'A great book' - Henry Winter 'A lovely read, the kind in which you
constantly annoy people by reading the funny bits out loud' - Irish
Post One of Four Four Two magazine's '50 Football Books You Must
Read' First published 25 years ago, The Mavericks was one of a new
breed of literary football books. Artfully combining sports
journalism with social history and sharp pop culture references,
this updated edition explores 1970s football when a cult group of
footballers delivered flair on the pitch and flamboyance off it.
Cocky, coiffured strikers meet David Bowie and Alvin Stardust; Gola
boots exchange kicks with A Clockwork Orange and The Likely Lads;
Admiral sock tags, platform heels and kipper ties mingle with cod
wars, Harrods bombings and three-day weeks. In this, Steen
recreates the early Seventies, the era when football joined the
vanguard of English youth culture. This personal account revolves
around seven Englishmen who followed in the trail blazed by
football's first tabloid star, George Best - Stan Bowles, Tony
Currie, Charlie George, Alan Hudson, Rodney Marsh, Peter Osgood and
Frank Worthington. Proud individuals amid an increasingly corporate
environment, their invention and artistry were matched only by a
disdain for authority and convention. Their belief in football as
performance art, as showbiz, gave the game a boost, and elevated
them to cult status. During their heyday, nevertheless, they were
largely ignored by a succession of England managers, none of whom
were able to assemble a side competent enough to qualify for the
World Cup finals. Against a backdrop of increasing violence on the
field and terraces alike, of battles between players and the
Establishment, this book - now featuring a new Foreword, Postscript
and photos - examines an anomaly at the heart of English culture,
one that symbolised the death of post-Sixties optimism, the end of
innocence. 'In an era of PR-bleaching and PC-niceties, The
Mavericks is an oasis of flair, hair and devil-may-care attitude.
Yet beneath Rob Steen also highlights with real poignancy the
sometimes grim and earthy reality behind the curtain. This
brilliant book remains essential reading for anyone who likes
social history with a nice backheel.' - Rick Broadbent
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