. This unique book will be a revelation to everyone who reads it. It will appeal to all who wish to know more about why the ancients shared our love, and hatred, of this physically demanding yet spiritually rewarding pastime.

The history of the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association's basketball team and the legends it spawned

Ireland On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the Republic's footballing past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the Irish Free State's debut at the 1924 Olympics through to the Aviva Stadium era, the green-and-white faithful have witnessed a host of famous international victories and heart-rending near misses at home and abroad. Timeless greats such as Liam Brady, Niall Quinn and Johnny Giles, Packie Bonner, John Aldridge and Noel Cantwell loom larger than life in a history capped by uplifting displays in the World Cup and Euros. Revisit 21 September 1949: the Boys in Green become the first non-UK side to win in England. 18 June 1994: Jack's Army vs. Italy in New York. 23 May 2002: Keano vs. McCarthy...

Saints On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from Southampton's rollercoaster past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable red-and-white diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's Victorian formation as St Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association through to the Premier League era, the Saints faithful have witnessed promotions, relegations and Great Escapes, breathtaking Cup runs and triumphs - all featured here. Timeless greats such as Ron Davies, Matt Le Tissier and Mike Channon, Bill Rawlings, George O'Brien and Terry Paine all loom larger than life. Revisit 23rd March 1898, and a controversial, blizzard-hit Cup semi at the old Crystal Palace. 1st May 1976: Saints 1-0 Man U in the FA Cup Final. Or 6th August 2005, when Theo Walcott became the Saints' youngest ever player, forgetting his shirt in the excitement!

Oldham Athletic Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Latics. In these pages you will find irresistible anecdotes and the most mindblowing stats and facts. Heard the one about the insulting newspaper article that ended Ken Bates' 1960s reign as chairman? How about the fan who changed his name to Oldham Athletic? Or the successful stopper who was inspired by Brian Clough on a Sunderland beach? Did you know comedian Eric Sykes was on the Oldham board in the '70s? That Athletic have beaten, once or more, every team that they've ever played in the League and FA Cup? Or that Roger Palmer's pre-match ritual involved watching horse-racing before kick-off? All these stories and hundreds more appear in a brilliantly researched collection of trivia - essential for any Latics fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.

Though not one of English cricket's more glamorous or successful counties, Derbyshire have nonetheless had many wonderful players, and their dedicated supporters will enjoy this look back at 100 of the finest. There are undisputed all-time legends such as Mike Hendrick and Bob Taylor, plus some undeniably great but rather more controversial figures such as Dominic Cork. Derbyshire's tradition of superb pace bowlers is much in evidence here, with almost a third of those featured being players in that mould. Featuring player biographies, statistics and illustrations, this book is essential reading for any fan of the club.

Oldham Athletic 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 diary of Latics history - with an entry for every day of the year. From the club's Victorian formation through to the Premier League era, the Boundary Park faithful have witnessed championships, promotions and relegations, hard-fought Lancashire derbies, breathtaking Cup runs, a Wembley trip and a re-election saga - all featured here. All-time greats including Eric Gemmell and Andy Ritchie, Bobby Johnstone, Roger Palmer and Andy Goram all loom larger than life. Revisit 10 April 1994, when the Latics were 13 minutes away from winning the League Cup. 24 April 1915: a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool that left Oldham runners-up in the League. Or 25 October 1989, when at one point the scoreboard read Frankie Bunn 6 Scarborough 0!

Nick Barnes is a journalist for the BBC, and was tasked with following Sunderland's first season in the Premiership. With full press access this is his story of their first, and following his dramatic resignation on 4 December, Keane's final season. It follows Keane as he pits his wits against his old boss Alex Ferguson, his former teammates, and former enemies.

The New York Yankees played their first game in the American League in 1903. Since then, they have become the best team in baseball, bar none. Now this action-packed and fact-filled volume brings the Yankee's great history to life. From Babe Ruth's called shot and Lou Gehrig's tearful farewell speech, to Reggie Jackson's three hits on three pitches and Derek Jeter's game-saving catches, classic moments are recounted with such vivid description that readers will swear they can smell the popcorn and hear the crack of the bat. The book includes team records and post-season results from 1903 to 2006, as well as lists of Yankees inducted into the Hall of Famers and photos of the most memorable plays and people in Yankee history. For New York fans and people who just like to know everything about baseball, this is a must-read!

