Alex Myers is a quarterback, but from the first day of football practice, it’s clear that that position is very much filled by the coach’s son, Matt.   Alex has the better arm, but Matt has more experience—and the coach’s loyalty. Alex finally gets a chance to show what he can do when Matt is injured, and he helps win a key game to keep the Lions’ bid for the state championship alive. But just when his star is rising, Alex gets blindsided—the state has started drug testing, and Alex’s test comes back positive for steroids. Alex knows that’s not right. But he doesn’t know if it’s a mistake—or if someone wants to make sure he can’t play. . . .   John Feinstein has been praised as “the best writer of sports books in America today” (The Boston Globe), and this first installment in the Triple Threat series is his most thrilling and suspenseful novel yet. Fans of Mike Lupica, Tim Green, and Paul Volponi will want to check out The Walk On, and its companion, The Sixth Man.   “A cliffhanger of a football novel bristling with social, personal, familial and ethical issues to complement the gridiron action. . . . All the goods for the sports enthusiast—and more.” —Kirkus Reviews

    Football. The beautiful game. The world’s most popular sport goes by many names, but for decades, fans have agreed on one thing: the greatest player of all time was Pelé. Now the legendary star, ambassador, and humanitarian shares a global vision for what soccer can accomplish. Now he shares his story, his experience, and his insights on the game for the very first time.Before Messi, before Ronaldo, before Beckham, there was Edson Arantes do Nascimento—known simply as Pelé. A national treasure, he created pure magic with his accomplishments on the field: an unprecedented three World Cup championships and the all-time scoring record, with 1,283 goals in his twenty year career.Now, with the World Cup returning after more than sixty years to Brazil—the country often credited with perfecting the sport—soccer has a unique opportunity to encourage change on a global level. And as the tournament’s official ambassador, Pelé is ready to be the face of progress.For the first time ever Pelé explores the recent history of the game and provides new insights into soccer’s role connecting and galvanizing players around the world. He has traveled the world as the global ambassador for soccer and in support of charitable organizations such as Unicef, promoting the positive influences soccer can have to transform young men and women, struggling communities, even entire nations. In groundbreaking detail and with unparalleled openness, he shares his most inspiring experiences, heartwarming stories and hard-won wisdom, and he puts the game in perspective.This is Pelé’s legacy, his way of passing on everything he’s learned and inspiring a new generation. In Why Soccer Matters, Pelé details his ambitious goals for the future of the sport and, by extension, the world.Commemorative poster inside the jacket

    It was a feat unequalled in modern football. But for Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles', a team including legends Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, it was a challenge that went far beyond sport. Based on exclusive players interviews, this definitive book relives the pivotal games and moments, and allows the Invincibles to tell their own story. It takes readers inside the locker room, to reveal the teamwork, the psychology and the struggle behind one of the greatest teams in history.

    He may be just a bench warmer for his school's football team, but when it comes to knowing and loving the game, he's first-string. He even becomes a celebrity when his podcast gets noticed by a sports radio host, who plays Charlie's fantasy picks for all of Los Angeles to hear. Soon Charlie befriends the elderly owner of the L.A. Bulldogs -- a fictional NFL team -- and convinces him to take a chance on an aging quarterback. After that, watch out . . . it's press conferences and national fame as Charlie becomes a media curiosity and source of conflict for the Bulldogs general manager, whose job Charlie seems to have taken. It's all a bit much for a kid just trying to stay on top of his grades and maintain his friendship with his verbal sparring partner, Anna.Like the best Disney film in book form, like Moneyball for kids, Fantasy League is every football kid's dream scenario. Praise for FANTASY LEAGUE:* "This Moneyball story with kids is on the money."–Booklist, starred review "The feel good book of the year."–VOYA“Readers will be alternately cheering and reaching for a tissue during the final playoff-deciding game for the Bulldogs. This will be devoured by young football fans.”–School Library Journal

    Donations cover the cost of registration and a uniform for a child in need. AYSO Soccer is a family experience and an opportunity to create memories for a lifetime. The positive environment of AYSO is the right place for kids to learn soccer, but it’s also where they learn important life lessons, social skills and get active.

    Will the new boy overshadow Jamie's skill? From the school pitch to the beaches of Rio, Jamie Johnson is going to learn there's more to being a great footballer than he ever imagined.

    A heartfelt, startling tale of his journey to glory and what made him the man he is.

    96 people were crushed to death and another 766 injured in a tragedy that was later admitted to have been exacerbated by police failures.Hillsborough Voices does justice to the memory of all those who died and for all those left behind. From the tragic events of the day to what unfolded in the hours, days and eventually years that followed, the book will interweave the voices of those who were there with the families and friends of those who died, and all those who have played key roles in the long search for the truth.The author, Kevin Sampson, has a long history with Hillsborough. Not only was he there as a fan to witness the horror first-hand, he also helped organise the Hillsborough benefit concert at Anfield and has close connections with the justice campaign. He has conducted exhaustive and exclusive interviews both with people who have become familiar public figures and those who will be telling their heart-rending personal stories for the first time – to bring us the full story.The book will be fully endorsed and promoted by the Hillsborough Justice Campaign and will carry the official HJC logo.

    This book represents the first time in the modern era that a writer has got this close to one of the elite teams of world football. At the invitation of Pep Guardiola, he shadowed the Catalan, his staff and his superstar players during training and on matchdays. Bayern smashed domestic records on their way to the double, but were humiliated by Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final. Perarnau was with them every step of the way. Perarnau is with Guardiola as he is courted by the world’s greatest clubs during his sabbatical in New York. We hear Guardiola explain in detail the radical tactical moves which transform Bayern’s season and reprogramme the players who will win the World Cup with Germany. Perarnau talks exclusively and in fascinating detail with an array of players, including Arjen Robben, Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Thiago Alcântara and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Pep Confidential is much more than the story of a season – it is also a lasting portrait of one of the greatest coaches in sport.

    Volume 2 is an easy read that identifies more of the most common soccer mistakes and provides players with simple, connect-the-dots solutions that they can immediately implement into their games. It is another must-have book for any serious soccer player.

    With exclusive insights from their friends, families, teammates and managers – including interviews with managers Luiz Felipe Scolari and Vicente del Bosque – Caioli presents a unique insight into what makes a modern player not just successful, but truly great.

    Donations cover the cost of registration and a uniform for a child in need. AYSO Soccer is a family experience and an opportunity to create memories for a lifetime. The positive environment of AYSO is the right place for kids to learn soccer, but it’s also where they learn important life lessons, social skills and get active.

