His soccer talent was spotted at a young age and, in 1985, he signed with City. Just three years later he was handed the team captaincy, becoming the youngest ever City captain. An international career soon beckoned and, after trying out for the England under–21 team, he was called up to the England training camp for Italia ’90. Despite missing out on a place in the final squad he suitably impressed the management, with Bobby Robson marking him as an England captain in the making. As a rising star Paul became a target for top clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Spurs, and Liverpool, but he always stayed loyal to his beloved club, deeming Maine Road the spiritual home at which his destiny lay. But then, in September 1990, disaster struck. Paul ruptured his crucial ligament and so began his nightmare. Neglected, ignored, and misunderstood by his club after a career–saving operation was irreversibly botched, Paul’s career began to fall apart. Watching from the sidelines as similarly injured players regained their fitness, he spiraled into a prolonged bout of severe depression. With a forced retirement from the game he adored, the death of his father, and the collapse of his marriage, Paul was left a broken man. Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s wealthiest football clubs at the end of their era at Maine Road, I'm Not Really Here is the powerful story of love, loss, and the cruel, irreparable damage of injury. It is a story of determination, spirit, resilience, and broken dreams.

    It was in the unforgiving world of post-war football where their identities and reputations were made - a world where, as Clough and Taylor's mentor Harry Storer once said, 'Nobody ever says thank you.'Nonetheless, Clough brought the gleam of silverware to the depressed East Midlands of the 1970s. Initial triumph at Derby was followed by a sudden departure and a traumatic 44 days at Leeds. By the end of a frazzled 1974, Clough was set up for life financially, but also hardened to the realities of football. By the time he was at Forest, Clough's mask was almost permanently donned: a persona based on brashness and conflict. Drink fuelled the controversies and the colourful character; it heightened the razor-sharp wit and was a salve for the highs of football that never lasted long enough, and for the lows that inevitably followed. Wilson's account is the definitive portrait of this complex and enduring man.

    Edited by Andrew Mangan, founder of Arseblog, it features bloggers, writers and journalists reminiscing, eulogising, analysing and waxing lyrical about everything from the club’s humble origins to where it finds itself now, from great players to great managers, from tactics to fans to stadia to kits, amongst many other things.Contributors include Amy Lawrence, Paolo Bandini, Philippe Auclair, Gunnerblog, Goonerholic, East Lower, Michael Cox and many more.It’s by far the greatest Arsenal anthology the world has ever seen.

    Packing his collection of football programmes (1,134 of them -- football fans are sticklers for statistics), Dave is aghast to be informed that the programmes do not fall into that category. He must whittle down his treasured archive to only what will fit inside a Tupperware container the size of a Dan Brown hardback. 32 Programmes tells the story of how Dave made the selection of his most important programmes, and how the process brought back a flood of nostalgia for simpler times. As the sights, sounds and smells of those 1,134 football matches return, the choices Dave makes reflect the twists and turns that life takes. Finally, with just hours to go before the flight, the container is full to the brim. One more programme will be added to the collection - one that Dave never thought he would see and which means more to him than any other. 32 Programmes is the story of youthful football obsession, crushes on disinterested girls, rubbish jobs and trying to impress skinheads. But most of all, it is the story of a man's life and loves, of family, friends and football.

