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Four years after the crowning glory of 1966 and a decade after the
abolition of the maximum wage, a brash new era dawned in English
football. As the 1970s took hold, a new generation of
larger-than-life footballers and managers came to dominate the
sport, appearing on television sets in vivid technicolour for the
first time. Set against a backdrop of three-day weeks, strikes,
political unrest, freezing winters and glam rock, Get It On tells
the intriguing inside story of how commercialism, innovation,
racism and hooliganism rocked the national game in the 1970s.
Charting the emergence of Brian Clough, Bob Paisley and Kevin
Keegan, and the fall of George Best, Alf Ramsey and Don Revie, this
fascinating footballing fiesta traces the highs and lows of an
evolutionary and revolutionary era for the beautiful game. 'You
always know you're going to get a fascinating read from Spurling.
But this is his most vivid book yet - sheer joy! For us old
geezers, it's like being miraculously transported back to the
1970s. And, for younger readers, I can promise you quite an
education.' - Patrick Barclay
From Herbert Chapman to Arsene Wenger, this is the definitive
history of Arsenal's time at the famous Highbury stadium. After
several years of sitting in Highbury's local pubs and cafes with a
Dictaphone, Jon Spurling has pooled hours of interviews with fans,
programme sellers, local publicans and even those who dug the
foundations of the Laundry End (and later cleared rubbish from its
terraces) to meticulously construct the biography of the ground and
chart the ups and downs of one of England's greatest league clubs.
Spurling has also spoken to numerous players: the late greats of
yesteryear (Ted Drake, George Male and Reg Lewis), as well as
legends of a more recent vintage - from Bob Wilson, Charlie George
and Malcolm MacDonald to Anders Limpar and various legends of the
Wenger era, including Patrick Vieira. Written in the year that
Arsenal moved to the Emirates, Jon Spurling has produced the
definitive account of the club's 93 years at Highbury.
Arsenal's on-field success has been well documented. But what has
never been written before is the equally remarkable history of
Arsenal's rebels, both on and off the pitch. Spanning almost 120
years, and set against a backdrop of turbulent social and political
change, Rebels for the Cause assesses the legacy and impact of
Arsenal's most controversial players, officials and matches. From
hard men like '30s player Wilf Copping to the reformed wild ones of
recent years such as Tony Adams, Jon Spurling highlights the
infamous figures whose refusal to conform has made them terrace
legends. Mavericks such as '80s star Charlie Nicholas and the 'King
of Highbury' Charlie George are here, as are '70s lads Alan Hudson
and Malcolm Macdonald. The book also focuses on the club's
revolutionary founding fathers, David Danskin and Jack Humble, the
terrifying '20s 'soccer Tsar' Sir Henry Norris and David Dein's
controversial introduction of free-market economics to Highbury in
the regressive '80s. Also investigated are the stories behind
Arsenal's most infamous tabloid exposes. Featuring extensive
interviews with 15 former players, Rebels for the Cause is an
indispensable guide to the alternative history of Arsenal Football
Club, shedding new light on the origins of the rivalry with
Tottenham, on many of Highbury's cult heroes and on the struggle of
several players to adapt to life outside the game.
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