'We spent all our time surrounded by police cordons and barbed wire, never mind having our bus hijacked.' - Tommy Bedford, Springboks No. 8 2019 and 2020 mark the fiftieth anniversary of the controversial 1969/70 Springbok rugby tour of the British Isles - a landmark event on both a sporting and political level. Taking place during the time of South Africa's apartheid dispensation, the tour was characterised throughout by violent demonstrations against the 'ambassadors of apartheid'. Scenes of chanting demonstrators at the players' hotels and airports were not uncommon, nor was the sight of protesters being dragged off the field of play by police. Smoke bombs and flour bombs also became a match-day fixture. These were wild and unnerving times for the players on tour, whose movements were badly inhibited and who had to play hide-and-seek to avoid possible violence between games of rugby. During a demanding tour that lasted more than three months and took them to and fro between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, they endeavoured to sustain a proud tradition of highly successful Springbok tours through the Isles. Through personal interviews with the players, including team captain Dawie de Villiers, vice-captain Tommy Bedford and other senior members of the squad, as well as key figures such as anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain, Rugby Behind Barbed Wire takes readers into the inner circle of a besieged group of sportsmen who just wanted to play rugby despite concerted efforts to deny them. The author also looks at the political context of events, and why so many felt that disrupting the tour was a matter of moral and political necessity.

No other team in history has come close to matching the record of Roger Penske s team at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Team Penske has won seventeen times in its forty-four Indianapolis 500 races at the Brickyard. Penske first attended the Indy 500 with his father in 1951. He became a champion sports-car driver in the 1950s and 60s before forming his own team, which debuted at Indianapolis in 1969 and earned its first victory in 1972 with legendary driver Mark Donohue. Celebrating Team Penske s fiftieth anniversary of competing at the Indy 500, this volume captures all the highlights from each year s journey at Indianapolis, including individual driver s details, exciting race photography, and team statistics, and features legendary racers like Rick Mears, Bobby Unser, Al Unser, and Helio Castroneves. A tribute to the spectacle and prestige of auto racing s most historic event, this is a must-have book for aficionados of the Indy 500, motor sports, and automotive innovation.

The 1966 World Cup triumph put England at the pinnacle of the game. But how did it help the English game to develop, both at international and club level? Did it help the game to develop at all? When England Ruled The World charts the progress of our national and club sides through the four-year period following 1966, recalling month by month the great teams, matches, players and managers of this golden age. Featuring a plethora of characters, mavericks and hard men, the book covers every aspect of the game, on and off the pitch, set against a backdrop of the social climate and popular culture of the time. Tactical shifts and training methods, TV coverage, media attitudes, fans and the emergence of hooliganism, club finances and the transfer market, the authorities, stadia and facilities, interaction between club and country, marketing the game and its star players, and shows how the trends which emerged in this period set us out on the road towards the game as we know it today. But for better or worse?

Bill Struth is the most celebrated Manager in the history of Rangers Football Club. In his 34 year tenure, he led the club to 30 major trophies and nurtured many of the club's greatest players. To them, he was simply 'Mr. Struth' - a father figure who guided them with the principle that, '... to be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football.' If these words set the ideals for his players to attain, his own personal life was clouded by moments of indiscretion which were to influence the course of his life and career. Drawing on family accounts and Rangers archives, the book explores his early life in Edinburgh and Fife, as well as his celebrated years in Glasgow. It recounts his career in professional athletics and in football with Heart of Midlothian, Clyde and ultimately, Rangers. It reflects on the legacy of the Struth era and his influences that remain at Ibrox today.

Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ted Lindsay, and Brendan Shanahan. Bob Duff's 50 Greatest Red Wings is the definitive list of Hockeytown's heroes. Including members of the famous Production Line and The Red Army, 50 Greatest Red Wings features full statistics and in-depth player analysis. With rarely seen photos and astonishing anecdotes, this book is essential to any hockey collection. Bob Duff has covered the NHL since 1988 and is a contributor to the Hockey News. Duff's other book credits include Marcel Pronovost, The China Wall: The Timeless Legend of Johnny Bower, and The Hockey Hall of Fame Book of Goalies.

Coach: The Life And Soccer Times Of Clive Barker is the insightful biography of Clive Barker, South Africa’s longest-serving national football coach and arguably the most successful following Bafana Bafana’s win in 1996 at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. With the help of writer Michael Marnewick, Barker reveals himself as a modest man, a dedicated husband and father, and a force to be reckoned with in the football fraternity, both in Mzansi and in the rest of the continent.

Coach examines Barker’s life from his pre-coaching days and how he avoided bankruptcy by driving taxis, to his early coaching jobs at amateur level, into the professional ranks with Durban City, then Bush Bucks, to AmaZulu and ultimately to the position as national coach. Delving back into his early pre-coaching days, the book gives the reader a glimpse of the man himself, while anecdotes from former players, at both club and international level, provide an in-depth but entertaining look into his coaching style and ability. In-between the book explores the politics of the time, including Clive’s opposition to apartheid; his take on witchcraft practices in local football; the success at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations; and the positive and powerful influence of Nelson Mandela, the national football team’s talisman.