    

    This is the first book about a new world soccer icon.Luca Caioli is the best-selling author of the biographies Messi and Ronaldo. A renowned Italian sports journalist, he lives in Spain corresponding for SKY Italia and Corriere della Sera.

    But after being named the conference’s top defensive player his junior season, the budding star was sidelined by a persistent, debilitating pain in his left leg.After months of tests, Herzlich received a shocking diagnosis: He had Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Doctors put his odds of survival as low as fifteen percent—and no one thought he would be able to run, much less play, again. Then Herzlich learned of a radical alternative treatment that would give him the best chance to regain his strength and maybe even play football again. He had a choice to make, one that would allow him the chance to return to the game he loved, but it came at the risk of his life.Herzlich relied on family, friends, faith, and deep wells of determination to help him through treatment, and his drastic plan worked. Not only could he run, but he was stronger than ever physically, and mentally ready to battle his way to a spot on an NFL roster. When he was passed over by all 32 teams in the draft, he dug deeper and continued his training, winning a spot in the Giants’ training camp, and eventually, on the team.Mark Herzlich fought a battle against cancer, against statistics, and some days against himself. Told with candor and raw emotion, this is a story for anyone who has ever fought to beat the odds, for anyone who has ever been told that what they are about to attempt is next to impossible.Herzlich’s story embodies powerful lessons about what can be achieved through persistence and belief, and he serves as living proof that overcoming the impossible is only the beginning.With a foreword by New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin

    Donations cover the cost of registration and a uniform for a child in need. AYSO Soccer is a family experience and an opportunity to create memories for a lifetime. The positive environment of AYSO is the right place for kids to learn soccer, but it’s also where they learn important life lessons, social skills and get active.

    The Hillsborough disaster was broadcast live on the BBC; it left millions of people traumatised, and English football in ruins.And the Sun Shines Now is not a book about Hillsborough. It is a book about what arrived in the wake of unquestionably the most controversial tragedy in the post-war era of Britain's history. The Taylor Report. Italia 90. Gazza's tears. All seater stadia. Murdoch. Sky. Nick Hornby. The Premier League. The transformation of a game that once connected club to community to individual into a global business so rapacious the true fans have been forgotten, disenfranchised.In powerful polemical prose, against a backbone of rigorous research and interviews, Adrian Tempany deconstructs the past quarter century of English football and examines its place in the world. How did Hillsborough and the death of 96 Liverpool fans come to change the national game beyond recognition? And is there any hope that clubs can reconnect with a new generation of fans when you consider the startling statistic that the average age of season ticket holder here is 41, compared to Germany's 21?Perhaps the most honest account of the relationship between the football and the state yet written, And the Sun Shines Now is a brutal assessment of the modern game.

    But on April 27, 2011 everything changed. An EF4 tornado ripped through the small college town and changed it forever. Carson Tinker, the starting long snapper for the 2011 and 2012 National Champion Crimson Tide, was among those forever changed by the events of April 27. Tinker lost his girlfriend Ashley Harrison to the storm, but not his faith. In the midst of unfathomable destruction, Tinker saw love, companionship, perseverance, and triumph in a community torn apart by a natural disaster. Where everyone else saw tragedy, Carson Tinker saw blessing. Following the storm, the Crimson Tide suited up to face their most challenging season to date. Tinker’s personal story guides readers through what cannot be described any other way than a season to remember.

    As the only English football captain ever to raise the World Cup, he was not just a football icon but a national one.Yet Bobby was an intensely reserved, almost mysterious personality. Only one person was his true friend and confidante – his boyhood sweetheart, Tina, whom he met at 17 and married soon after.Tina Moore’s story of her life with Bobby, the triumphs and crises of his football career, the break-up of their marriage and what happened afterwards, is a moving tribute to a national icon by the person who knew him better than anyone.

    He crafted his reputation at ITV in Britain, and as chief editor of Euronews TV in France, before settling in Spain, where he is a correspondent for SKY Italia.

    Widely acclaimed sports writer Nunyo Demasio touches on some of the biggest NFL franchises in history, including the New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets, and Dallas Cowboys.Bill Parcells may be the most iconic football coach of our time. During his decades-long tenure as an NFL coach, he turned failing franchises into contenders. He led the ailing New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, turned the New England Patriots from a team best known for their drug scandals into an NFL powerhouse, reinvigorated the New York Jets, brought the Dallas Cowboys back to life, and was most recently enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He changed the way the game was played, reimagining his teams with ferocious defenses and smashmouth offenses that spawned such great players as Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Curtis Martin. Beloved and controversial but always respected, this is a rare inside look at one of football's greatest minds at the most reflective time in his career.

    A year of hope, fantasy, adventure; where joyous reclamation met crushing disappointment and won. A season defined by many individuals, moments, goals and memories.  A time when the brand of heroic and daring football - and footballers – that seemed consigned to the sepia toned era of the game’s past returned. It was a season when millions of Liverpool supporters dared to dream again.

    Each topic is brought to life by the stories of real coaches working with real players.Never before has such a comprehensive guide to coaching soccer been found in the one place. If you are a new coach, or just trying to improve your work with players - and looking to invest in your future - this is a must-read book!- Analyse how football coaching has dramatically grown and changed over the last decade, and help prepare your players for the modern game- Understand the age-related development of players: technically, tactically and physically- Gain an insight into new research around psychology in soccer and the growing effects of social considerations like communication, teamwork, leadership, and rapport- Consider age-appropriate methods, sessions, and curriculum planning, used by top coaching programmes- Learn the methods of top coaches like Mourinho, Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger and apply them to your work with youth players

    Ernő Egri Erbstein was one of the greatest coaches there has ever been, a pioneering tactician and supreme man-manager who created Il Grande Torino, the team that dominated Italian football in the years immediately after the Second World War.His was an extraordinary life that was characterised by courage and resourcefulness in the face of adversity.Erbstein was part of the great Jewish coaching tradition developed in the coffee houses of Budapest and, playing in Hungary, Italy and the USA, he moved to Bari to embark on a coaching career that soon became noted for its innovativeness.That he and his family survived the Holocaust was a matter of astonishing good fortune, but just four years after the end of the war, Erbstein was killed with his team in the Superga air crash.Dominic Bliss, through a combination of interviews, painstaking archival research and careful detective work, pieces together the lost history of one of football's most influential early heroes.What people have said about Erbstein: football's forgotten pioneer"Erbstein's story, largely untold before today, is one of those tales that makes us realise just how – for better and worse – European history is mirrored in football." – Gabriele Marcotti“A powerful and moving account of one of football's forgotten heroes." - Anthony Clavane

