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Horns, Hogs, and Nixon Coming: Texas Vs. Arkansas in Dixie's Last Stand
Terry Frei - 2002
In the centennial season of college football, both teams were undefeated; both featured devastating and innovative offenses; both boasted cerebral, stingy defenses; and both were coached by superior tacticians and stirring motivators, Texas's Darrell Royal and Arkansas's Frank Broyles. On that day in Fayetteville, the poll-leading Horns and second-ranked Hogs battled for the Southwest Conference title -- and President Nixon was coming to present his own national championship plaque to the winners. Even if it had been just a game, it would still have been memorable today. The bitter rivals played a game for the ages before a frenzied, hog-callin' crowd that included not only an enthralled President Nixon -- a noted football fan -- but also Texas congressman George Bush. And the game turned, improbably, on an outrageously daring fourth-down pass.But it "wasn't" just a game, because nothing was so simple in December 1969. In "Horns, Hogs, & Nixon Coming," Terry Frei deftly weaves the social, political, and athletic trends together for an unforgettable look at one of the landmark college sporting events of all time.The week leading up to the showdown saw black student groups at Arkansas, still marginalized and targets of virulent abuse, protesting and seeking to end the use of the song "Dixie" to celebrate Razorback touchdowns; students were determined to rush the field during the game if the band struck up the tune. As the United States remained mired in the Vietnam War, sign-wielding demonstrators (including war veterans) took up their positions outsidethe stadium -- in full view of the president. That same week, Rhodes Scholar Bill Clinton penned a letter to the head of the ROTC program at the University of Arkansas, thanking the colonel for shielding him from induction into the military earlier in the year.Finally, this game was the last major sporting event that featured two exclusively white teams. Slowly, inevitably, integration would come to the end zones and hash marks of the South, and though no one knew it at the time, the Texas vs. Arkansas clash truly was Dixie's Last Stand.Drawing from comprehensive research and interviews with coaches, players, protesters, professors, and politicians, Frei stitches together an intimate, electric narrative about two great teams -- including one player who, it would become clear only later, was displaying monumental courage just to make it onto the field -- facing off in the waning days of the era they defined. Gripping, nimble, and clear-eyed, "Horns, Hogs, & Nixon Coming" is the final word on the last of how it was.
Niall Quinn: The Autobiography
Niall Quinn - 2002
Yet even before the competition had started, Quinn was caught up in the most emotionally draining events of his career, as Ireland's World Cup campaign was rocked by Roy Keane's sudden departure. All his efforts at mediation failed, leaving him exhausted. As he worked to find a solution, Quinn looked back on his life and career, and saw echoes of his current situation. In this fascinating autobiography, updated for this edition, he recalls the all-night drinking sessions with Tony Adams and Paul Merson, the gambling, the good times and the bad. It is a remarkable story, brilliantly told.
Bobby Moore: The Man in Full
Matt Dickinson - 2013
Since his death at just 51 from pancreatic cancer, this has been the accepted view of a national hero. But how much do we really know of England’s only World Cup-winning skipper? We all know that Bobby Moore was an extraordinary captain and defender, but alongside his legendary feats on the pitch he knew scandal, death threats, bankruptcy business, and the sack. He divorced after a long affair, was rumored to have friends in the East End underworld, and he loved a drink. The tragedy of his life was to be ignored by soccer in his latter years and to drift into obscurity. After he applied to be England manager, the FA didn’t even bother to send a rejection letter. There was no job in the game and, famously, no knighthood. As well as the undeniable moments of glory, this long overdue, definitive biography won’t shy away from the grit. Tracing his journey from the East End to a pedestal outside Wembley Stadium, it will, for the first time, look at Moore’s life from all sides, through the testimony of teammates, rivals, family, and friends. What was Moore like to play with, to drink with? What was he like as a husband, father, opponent, and captain? A struggling manager and a failed businessman? This book will tell the story of an Essex boy who became the patron saint of English soccer, revealing a lifetime of intrigue, triumph, and tragedy in between.
Wayne Rooney: The Way It Is
Wayne Rooney - 2007
It's all about a young man coming to terms with a career in the limelight – the good and the bad.What is the true story behind the most gifted yet often misunderstood character in the British game? Were there signs of things to come in his upbringing in the backstreets of Liverpool? What were the early influences that shaped his character? And how has the meteoric rise to fame and fortune affected this seemingly shy yet prodigiously gifted youngster?For the first time, Rooney opens up about the defining years of his life as the son of a working-class family, brought up in a council house with his Everton-mad family. There followed his first tentative steps in football, the triumphs and knockbacks along the way, the accolades that began to follow his every move as a young teenager, and destiny fulfilled on his Premiership debut for Everton at the tender age of 16.He describes how his life changed irrevocably when Alex Ferguson and Manchester United came calling in the summer of 2004, his dazzling efforts for England in the European Championships, a private life never far from the tabloid headlines, and the real story behind his relationship with partner Coleen McLoughlin.He reveals the anguish of the foot injury that threatened his participation in World Cup 2006, and how his determination led to a remarkable recovery in time to play a part in the group stage of the tournament. And he describes how his delight at playing again for his country turned to depair after his controversial sending-off in the quarter-final against Portugal and England’s subsequent elimination in the penalty shoot-out.And in this updated paperback edition, he revisits the drama of United’s Premiership-winning 2006/07 season and their tumultuous battles with Chelsea and giants AC Milan.This is the story in Rooney's own words. From the streets of Croxteth to the stadiums of Germany and beyond – a journey of a lifetime squeezed into a mere twenty-one years.Wayne Rooney was born in Liverpool in October 1985. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. He was the youngest scorer in Premier League history in 2002, at the age of 16, and the youngest to score for England, age 17. He joined Manchester United in August 2004 for a fee of £20 million. He has 33 international caps and 11 goals to date.Hunter Davies has written over 40 biographies, including the authorized book on The Beatles and the 2004 hardback bestseller Gazza: My Story.