Barker’s journey wasn’t always smooth sailing and he had his detractors who felt he was too chummy with his players, who felt he was not technically savvy or tactical enough, or who disagreed with his relaxed but focused methods, which were proven over and again to yield results. What comes across so clearly in this book is the love and respect Barker had for his players and that they, in turn, had for him. He treated them as adults and they never faltered in their desire to please him, although Mark Fish may have crossed the line a few times.

"There is no team that gives pleasure to the sporting public like the Canberra Raiders." --Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister of Australia The Canberra Raiders' spectacular grand final win against the Balmain Tigers in 1989 is widely regarded as Australian rugby league's greatest ever decider. For a fledgling club, this was an extraordinary and unexpected achievement, heralding a sequence of years that produced two more premierships and two near-misses. The Raiders' trademark adventurous style of play was welcomed by all lovers of the game. Attacking football was back in vogue. David Headon tells the story of a unique football team that entered the Sydney competition in 1982 with little fanfare and plenty of pessimism, despite the fact that league had been an integral part of communities across the Limestone Plains for nearly a century. From this firm base, the Raiders emerged to make their mark. Absolutely Bleeding Green recounts the big wins and heart-wrenching losses as it follows the players through their Raider careers, revealing how the club was able to build exceptional team spirit, even in difficult times. It includes interviews with players past and present, with coaches and administrators, as well as with families and supporters who are so proud of the distinctive lime green jersey. "This terrific book tells the story of a unique club that changed my life forever, just as the Raiders changed rugby league forever." --Mal Meninga, rugby league Immortal, Canberra Raiders Hall of Fame

An Arsenal fan is forced to ditch his first love and switch allegiances to a new team. Handed a Foreign Office posting to Belgrade, James Moor gives up his season ticket and looks for a new Serbian team to support. Being a veteran of the Congo and Helmand Province war zones stands him in good stead for what follows. Having chosen Partizan over Red Star, James enters a scene awash with nationalism, xenophobia and conspiracy theories. He lifts the lid on Serbian fan culture, Partizan's internal disputes, violence between the club's own Grobari (Undertakers) supporters as well as with their hated local rivals. Moor attends matches among crowds of 50,000 and 2,000, and sees games interrupted by stadium fires at a club permanently at war with itself. And this is before former Chelsea boss Avram Grant takes over midway through a tumultuous season at home and in Europe.

This behind-the-scenes glimpse of a non-league football club offers the unusual opportunity of viewing an entire football season at one club from multiple viewpoints. Eastleigh Football Club is an ambitious semi-professional club that in 2013/2014 competed in the Football Conference South. Ten years earlier, they were a much smaller club, playing in their local regional league. Progress from that lowly status saw the team spend the 2013/2014 campaign challenging for the Conference South league title and promotion into the Conference Premier Division. The book follows the fortunes of the men who played during that season. It charts the highs and lows experienced by the directors, the manager, staff and supporters, and provides a candid view of the club's day-to-day life. This first-hand account tells the compelling story of life on and off the pitch at the club and the unfolding events of the season. Featuring a team striving to achieve promotion into the Conference Premier and reach Wembley in the FA Trophy, this book will be enjoyed by football fans at any level. 'The More We Win, The Better It Will Be' also details author Paul's transition from being a lifelong Everton supporter into developing an obsession with his local non-league club, and his own personal experiences after becoming closely involved with the team.

Through promotions, cup final heroics and championship glory there has been one common thread running through Dundee United's glorious history. The bond between the Tannadice faithful and their playing idols has been an endearing constant for generations of United supporters. But what elevated the chosen stars to cult status? Why have a select band reached out to touch the Tannadice fans in a way that mere mortals could only dream of? "Tannadice Idols" explores 20 of the most loved characters ever to have pulled on the famous shirt and explores the reasons behind their affinity with Arabs followers through the ages. Some have wowed the crowd with their brilliance, some earned plaudits for their heart on sleeve attitude and others stood out from the crowd in appearance alone. Each cult hero had his own special relationship and his own group of devotees. Through interviews with hand picked idols as well as observations from supporters and media professionals, "Tannadice Idols" casts a fresh eye over the most memorable relationships between United players and fans.You can discover the truth behind the musical tributes penned in honour of the cult heroes, the stories behind the local rivalry which spawned a sense of purpose shared by stars and supporters as well as the background to the cross continent games of cat and mouse which brought some of the cherished overseas talents to Tayside in a fast paced tribute to Dundee United's cult heroes.

This comprehensive new guide to Essex CCC provides all the facts and information a supporter could wish for. In an easy-to-use format, it comprises a concise written history, season-by-season account, player records, details of the different grounds and much more besides. Perfect for dipping into at leisure, as well as for settling arguments at the drop of a hat, no visitor to Chelmsford should be without a copy of this book.