    With no paychecks coming in, the families of Braddock looked to its football team for inspiration.The Braddock Tigers had played for five amazing seasons, a total of 45 games, without a single loss. Heading into the fall of ‘59, this team from just outside Pittsburgh, whose games members of the Steelers would drop by to watch, needed just eight victories to break the national record for consecutive wins. Sports Illustrated and other media descended upon the banks of the Monongahela River to profile the team and its revered head coach, future Hall of Famer Chuck Klausing, who molded his boys into winners while helping to effect the racial integration of his squad. While the townspeople bet their last dollars on the Tigers, young black players like Ray Henderson hoped that the record would be a ticket to college and spare them from life in the mills alongside their fathers. In Striking Gridiron, author Greg Nichols recounts every detail of Braddock's incredible sixth, undefeated season---from the brutal weeks of summer training camp to the season's final play that defined the team's legacy. In the words of Klausing himself, "Greg Nichols couldn't have written it better if he'd been on the sidelines with us."But even more than the story of a triumphant season, Nichols's narrative is an intimate chronicle of small-town America during the hardest of times. Striking Gridiron takes us from the sidelines and stands on game day into the school hallways, onto the street corners, and into the very homes of Braddock to reveal a beleaguered blue-collar town from a bygone era---and the striking workers whose strength was mirrored by the football heroics of steel-town boys on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons.

    But on April 27, 2011 everything changed. An EF4 tornado ripped through the small college town and changed it forever. Carson Tinker, the starting long snapper for the 2011 and 2012 National Champion Crimson Tide, was among those forever changed by the events of April 27. Tinker lost his girlfriend Ashley Harrison to the storm, but not his faith. In the midst of unfathomable destruction, Tinker saw love, companionship, perseverance, and triumph in a community torn apart by a natural disaster. Where everyone else saw tragedy, Carson Tinker saw blessing. Following the storm, the Crimson Tide suited up to face their most challenging season to date. Tinker’s personal story guides readers through what cannot be described any other way than a season to remember.

    Ex-players, close friends, journalists, managers and former colleagues reveal their astonishing brushes with the greatest football manager England never had. The stories are cherry-picked from two acclaimed books - 150BC: Cloughie the Inside Stories and Clough: Confidential. An additional 242 stories can be found in these two volumes. So, enter the whirlwind world of Old Big 'Ead and prepare to be entertained.

    Now, in a landmark collection, The Library of America brings together the very best of their work: gems of deadline reportage, incisive longform profiles of football’s storied figures, and autobiographical accounts by players and others close to the game. Celebrating the sport without shying away from its sometimes devastating personal and social costs, the forty-four pieces gathered here testify to football’s boundless capacity to generate outsized characters and memorable tales.

    When Arsene Wenger said he wanted his team to go through a season undefeated, he was roundly mocked, yet just over 12 months later the Arsenal manager guided his team to footballing immortality.The Gunners’ 2003-2004 campaign was extraordinary, and not just because of their remarkable league achievement.From the highs and lows of Europe, to disciplinary charges, pitched battles, the frantic scramble to finance a new stadium, a club record transfer in January, and winning the title at the ground of the old enemy, this special collector’s edition book looks back on everything that happened during an unforgettable campaign.Match reports, behind the scenes stories, exclusive interviews and illustrations, stats, tactics, pictures; all the things you know, and lots of stuff you’ve forgotten: Together tells the story of Arsenal’s ‘unbeaten’ season.

    Includes comprehensive coverage of all 32 NFL teams, analysis of offseason personnel changes, over 500 KUBIAK fantasy football projections, and breakdowns of every team from the five major college football conferences plus the top independent and mid-major college teams. With numerous statistical measures that go far beyond standard NFL stats, Football Outsiders Almanac 2014 gives NFL fans the kind of sabermetric-like statistical analysis that revolutionized the fan's understanding of baseball. It's also written with a knowing dry wit that gets under the skin of America's most popular spectator sport.

    Using a synthesis of memoir, reportage, and cultural critique, Almond asks a series of provocative questions:• Does our addiction to football foster a tolerance for violence, greed, racism, and homophobia?• What does it mean that our society has transmuted the intuitive physical joys of childhood—run, leap, throw, tackle—into a billion-dollar industry?• How did a sport that causes brain damage become such an important emblem for our institutions of higher learning?There has never been a book that exposes the dark underside of America’s favorite game with such searing candor.

    After Saturday 15 April 1989, the meaning of the word changed forever for an entire generation. Ultimately, this date will be remembered as the worst sporting disaster in British history. 24,000 men, women and children set off to support Liverpool in the semi-final of the FA Cup with hope in their hearts, but tragically, some never came home. A human crush on the Leppings Lane terraces at Hillsborough ended the lives of those 96, injured thousands of others and traumatised thousands more. Documenting eyewitness accounts from before, during and after the disaster, with statements from the bereaved families, experts in their field and fans of other clubs, The Hillsborough Disaster: In Their Own Words is the story of those who were there, and the families left behind in Liverpool, who watched with a sense of helplessness as the story unfolded live to the nation on BBC's Grandstand. This is the story of those whose lives changed forever on Saturday 15 April 1989. They will not be forgotten.