Game On
Olivia Lancaster - 2016
Or maybe it's just me. But either way, I've always got girls lined up around the block, just waiting to jump into bed with me.And what can I say? I'm pretty good. Both on-field, and off.But when I met Danielle... damn. She was cute as hell, and smart as a whip to boot. One look and I knew I had to have her, and I'd do whatever it took to get her in bed with me. And I had a feeling once just wasn't going to be enough, this time.When Danielle figured out the owner of my team was trying to screw me over, and he started trying to keep her quiet, I knew I'd do anything to protect her.The guys going after her had better watch out. Because there's not a thing in the world I won't do to stop them.DANIELLEAs a sports journalist, working my way up the world, I'd met my fair share of arrogant douchebags who think they're God's gift to women.But Kieran Michaels was by far the worst.And just when I thought I'd finished with the brash, infuriating, cocky asshole, he offers me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I just can't say no.What I don't realize is that this good girl's about to get into a whole lot of trouble...
*** Game On is a safe, full-length novel with a HEA ending. For a limited time, it also includes TKO by Olivia Lancaster as a bonus. ***
Kicking the Habit: The Autobiography of England's Most Infamous Football Hooligan
Jason Marriner - 2015
In this sensational book the former Chelsea Headhunter gives a full and frank account of his time on the scene.
Walshy – My Autobiography: Wouldn't It Be Good
Paul Walsh - 2015
The exciting, pacy, tricky striker moved from club to club during his colourful 17-year career, endearing himself to fans with his energetic, all-action displays and no-nonsense attitude. Walsh netted on a regular basis, his trademark long blond locks bobbing around on his shoulders as he skipped past defenders or slotted the ball past despairing goalkeepers. After bursting onto the scene aged just 16 at Charlton Athletic he became one of the country’s most sought-after teenage footballers during a two-year stint at Luton Town that saw him crowned PFA Young Player of the Year and called up by Bobby Robson for full international duty. European champions Liverpool, on the hunt for a long term replacement for Kenny Dalglish, soon snapped him up and at the age of 21 he was playing alongside greats like Ian Rush and Alan Hansen. Walshy proved popular with Kopites but injury and team politics meant life with the champions wasn’t straightforward. His next stop was Tottenham Hotspur, where he joined up with Terry Venables, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker. It was an entertaining time and Walsh added an FA Cup winner’s medal to his collection but living life to the full off the pitch sometimes meant the Spurs’ faithful saw only fleeting glimpses of his striking talents. A move to Portsmouth followed and Walsh became a Fratton Park favourite, operating up front alongside record-breaking goalscorer Guy Whittingham. His departure to Manchester City upset Pompey fans and he soon proved why at Maine Road by forming a thrilling strike partnership with cult hero Uwe Rosler to save the club from relegation before eventually returning to Portsmouth where injury ended his career at the age of 34. Walshy: Wouldn’t It Be Good is full of twists and turns. Honest and whole-hearted, it is an entertaining tale of football during the ’80s and ’90s – the team-mates and triumphs, the booze and bust-ups – and a lesson that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
The Sweet Season: A Sportswriter Rediscovers Football, Family, and a Bit of Faith at Minnesota's St. John's University
Austin Murphy - 2001
The time has come, he concludes, to fly beneath the radar of big-league sports, to while away a season with the Johnnies. So, he moves his family to the middle of Minnesota to chronicle a season at St. John's, a Division III program that has reached unparalleled success under the unorthodox guidance of John "Gags" Gagliardi.The Sweet Season is an account of what happens when a family pulls up stakes and spends months in a strange and wonderful place. It is also, not incidentally, the story of the most incredible football program in the country, run by a smiling sage who has forgotten more about the game than most of his peers will ever know.