    Issue Zero contains 25 articles under 13 different headingsSt Pauli------------* The Conversion of St Pauli?, by Uli Hesse—Back in the Bundesliga, Europe's most noted counter-cultural club is having to balance its ethos with the desire for a secure financial futureInterview------------* Guus Hiddink — Philippe Auclair talks to Guus Hiddink about his latest challenge, as coach of TurkeyGoing Wrong-------------------* An African Parable, by Luke Alfred—For African teams, it's often after qualifying for the World Cup that the real challenge begins* The Dark Heart of Russian Football, by James Appell—Will winning the right to host the World Cup force Russia to confront the corruption that stains its domestic game?* Double Trouble, by Joel Richards—Argentina's short seasons are fun, but are they behind a culture of short-termism?* How Roy Race Ruined English Football, by Scott Murray—He may be Britain's most popular comic footballer, but Roy of the Rovers embodies everything wrong about the English gameEthics----------* Man and Superman, by Gabriele Marcotti—Why football has some questions to answer about the ethics of performance enhancementStony Ground---------------------* Matters of Blood, by Andy Brassell—The travails of Corsica's football clubs reflect the struggles of the island and its quest for autonomy"First Time Around", by Michael Orr—As Portland celebrates winning an MLS franchise, memories are stirred of the Timbers' debut season in the NASLTheory----------* The Dutch Style and the Dutch Nation, by Simon Kuper—How the Netherlands' move away from liberalism is reflected in its football* Xavi and the Square Pass, by Musa Okwonga—How going sideways became the future* The Search for Space, by Michael Cox—How a theory of political polling explains why New Labour was like Dennis BergkampBosnian Coaching---------------------------* The Professor of Mostar, by Saša Ibrulj—Sulejman Rebac never won a trophy as manager, but 35 years after his retirement, his influence continues to be felt * The Watchmaker of Travnik, by Vladimir Novak—After six decades in football, could Ćiro Blažević's odyssey be coming to an end in China?Verona-----------* Verona's Great Romance, by James Horncastle—Recalling the drama of Italy's unlikeliest championsSausages---------------* Bangers and Cash, by Philippe Auclair- How Uli Hoeness became a sausage magnate* Garrincha's Swedish Son, by Lars Sivertsen—When Garrincha toured Sweden with Botafogo, memories weren't all he left behindPolemics-------------* What's Good for the Goose..., by Paul Tomkins—Just because a manager has had success with one club does not mean his methods will transfer to another* Why The Away Goals Rule Must Be Abolished, by Ian Hawkey—The away goals rule is an archaism that is encouraging defensive play* Tradition and the Individual Talent, by Jacob Steinberg—There's more to judging players than goals and medals* How the Champions League is Selling European Football Short, by Ouriel Daskal—Could it be that the commercialisation of the Champions League has not gone far enough?* Dessert Comes at the End, by Raphael Honigstein—Football's administrators must beware killing the golden gooseFootball Manager-------------------------* The Heidenheim Chronicles, by Iain Macintosh—When somebody takes their game of Football Manager just a little too seriously...Greatest Games------------------------* Crvena Zvezda 2 Bayern Munich 2, by Jonathan Wilson—European Cup semi-final second leg, Marakana, Belgrade, 24 April 1991Eight Bells----------------* European Cup Upsets, by Rob Smyth—A selection of the European Cup's most unexpected results

    Few programs were even close. Seventeen Final Fours between them during this time. Eleven national titles. Unbeaten streaks measured not only in games, but in seasons. How do they do it? What's their secret of success? They use what might be called "the Messiah method," seven disciplines that propelled these teams from decent to dynasty. They're seven disciplines that can supercharge your team, too. Whether you're leading a sports program or a business or a school or a church or any other organization, there's a proven method to achieve breakthrough performance-and to sustain it year after year. It's The Messiah Method. It's how excellence happens. Michael Zigarelli is a Professor of Leadership and Strategy at Messiah College and the author of several books. He's also a high school soccer coach and an avid student of the game. You can reach him at mzigarelli@messiah.edu

    At twenty, she graduated, the women’s professional soccer league folded, and her career was over. In Finding the Game, Oxenham, along with her boyfriend and two friends, chases the part of the game that outlasts a career. They bribe their way into a Bolivian prison, bet shillings on a game with moonshine brewers in Kenya, play with women in hijab on a court in Tehran—and discover what the world looks like when you wander down side streets, holding on to a ball. An entertaining, heartfelt look at the soul of a sport, this book is proof that on the field and in life, some things need no translation.

    He was just 27 years of age.Nicknamed the 'Ghost' for the way that he could drift into space undetected, White played an inspirational role in the great double-winning Tottenham Hotspur side of the early 1960s. Every fan has a story about him. When White died, his son, Rob, was only six months old and so never knew his father. The man who was revered by hundreds of thousands of football fans across the country was a stranger to him. Beyond the grainy Cup Final footage and yellowed newspaper articles, there was so much Rob didn't know, questions he had never had an opportunity to ask. To find answers he set out to speak to White's former teammates, his family and followers, and built up a touching portrait of a gifted young footballer and of a lost era. 'Had John lived, he could have been one of the greatest footballers of all time' - Jimmy GreavesWith a new afterword for the paperback.

    Josh isn't catching on to the sport, and he starts wondering, "Who wants to play just for kicks?" Will Josh learn that sometimes it's fun to play just for fun?