    - Skip Hall, Boise, Idaho."Anyone who aims to become a truly great human being should read The Thursday Speeches." - Tim Cowan, former Husky quarterback, Seattle."Best work I have read in quite some time ... the insights into leadership, details, personal character, the importance of mental preparation and desire to compete are extremely valuable." - Mike Roarke, Portland, Oregon.Two days before Christmas 1974, Don James seized the reins of a University of Washington football program in disarray. Immediately, James challenged players to do the hard work necessary to get to the Rose Bowl. Some players laughed, reminding James that Washington hadn't been to the Rose Bowl since 1963. James insisted on his vision. In his third season, Washington advanced to the Rose Bowl and beat the heavily favored Michigan Wolverines. In 18 years at Washington, James' compelling stories in his pregame speeches helped transform the Huskies from mediocrity to national champions. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame and twice named National Coach of the Year, James remains the most successful football coach in Washington and the Pacific-12 Conference history. Now, the inspiring stories and invaluable life lessons James imparted to his players are available to all in "The Thursday Speeches."As but one measure of his coaching skill, Sports Illustrated once named the three best college football coaches in the country: No. 1, Don James; No. 2, Don James; No. 3, Don James.A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Husky Hall of Fame, and twice named National Coach of the Year, James remains the most successful football coach in Washington and the Pacific-12 Conference history. President of the American Football Coaches Association in 1989, James compiled a record of 153-57-2 at Washington and led the Huskies to 15 bowl games (10-5) including nine straight from 1979-1987. He guided the Huskies to six Rose Bowls and is one of only four coaches to win four Rose Bowl games. His 1991 team finished the season 12-0, beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl, and was named National Champion by USA Today/CNN, UPI, the Football Writers, Sports Illustrated, and several computer rankings.Written by Peter Tormey, Ph.D., a three-year UW letterman linebacker for James (1976-1979), The Thursday Speeches puts readers in the room with the legendary coach, revealing the exact words James used to inspire the Huskies to slay the football giants of his day. The book, which also contains new insights into James’ leadership, is organized into four sections:Part I: Getting to the Rose Bowl.Part II: Themes of the Thursday Speeches* Attitude* Life Lessons* Competitive Greatness* Visualizing VictoryPART III: Glimmers – Short essays derived from interviews with Coach James.PART IV: A Lasting Legacy – Tributes to Coach James’ influence from Coach Gary Pinkel, University of Missouri; Coach Nick Saban, University of Alabama; Sam Wick, friend; Jeffrey James, grandson; James’ pastor, Rev. Jerry Mitchell; and Jill Woodruff, one of James’ three children.The book stems from Tormey’s doctoral research in Leadership Studies (Gonzaga University). James wrote the speeches before practice each Wednesday, by longhand, on 11-by-14-inch yellow legal pads. Exhibiting a voracious appetite for reading and an expansive intellect, James uses a wide range of powerful stories to engage the Huskies including topics such as Freud and Frankl, the Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, th

    Inside it was a silver bullet and a note that read: ‘You’ll get one of these through your knees if you step on our Wembley turf.’ In the 1978/79 football season Regis' club West Bromwich Albion, an unglamorous and little publicised club from the West Midlands, became the first British football team to field three black players: Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham and Brendon Batson. They did so against the backdrop of the most divisive and poisonous racial tension in the UK’s history – a time when the National Front movement was at its most virulent. This book will tell the story of a defining and groundbreaking chapter in the history of British football and the country as a whole. The story is one about sport but also as much one about social change.

    Put together in collaboration with the Arsenal FC Museum, the book includes: - A match worn example of every home and away shirt Arsenal have ever played in - The oldest surviving Arsenal shirt from 1927 - The first shirt to have white sleeves (1933) - A shirt actually worn and played in from every cup final Arsenal have ever played in - Shirts worn by all the great Arsenal players, from Cliff Bastin to Tony Adams, Ian Wright to Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry to Theo Walcott. A breathtaking and historic record, through these classic and historic shirts the history of one of the world's most famous clubs comes to life.

    Dan Freedman Jamie Johnson Collection Set Football 7 Books Set, (Skills from Brazil, Final Whistle, Golden Goal, Kick Off, Man of the Match, Shoot to Win, World Class,

    He was on T.V., radio and wrote newspaper columns, and was (and still is) best pals with Sam Newman. But he fell in with a bad crowd (Dennis Allen and the Pettingills, no less), formed a drug habit, lost everything and did three spells in prison. Cook has led a remarkable life, going from hero to zero in three years. He's always wanted to tell his story, which has elements of football, crime and drugs and the wider issue of sports men and women who struggle with life once their careers have ended. Fred Cook's name still resonates with many football fans, 30 years after his career finished. In fact, last year he was nominated for the Australian football hall of fame.

    

    Manchester The City Years provides an in-depth study chronicling every season in the history of Manchester City.Renowned Manchester football historian and City fan Gary James describes the exploits of the Club from the actions in the mid eighteenth century that led to its development, on to its first known game in 1880, successes in the Twentieth Century and through to the 2012 Premier League title win. Relive the drama and successes that have made Manchester City one of the game’s most popular and well-known names.This book blends perfectly the narrative history of the Club with first hand accounts, told by supporters, players, managers, officials and chairmen of City life from the nineteenth century through to the modern day. Gary James has spent around 25 years researching and gathering material for this book. He has also performed in excess of 100 indepth interviews with figures connected with the Club since the First World War through to 2012 to ensure the appropriate story is told. If anyone ever says City has ‘no history’ show them this book!About The Author: Gary JamesGary James has been researching and writing about the Blues since the 1980s, and has written several landmark publications on both City and on Manchester football in general. A City fan since birth, and a season ticket holder since the age of 16, Gary cares deeply about the history of football.His first City book was published in 1989, with his highly acclaimed Football With A Smile: The authorised biography of Joe Mercer, OBE coming in 1993. His other works include: Manchester – A Football History, The Big Book Of City, Farewell To Maine Road, Atkinson For England, and The Pride of Manchester.Gary has been a regular contributor to the City programme since 1994, and is now recognised as a leading expert on Mancunian football history. In 2003 he set up City’s award winning museum & tour and in 2012 he provided curatorial assistance during the development of the new National Football Museum. In recent years he has written for publications as diverse as the FA Cup final programme, The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, The Times, The Author, When Saturday Comes and The Manchester Evening News. Gary James’ research into Manchester football continues. “God knows how many hours Gary James spent in the Central Library poring over microfilm or thumbing through old books, newspapers and magazines. Or time in the company of veteran Blues recounting their stories.” Respected journalist Richard Bott commenting on Gary’s research

    In fact he really wasn't anything special at all.

    The book features a foreword from his best friend, Lionel Messi, and includes colourful dressing room revelations about his fellow countryman and a revealing insight into the greatest footballer on the planet. Against an incredible backdrop of hardship, Sergio is lucky to have been born after an epic ordeal for his young mother and an incredible twist as to how he took a surname that is now familiar around the world. From fathering a son with Maradona's daughter to winning junior World Cups and clinching the most dramatic Premier League title in modern history. This is a book every Manchester City fan will want to read, but also any football fan who is fascinated by that elite group of World greats who were touched by destiny and born to rise.

    Half of them finish the day in joyous celebration, and the other half in abject depression, but all of them are ever ready to do it over again the next weekend.College football is one of the unifying cornerstones of American culture. Since the first game in 1869, football has grown from a stratified offshoot of rugby to a ubiquitous part of our national identity. Today, as college conferences fracture and grow, amateur athlete status is called into question, and a playoff system threatens to replace big-money bowl games, we’re in the midst of the most dramatic transitional period in the history of the sport.Michael Weinreb’s Season of Saturdays examines the evolution of college football, from the moral and ethical quandaries that informed its past to the fascinating changes that may affect its future. Since its nascent days on elite Ivy League campuses, college football has inspired both school spirit and controversy. Weinreb explores the game’s inherent violence, its early seeds of big-business greed, and its impact on institutions of higher learning. Filtered through the stories of such iconic coaches as Woody Hayes and Joe Paterno and Steve Spurrier, Season of Saturdays also celebrates some of the greatest games of all time while exploring their larger significance. Part popular history, part memoir—and always uniquely American—Season of Saturdays is both a look back at how the sport became so fraught with problems, and a look ahead at how the sport might survive another century.