Bringing the Heat
Mark Bowden - 1994
The team is the 1992 Philadelphia Eagles, a group of players assembled in the iconoclastic image of their former head coach Buddy Ryan. They are known throughout the league for their ferocious defense and for the otherworldly talents of their quarterback Randall Cunningham.Award-winning journalist Mark Bowden gets deep inside the world of professional football in a way no writer has ever done before, with an insightful and hilarious portrait of one of the most exciting teams ever to play the game. He spares none of the game's ugliness - the greed, the racism, and the often sadistic violence - while capturing the beauty of athleticism at its highest level, the courage of men who face each play knowing that one bad hit can end a career, and above all the exultant glory of victory that inspires their struggle to be the best.
The Farther Corner: A Sentimental Return to North-East Football
Harry Pearson - 2020
Now, a generation later, Harry Pearson returns to the region to discover how much things have changed - and how much they have remained the same. In the mid-1990s, Kevin Keegan brought sporting romance and expectation of trophies to Newcastle, Sunderland moved the the Stadium of Light backed by a wealthy consortium, Middlesbrough signed one of the best Brazilians of the era and won their first major trophy - even little Darlington had a former safe-cracker turned kitchen magnate in charge, promising the world. The region even provided England's two key players in Euro 96 in Alan Shearer and Paul Gascoigne - the far corner seemed destined to become the centre of England's footballing world. But it never happened. Using travels to and from matches in the 2018-19 season, The Farther Corner will explore the changes in north-east football and society over the past twenty-five years. Visiting new places and some familiar ones, catching the stories, the sentiment and the sound of the supporters, locating where football now sits in the life of a region that was once proud to be what John Arlott suggested was ‘The Hotbed of Soccer’, it will be about love and loss and the happiness to be found eating KitKats and joking about Bobby Mimms on cold February days in coal-scented northern air. The region may have been left behind in the Champions League stakes, but few would doubt the power of its beating heart.
Champions League Dreams
Rafa Benítez - 2012
Rafa expertly navigates fans through intriguing European adventures that embrace the triumph and despair of two Champions League finals, three semi-finals and five quarter-finals in what was a golden era for the Anfield club - an era that supporters felt gave them their pride back after years in the wilderness. What sets Champions League Dreams apart is the unique ways in which Rafa allows fans into his high-pressured world, the fascinating glimpses he offers of a top manager's thought processes and decision making during the cut and thrust of a high-octane European campaign. Understand how a great manager prepares for, then executes, a master-plan for European success.
Inseparable: How Family and Sacrifice Forged a Path to the NFL
Shaquem Griffin - 2019
It’s the story of Shaquem’s understanding of God’s purpose for his life—to inspire others to stop being afraid and to stop making excuses—and his family’s unwavering support in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The Griffins’ unlikely underdog story has already captured the imagination of millions of football fans and physically challenged people around the world.
Anything is Possible: Be Brave, Be Kind and Follow Your Dreams
Gareth Southgate - 2020
I honestly believe that with the right mindset, a willingness to learn from our mistakes, and the ability to cope with the highs and lows, every one of us can make the most of our lives.In this book I hope I can prepare you for your own exciting journey ahead.BE BRAVEBravery is not just the kind of heroic act that earns a medal. It's the quality we need to step out of our comfort zones and take on new challenges.BE KINDA force for good that comes from the heart, kindness changes lives. It opens up opportunities and can be our greatest strength.FOLLOW YOUR DREAMSWe all have a story to tell in life. It's down to us what it will be about. So, let's begin writing YOUR STORY - and make it one that truly shines.____________________'Inspirational and honest - just like the man himself.' BEAR GRYLLS'I loved this - full of wonderful advice I can't wait to share with my children.' HOLLY WILLOUGHBY'An inspirational book' THE SUN'It really is a great book ... lots of really nice tips for confidence, staying strong, glass-half-full mentality, what makes a good team' CHRIS MOYLES'I feel that the lessons you're sharing, the wisdom that you're sharing, has relevance for all of us, whether football fans or non-football fans. And that's because these are some quite core lessons for life' DR RANGAN CHATTERJEE 'This is a fantastic book, I've told my son Noah, aged 11, you have to read this book ... I can't tell you how much I loved this book because [it talks] about confidence, and I struggled with confidence' CHRIS EVANS'Southgate's analytical mind is stamped across the pages of the book; his meticulousness, his love of clarity and process. He offers tips and life lessons - focus on what you can control, do not compare yourself with others, dare to try even if it means slipping up. The tone is easy, upbeat and the messages are drummed home gently, always linking to one another ... what shines through is the warmth and inclusivity of his leadership style.' THE GUARDIAN
Romo: My Life on the Edge: Living Dreams and Slaying Dragons
Bill Romanowski - 2005
Widely acknowledged to be the dirtiest player in football, "Romo" has been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars for unsportsmanlike conduct. Yet off the field, this giant hulk instantaneously changes from hit man into family man, gently raising two kids with his beloved wife. Romo is an attempt to reconcile these Jekyll-and-Hyde shifts. Romanowski achieves this Herculean task not by claiming that his 34 concussions affected his behavior but by admitting his use of chemical performance enhancers. His revelations about NFL drug abuse will shock fans and make him more enemies -- if that's possible. Bone-crushing honesty.