    I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those currently in leadership positions and those aspiring to get there, as Damian Hughes draws out the inspirational qualities required from one of the greatest managers in football.’Stuart Lancaster, England Head Coach, Rugby Football Union In How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson, Professor Damian Hughes distils the primary lessons of Ferguson's phenomenal success as manager at Manchester United and show how you can apply them to you own personal goals.You will learn about Ferguson's approach to people-management, changing mind-sets, visualisation, building confidence and embracing change - all techniques at the heart of turning Manchester United into a winning machine. You will also discover how he remained at the forefront of one of the world's most competitive industries and how to make this count with your own ambition.You will also discover the techniques that Ferguson employed to extract the finest qualities from his team, and discover how to lead other individuals and teams in their pursuit of success within changing times.With exercises for you to work on, drawing from Professor Hughes's practical and academic background within sport, organisation and change psychology, How to Think Like Sir Alex Ferguson is the perfect handbook for the business of winning and managing success.

    When the club sank to its lowest point by being relegated to the third tier of English football at the end of the 1990s, supporters were hopeful of a quick return to the First Division. But it was never going to be so simple.Having made the play-offs despite a poor start to the season, the Blues were one win away from promotion. Fans headed for Wembley with hopes and dreams of their side bouncing back at the first attempt, but with 90 minutes on the clock it looked like all was lost - Gillingham were winning 2-0.Stoppage time goals from Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov changed all that. The supporters that had been heading for the exits were suddenly rushing back into the ground. City eventually won the game on penalties.David J. Mooney has tracked down each and every one of the players that was in the squad on Sunday 30 May 1999 and their manager and has spoken to them about that historic day for Manchester City.

     From growing up in a small fishing hamlet just north of the Granite City, and nearly making the grade at his hometown club, to touring the world as a member of 1990s’ boy band Bad Boys Inc and working at two of the biggest clubs in football, Manchester United and Celtic, Ally recalls his many colourful adventures – and the occasional run-in – with his contemporaries in both music and sport. It’s not all plain sailing! Discover how he cast disappointment aside to forge a successful career as a sports broadcaster in south-east Asia. Ally’s numerous encounters with larger-than-life personalities are remembered in this, his first book. His one constant companion, though, was never far away; his beloved Aberdeen Football Club. Foreword by Sir Alex Ferguson.

    He has had to endure having an unfortunate name in sports, but to him the Sandusky name means something entirely different: honor, integrity, endurance, and suffering and sadness.Forgotten Sundays follows the life and relationship between Gerry Sandusky and his father -- former NFL tackle John Sandusky and coach for the Baltimore Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins under the tutelage of legendary Coach Don Shula. Gerry spent his summers observing his father in NFL training camps and his Sundays with superstars, Hall of Fame players and coaches from Johnny Unitas to Dan Marino, from Don McCafferty to Tom Landry. Gerry's relationship with his father evolved through stages of worship, disillusionment, vulnerability, tragedy, and friendship. Along the way he learned about the nature of manhood from observations, clues, and interactions -- more often than not unspoken. It was when Gerry reached fatherhood himself and when John Sandusky began to tumble into the gauzy confusion of Alzheimer's disease that he began to understand his father on a much deeper level. Heartfelt, intelligent, at times humorous, at times tragic, Forgotten Sundays explores the intricacies of a father-son relationship and the nuances of how and what a son learns from a father. It plumbs the meaning of a family name, and it is an inspiration to others to embrace their own legacy and cherish their memories.

    For a self-employed electrician with nine children to support, this was the rarest of opportunities. Miraculously, Celtic overturned a first-leg deficit to thrash Sporting Lisbon, 5-0, with a team of home-grown talent, players that felt as one with the fans. As the years pass, that one magical evening fades in the bustle of family commitments and the constant specter of unemployment. Then, in 2002, John Tierney has a severe stroke that renders him immobile and unable to talk. For his wife Catherine, for Michael and his five sisters and three brothers, the landscape of life would change irrevocably. But three decades later, Michael and his wheelchair-bound parent would make an emotional return to Celtic Park. The First Game with My Father is an evocative family memoir and a journey of discovery into lives that diverge, yet are knitted together by moments of sorrow and joy, and into the nature of identity, especially when tragedy renders a man voiceless. The most intimate portrait of a father and son and how a soccer team unites them in an unbreakable bond, it is also the story of a city, a community, and a treasured way of life.

     A woman who causes him to break all of his rules. Raven Harlow is beautiful and wealthy but naïve. She is seeking a feature writing career in NYC when she meets Winter Gaines and switches identities with the writer of malicious exposes. Never did Raven imagine the target of Winter's project was "Golden Lion" Drew Hawkins. And never did she imagine she would fall for the playboy known as "Quick Release" on and off the football field. Will Raven help tarnish the image of Drew Hawkins? Or will she risk everything to save him? Either decision will cost her _________________________________________________________________ NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling author, Janelle Taylor brings you an explicit romance with a football backdrop. Drew and Raven will face the ultimate test of love, honesty and courage – when a shattering deception could destroy them both.

    Football played little part in this controversial story. Yet, as a hugely popular activity that was deeply entwined in the social fabric, it exerted an influence that few institutions or pursuits could match. The People's Game examines the history of football from the interrelated perspectives of star players, fans, and ordinary citizens who played for fun. Using archival sources and interviews, it reveals football's fluid role in preserving and challenging communist hegemony. By repeatedly emphasising that GDR football was part of an international story, for example, through analysis of the 1974 World Cup finals, Alan McDougall shows how sport transcended the Iron Curtain. Through a study of the mass protests against the Stasi team, BFC, during the 1980s, he reveals football's role in foreshadowing the downfall of communism.

    Initially intrigued by the rise of AFC Wimbledon, the supporter-owned club set up after Wimbledon FC’s relocation to Milton Keynes, Jim Keoghan was drawn into a world in which ordinary fans have started new clubs, taken a stake in those they once followed, and sometimes saved clubs from disappearing altogether. The fan-ownership movement has touched every echelon of the game, challenging the private model that has dominated soccer for over a century. There have been highs and lows, successes and failures, but through it all the dogged determination of fans to be more than paying customers has shone through. Regarded as a revolutionary force in modern sport, the story of Punk Football is one that will appeal to every fan who has ever thought, “I could run this club better myself.”

    But when the action really gets going, the Astroturf is nowhere to be seen. One wildcat has this baller on his toes.Cory can't believe her eyes. There just aren't enough dammits for this one! Paris is the perfect town, except she's supposed to be on her way to the airport, not neck deep in trouble from a tech glitch. But when she's caught four thousand miles away from Texas in a blistering mess, she can't just get up and leave!Brett isn't about to lose his cool. He's fully aware of what he signed up for with Cory when he made the best catch of his life in snagging her as his fiancée. But something’s got to give, and he's come up with a plan. One that will inspire his spitfire to do what she says, when she says it. Not rationalize up one wall and down the next.When he gets ahold of her, it's about to get hotter than hell in Paris this Christmas!Warning: gorgeous NFL baller connects with wayward filly. Sparks. Smoke. And lots and lots of HOLIDAY FIRE!

    A must read for any red.’ Scott the Red, Editor: Republik of Mancunia United Blog‘As a Manchester United fan I found it really interesting and the author knows his stuff. I recommend reading it.’ - Angela Bowman, Manchester United fan‘This book takes an intelligent, thorough and witty look at the players who served Fergie during his reign at Man United. The perfect gift for the red devil in your life! Sam Sharp, Manchester United fan‘I definitely recommend this to anybody interested in football in general and Manchester United in particular. Buy it now!’ - Michael Hopkins, Manchester United fanAndrew J Kirby’s sports writing has featured in BBC Sport magazine, and on the Radio Five Live website. He has held a Manchester United season ticket for the entirety of the Sir Alex Ferguson reign at Old Trafford, and regularly follows the Reds across Europe and beyond. He is also the author of ‘Fergie’s Finest’.He also writes award-winning crime fiction as AJ Kirby, and has published five novels including Sharkways and Paint This Town Red, which was shortlisted for the Guardian's Not the Booker Prize 2012.Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

    For so long the ailing giant that was SSC Napoli had criminally underachieved. Their fanatical support unequalled in both passion and size across Italy. None was more feared or hated. And how they ached for success. A history dramatic, explosive and tragic. Like the finest Italian operas. Then came Maradona Blessed with a ball at his feet on the field, cursed off it, the charismatic Argentine led Napoli to their first ever Title. It was the stuff of dreams. He was unplayable, then came the dark side. Maradona mixed openly with the city gangsters, Lo Camorra. He could do as he pleased whilst performing miracles on the pitch, but when the magic faded? Once upon a time in Naples attempts to chronicle those unforgettable times under Mount Vesuvius’ shadow. When Diego left his inestimable mark on this Babylon by the sea. An alluring tale of wonderful football, of glory, despair and betrayal. Of corruption, gangsters and ultimately, redemption. In a city where the devil would have needed bodyguards, Maradona became bigger than God himself. A perfect storm: Welcome to Naples! The story so far: Since its original 2005 release Once upon a time in Naples has taken on a remarkable life of its own. Re-published in Spanish and Italian (and so nearly Arabic.) And the subject of much heated debate both online and off. Like Diego Maradona himself, it has divided opinions. No middle ground, it has always been loved or loathed and never ignored. But it is still standing and has finally arrived on kindle in an updated and revised edition. I have received so many emails off people reading this book in far off places. When you live in Chadderton, everywhere seems far off. The departure lounge of LA Airport. From a beach in Thailand. An African doctor engrossed whilst saving lives and working for the United Nations in the Congo. Also a Palestinian police officer who read the book in snatches whilst in the midst of Israeli Gunship attacks. And so many more. Then in 2011, when I finally thought it had died a slow, lingering, literary death, an email one Saturday night ignited an entirely new scenario. Paul Martin of EP productions contacted me with the idea of a documentary based on the book. Paul had me at ‘Scarface in football boots!’ So began the crazy and at times eerily world of all things Maradona. We have met and talked to characters not far removed from a Godfather movie. Recently the stakes have upped dramatically with the brilliant award winning SENNA director Asif Kapadia and Playmaker Films expressing an interest to be involved. Now as 2014 draws in all bets are off, and Once upon a time in Naples looks set to surprise even more. Just like Maradona, it refuses to go away. And long may it do so.

    Dorsey introduces the reader to the world of Middle Eastern and North African football - an arena where struggles for political control, protest and resistance, self-respect and gender rights are played out. Politics was the midwife of soccer in the region, with many clubs being formed as pro- or anti-colonial platforms and engines of national identity and social justice. This book uncovers the seldom-told story of a game that evokes deep-seated passions.Football fans are shown to be a major political force and one of the largest civic groups in Egypt after the Muslim Brotherhood: their demands for transparency, social justice, and an end to corruption sparked vicious street battles that left scores dead and thousands wounded. Discontent in Algeria erupts regularly at matches where fans demand the ouster of military leaders. A folk-song crooning national goalkeeper leads protests in Homs, Syria's third largest city and scene of some of the worst violence perpetrated by Bashar al-Assad's regime. In a country that bans physical education for girls, Saudi women have established clandestine football clubs and leagues. The book further tells the story of Somali child soldiers turned soccer stars and Iranian women who dress as men to smuggle themselves into stadiums to watch matches.

    So, imagine the forlorn city’s surprise when their long-suffering RFC football team is on the receiving end of the ultimate Hail Mary. It’s pure pandemonium in Brunts Stadium with mere seconds to play, as the home team is on the brink of beating arch-nemesis Pittsburgh to reach the playoffs just a few days before Christmas. But that’s where CIRCUS CATCH takes the strangest bounce of all time. The outrageous, egomaniacal, yet Born Again wide receiver Brevard “B-Wack” Wackson is given credit for what many would call the catch of the century, but he claims it’s an incomplete pass, and his team shouldn’t get credit for the touchdown. This bombastic, media-addicted mercenary then takes matters into his own magnificent hands and makes a moral choice that sends shock waves across the nation. In the process he turns the game, the city of Cleveland and certain sacrosanct pillars of The American Way of Life (Christmas, family, country, Reality TV & Fantasy Football) completely upside down. A fast-paced, scathing satire that’s been described as “Keith Olbermann meets Chuck Klosterman with 20 cc’s of Dave Eggers,” CIRCUS CATCH is a must-read for any sports fan with a sense of humor. Unless you’re from Cleveland.

    But that does scant justice to a career that covered more than 700 appearances for 7 league clubs and did not end until he retired, through injury, at the age of 41.Raised on Merseyside, Jimmy began at his beloved Liverpool, becoming a key player in the all-conquering team of the late 1970s alongside stars like Kevin Keegan, John Toshack, Ray Clemence, Phil Thompson, Kenny Dalglish and his two great mates, Tommy Smith and Ray Kennedy. At Anfield, where he was signed by Bill Shankly and guided by Bob Paisley, Jimmy won a boxful of medals: four league titles, three European cups plus a host of other domestic honours which tell the truth about Jimmy Case - that he had much more than a tough tackle and a ferocious shot. As Jimmy himself says, you couldn't get in that Liverpool team if you couldn't play.His ambition was to play his entire career at Liverpool but fate sent him on a different route: to Brighton, where he almost won the FA Cup; to Southampton, where he played more than 200 games; to Bournemouth; Halifax; Wrexham; and a single outing for Darlington. Along the way he came up against players like Andy Gray, Graeme Souness, David Speedie, Graeme Sharp and Norman Whiteside, often with painful results.Packed with incident and anecdotes, usually funny - but occasionally sad - this is the story of Jimmy Case, a true football legend.'JIMMY'S A FUNNY GUY, FULL OF ANECDOTES AND MEMORIES, AND HIS BOOK TELLS YOU HOW HE WENT FROM BEING A NON-LEAGUE SCOUSER TO A EUROPEAN CHAMPION' - Tommy Smith'HE IS JUST THE PERSON YOU WOULD WANT WITH YOU IN THE TRENCHES IN A WAR…YOU'D LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT AND SEE JIMMY CASE.' - Kevin Keegan'I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW MUCH JIMMY DID FOR ME. HE WAS THERE WHEN I NEEDED HIM, HE PUT ME ON THE RIGHT TRACKS.' - Alan Shearer'NOT MANY FOOTBALLERS CAN BOAST A CAREER AS LONG AND SUCCESSFUL AS JIMMY CASE. HIS BOOK TELLS YOU EXACTLY HOW HE DID IT' - Harry Redknapp

    Heynckes’ Bayern lost the 2012 Champions League Final in PKs but won in 2013. Winning those titles was based on a game model this book depicts. Utilizing the Tactical Periodization method to implement it is an approach proposed in this book. Tactical Periodization was made popular by Jose Mourinho who has won titles since 2003, his first year as a Head Coach in four different countries (Portugal, England, Italy, Spain) plus a UEFA Cup, two Champions League, and was Champions League semi-finalist three other times…all in 10 years! Tactical Periodization is a methodology a Coach may apply to play game style any and/or formation leveraging this method. Implementing a game style requires thinking and planning through each game situation. Preparing those game situations through the pre-season and enhancing the team’s effectiveness throughout the season is the focus of the Tactical Periodization method. It integrates the four pillars of the game (physical, mental, technical, and tactical) with the four moments of the game (Offense, Transition to Defense, Defense, and Transition to Offense) over the training week to reach the desired Game Model. The value of this book is not only in the theoretical aspects of the Tactical Periodization (Chapters 1 -3) but the practical context exercises that enable the reader to leverage them for a team’s training plan. In Chapter 4, Bayern’s Game Model for all four moments of the game is detailed with supporting images. Chapters 5 through 9 depict the operationalization of the Game Model through detail the exercises needed for each principle in each moment of the game to train the team. Enjoy the book and good luck in your endeavors! Pedro Mendonça

    Focused on the German team, it also features articles about the social and economical problems surrounding this World Cup and other nations' teams. Most of the articles have been previously published either exactly or with almost no change in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. Being a so called coffe table book, it has many photographs, lots of them covering two pages.

    Along the way we get stuff right, and we get stuff wrong; but that’s football, right?

    

    As a defensive midfielder, famed for his tough tackling, for Scotland, Celtic and Manchester United from 1957 to 1972, he was the Roy Keane of his day and this book holds nothing back on or off the field.As a Catholic born in the then infamous Gorbals area of Glasgow, Crerand was determined to escape from an extraordinarily tough background of family tragedy, religious bigotry and working in the Clyde shipyard, to become a professional footballer.As a Celtic player in the early years of Jock Stein's management, Paddy Crerand was forced to play in the shadow of the then dominant Rangers team. At Manchester United, however, he enjoyed great success in Sir Matt Busby's post-Munich Air Disaster team, winning two league titles, the FA Cup and the European Cup, and playing alongside the likes of George Best, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and Nobby Stiles.In his own distinctively punchy style, Crerand reveals the full truth about his controversial friendship with the hard-drinking Protestant Rangers star 'Slim' Jim Baxter and the legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly; what it was like to be George Best's minder and Matt Busby's confidant; and his passionate involvement in Irish nationalist politics.Crerand’s life story is a genuine triumph over adversity told by someone whose informed opinion on Manchester United and football in general is as respected today as it was forty years ago.

    Graeme Souness. Ian Rush. Alan Hansen. Bruce Grobelaar. They rank with the very greatest players ever. But the heroes of 1984 were an unlikely group to make history. Led by a 63-year old first-time manager and a captain show-off better known for his moves on the dancefloor, Liverpool's greatest season was a booze-fuelled journey to three trophies: the first division title, the League Cup and the European Cup, won on a remarkable night in Rome. The team's theme song was even the much-derided Chris Rea hit. Eye-watering, hilarious, and utterly unbelievable, this is the story of how they did it, and how their season was the last year of innocence in English football. This book is essential reading for fans of Red or Dead, 43 Years With The Same Bird: A Liverpudlian Love Affair and the memoirs of Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Kenny Dalglish. Tony Evans has been football editor of The Times for five years and was born a Liverpool fan. He writes a weekly column for The Game, The Times' weekly football supplement. He came to journalism at the age of 29 and spent his 20s following Liverpool and playing in bands, including a stint in The Farm. In 1983-84, he saw all 42 league games and most of the matches in other competitions.

    Milan. In their trophy room is an unrivaled haul of silverware won over the decade: 2 UEFA Champions League trophies, 2 UEFA European Super Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup and it could have been many more. They were undoubtedly one of the best teams of the decade. Sporting some of the best players of their generation they re-defined what winning football should look like before the age of tiki-taka. From offensive dynamos like Andriy Shevchenko to midfield maestros like Andrea Pirlo and enforcer Rino Gattuso, to the elegant defenders Paolo Maldini, Cafu and Alessandro Nesta, this side climbed the highest mountains in world football, fell and rose again to the top of the game. Follow the team from their triumph at Old Trafford to their epic collapse on a cold night in Istanbul and their road to redemption which ended two years later in Athens. They were the last dynasty of a football club with a proud winning history on the continent and their demise ushered in an era of uncertainty at the club which is still felt to this day.

    He left the game as a Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders legend and one of the most respected men in sports. Now “Mr. Raider” shares his amazing journey—the triumphs, the heartbreaks, the struggles with women, Al Davis, and God—as well as the principles and priorities that made him the man he is today.Much more than a sports memoir, The Making of a Man reveals how faith, family, honor, and integrity have everything to do with true manhood and a life well-lived. Whether you are a rabid fan or have little interest in football, a young boy or already facing the fourth quarter of your life, these pages will both challenge and inspire you to become the man you’ve always known you could be. Back Cover:When a man comes into your life and shows you something about yourself that you didn’t know was in you, it’s remarkable. The Apostle Paul did that for Timothy, encouraging him to preach and teach and reminding him, “Do not neglect your gift” (1 Tim. 4:14). Paul was a mentor to Timothy, ready to point out the gifts of his protégé and willing to help develop those gifts and pass on his knowledge. Lou Holtz did the same for me, as well as for a whole lot of other guys. That’s what a mentor does. I’ll always be grateful that he inspired me to believe in myself.—Tim BrownFormer Heisman Trophy Winnerand NFL All-Pro “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Tim for over thirty years now. I’ve seen him beat the odds in many different areas of life, especially as a father and a mentor. I believe this book will help bring out your true greatness as you read stories about Tim’s successes and struggles, and as you’re inspired by his commitment to integrity as well as the life principles and the faith that have carried him through.”—Carey Casey, CEO, National Center for Fathering / fathers.com “Over the years, I’ve respected Tim Brown as an NFL opponent, a teammate, and a friend. In The Making of a Man, you will read what has made Tim the man he is today and learn vital lessons on what being a man is all about. Whether young or old, every guy should read this book.”—Jerry Rice, NFL Hall of Fame Wide ReceiverThree-Time Super Bowl Champion

    Overcoming questions about his size and skills as a quarterback, Lucas persevered and went on to play seven seasons in the NFL. His professional football career, however, came to a sudden end at age 30, when a neck injury caused him to collapse on the sideline during training camp. Instructed by NFL doctors that surgery wasn’t an option, Lucas turned to painkillers for relief, but as his tolerance for medication escalated and his NFL insurance coverage expired, he began to plan his suicide. Just days before he planned to take his life, Lucas was put in touch with a group of doctors who agreed to perform neck surgery free of charge. In this tell-all, Lucas shares how—in a league without guaranteed contracts and careers that average just a few seasons long—players in the training room are perceived to lack the toughness necessary to succeed on the field. He discusses how this prevailing attitude leads to widespread abuse of painkillers and leaves many former players unable to lead a normal life once their playing career ends while also sharing details on how he overcame his drug addiction and turned his own life around.

    Much has been written about his life, but for the first time, Unitas’s son, John, writes about his father and reveals information about his family and father’s career that has never before been brought to light. For anyone who holds an interest in either Unitas’s life or NFL history, John Unitas Jr.’s revealing and touching biography honoring the life and times of his father is a must-read. It sheds light on the character and convictions of the man who has lived on in NFL history, both on and off the field, offering clues to what made him the man and the player he was.

    The cast list alone is enough to stir up memories and tug at the heartstrings of any Reds fan—Elisha Scott, Billy Liddell, and Joey Jones, Craig Johnston, Jamie Carragher, and Luis Suarez—recalling how these charismatic personalities ignited passion on the terraces. Find out which Red icon was left at a highway service-station as a prank, which striker was involved in a punch-up with Italian waiters after a European Cup semi in Milan, and which skipper was carried through Lime Street station on the shoulders of fans.

    From the Pall Mall Gazette to Attitude magazine, from Brian Clough to Julie Burchill, from Diego Maradona to José Mourinho, the things they have said about the world's most popular team sport are examined, picked over, and placed in historical context—and sometimes found to inspire in unexpected ways. Exploring themes as diverse as the language of the sport, the role of the media, the role of money, and the careers of gilded geniuses from Pele to Ronaldo and maverick managers from Clough to Mourinho, and generously sprinkled with anecdotes, further quotes, and photographs, this book is the perfect present for the hardcore fan.

    Spotted by a scout, he accepted an offer to join Sorriso Esporte Clube in the central state of Mato Grosso and became a media celebrity as well as the only English professional in the football-crazy country.

    Some You Win . . .2. Under Pressure3. Divided We Fall4. Injury Time5. Last Man Standing6. Power Play7. Twin Strikers8. Final Countdown

    

    Liz Heade takes us on a journey through her life, beginning with her first World Cup in 1970 when, aged ten, she fell in love with Bobby Moore and decided she was going to be a football commentator when she grew up. This would have been a simple aspiration, had she not been a girl growing up in 1970s Dublin under the tutelage of the nuns. It was recommended she consider the Civil Service as a back-up plan...Through her school years, Liz opted to study classics rather than modern languages, following England's devastating loss to the Germans. She progressed through university and a career in the arts during her twenties which were filled with memories of sweet, lovely, perfectly decent young men who tried more or less to win her heart, but couldn't cope with her commitment to watching football, and cut their losses and left. Against the background of Italia 90, USA 94 and France 98, Liz became a lawyer and married a man who, it would turn out, never loved football as much as she did. She moved to Glasgow, replaced her husband with a cat (and Thierry Henry) after he left her, and eventually relocated to London to be closer to her beloved football team. Along the way, Liz recounts with humour the love, loss and adventures of a life lived in the background of World Cup tournaments. She also questions whether men and women can live happily together as football fans, contemplates the caprice of the football gods and wonders why life can never live up to the beauty of football. Bobby Moore to Thierry Henry is a fan story told by a woman, for women (and men) who love football.

    Since the mid-1990s, this team of stubborn underdogs has flown largely under the radar while making it to three national finals, upsetting Major League Soccer teams in the U.S. Open Cup, and slowly weaving their way into the hearts, minds and cultural fabric of Atlanta's burgeoning soccer community.

    Creative non-fiction writing that takes football as a starting point, on a journey to the heart of Latin American society.Proceeds from the book will be donated to The Bottletop Fundation.

    Written in a lively, buzzing style and filled with fun features, fantastic photographs, and enlightening quotes, this book celebrates the Portuguese maestro's early life—he was named in honor of former President Ronald Reagan—and his career on and off the pitch. All in all this is a highly entertaining insight into a pro soccer legend.