Football books - Summer 2018

[Ian Thumwood]

I usually take 3 paperbacks on holiday with me to read (cant get in to the idea of a Kindle) and these usually include a history book, a novel and usually a football book.

In the past I tended to avoid reading books about football as they had a pretty poor reputation but I think that has changed a lot over the last ten years with some terrific and thought-provoking publications. The book I have found fascinating has been David Bolchover's "The Greatest Comeback" which is about the player and coach Bela Guttmann. I regret that I had never heard of him before but he played for Jewish teams in the 20s and 30's and ultimately ended up in America making a fortune. Fascinating to read about the state of football in Austria and Hungary pre-war with this area of Europe being the hotbed of the modern game at the time as well as the role of specifically Jewish clubs. I was not aware of any of this .Guttmann returned to Europe at the time the Nazis came to power and ended up going into hiding whilst his family largely perished in the Holocaust. Post-war, he became more involved in management including several stints in Italy before leading Benfica to European Cup glory on two occasions.

I regret that I had never heard of him but his in an inspiring story even if there are aspects about his character which are not at all admirable. The author singles Guttmann out as a precursor to Mourinho and suggests he was the first great modern manager. Wondered how many people on here had heard of him as well ? I would really recommend this book which was shortlisted for the William Hill sports book of 2017.

Has anyone else read any decent football books in2018 that they would recommend ?

 

[fatletiss]

Ian

My favourite football book is an old one. “The Miracle of Castel di Sangro” is amazing. The story of a non league Italian team (I know you like non league football) and how they reached Serie B. It’s written by a US journalist who travelled with the team for every game in he season the book is written about . It has ups and downs, dramas off the field, everything.

You do need to get over the first chapter or two of americanisms, but we’ll worth it.

Author Joe McGinnis

 

[- Doing The Lambert Walk]

If you haven't read 'Family' by Michael Calvin then I'd really recommend that. It's the best one I've ever read.

So gripping and I got through it in no time.

It's all about going behind the scenes of a whole season at Millwall (at the time they were in L1 with Saints) and Kenny Jackett is managing them. Kenny allows the journalist behind the scenes in all aspects: the training ground, the dressing room, transfer updates... and this book is the result.

It also delves into the dynamics and characters inside football clubs, some of whom people tend to not even realise or acknowledge. Calvin's writing style is really good and engaging, without ever becoming heavy.

Anyone who wants a good football book should 100% read this. I loved it.

(P.S. There's also a few mentions of Saints/Cortese and how Millwall were competing with Saints for certain players and resisting them in the market - which is an added bonus)

 

[thebronze14]

Bought World in Motion today, looking forward to giving it a read

 

[Schrodinger's Cat]

Brilliant orange: the neurotic genius of Dutch football
By David Winner is a great read. The introductory paragraph sums up the book's flavour.

"If this is a book about Dutch football, at some stage you'll probably wonder why it contains pages and pages about art and architects, cows and canals, anarchists, church painters, rabbis and airports, but barely a word, for example, about PSV or Feyenoord. A very fair point. And the reason, I suppose, is this is not so much a book about Dutch football as a book about the idea of Dutch football, which is something slightly different. More than that, it's about my idea of the idea of Dutch football, which is something else again."

Fascinating book about football that isn't really about football

 

[PompeyLapras]

I don't read many football books, I've only read two and one is about Portsmouth so you wouldn't like that.

But I do recommend this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785310070/?tag=not606-21

The Ugly Game: How Football Lost its Magic and What it Could Learn from the NFL

It's why I much prefer American Football to the English kind nowadays. Though I recognised the NFL's strengths before I read this book, but it shows how the NFL is superior from a governance point of view in ways I had thought of but also other ways too. It's also well written and witty.

 

[Archers Road]

Ian

My favourite football book is an old one. “The Miracle of Castel di Sangro” is amazing. The story of a non league Italian team (I know you like non league football) and how they reached Serie B. It’s written by a US journalist who travelled with the team for every game in he season the book is written about . It has ups and downs, dramas off the field, everything.

You do need to get over the first chapter or two of americanisms, but we’ll worth it.

Author Joe McGinnis

I read that a few years ago.

Heartbreaking, actually.

 

[fatletiss]

I read that a few years ago.

Heartbreaking, actually.

It is. If they made it into a movie, folks would say it was too far fetched.

I read it just after I moved to Northampton and I recommended it to a chap I had just met here who has since become a mate. When I told him about it he mentioned that his wife’s family is from the next village. A few years later he came back from a trip to the family with a Castel Di Sangro shirt form me. He went to the training ground to ask the players for one because you can’t buy them anymore.

 

[Archers Road]

I don't read many football books, I've only read two and one is about Portsmouth so you wouldn't like that.

But I do recommend this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785310070/?tag=not606-21

The Ugly Game: How Football Lost its Magic and What it Could Learn from the NFL

It's why I much prefer American Football to the English kind nowadays. Though I recognised the NFL's strengths before I read this book, but it shows how the NFL is superior from a governance point of view in ways I had thought of but also other ways too. It's also well written and witty.

Hm. Football, despite the pernicious impact of greed and corruption, patently hasn't lost it's magic, as the recent WC illustrated.

And I doubt there's anything the beautiful game can learn from gridiron.

I suspect I'd be more interested in the Pompey book

 

[Saintmagic]

And I doubt there's anything the beautiful game can learn from gridiron.

There is actually, mainly to do with the structure. The best bit about the NFL is the structure and how every team, within a few year cycles, can build a team that can compete. That is basically impossible in football unless you are a smaller club and get taken over by someone willing to pump serious money into it.

Football is too far away from the set up in America though for it ever to be a feasible idea here, so it will continue to be a mis match in terms of 95% of the clubs ever winning anything.

 

[fran-MLs little camera]

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/16306549.Rocket_Men_scoops_publishers_award/

Haven't read this book so not a personal recommendation, but some of the money goes to Kit Aid, a charity to help poor children in Malawi. There has just been a piece on Sky Sports about the charity and all the good it has done to feed, clothe and educate orphans and poor children in Malawi. Very uplifting when you see the children and their gratitude for being able to get an education which would otherwise be denied them.

 

[Saints_Alive]

I don't read many football books, I've only read two and one is about Portsmouth so you wouldn't like that.

But I do recommend this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1785310070/?tag=not606-21

The Ugly Game: How Football Lost its Magic and What it Could Learn from the NFL

It's why I much prefer American Football to the English kind nowadays. Though I recognised the NFL's strengths before I read this book, but it shows how the NFL is superior from a governance point of view in ways I had thought of but also other ways too. It's also well written and witty.

I like the NFL and follow the Pats, but there is no way that it will ever be a global sport like Footy. This last WC showcased everthing that is great about the game, there are many moments of sheer beauty that other team sports just simply cannot match, witness...

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[fran-MLs little camera]

Football is also such a simple game...no fancy equipment....takes a couple of youngsters and a ball and you have a game. I knew as soon as football started being played by young children (notably girls) in America it would gain popularity...simple, exciting game that is not particularly dangerous.

And what's this talk about not being as greedy as football....NFL players are not known for being underpaid.

 

[Saintmagic]

Football is also such a simple game...no fancy equipment....takes a couple of youngsters and a ball and you have a game. I knew as soon as football started being played by young children (notably girls) in America it would gain popularity...simple, exciting game that is not particularly dangerous.

And what's this talk about not being as greedy as football....NFL players are not known for being underpaid.

It's the set up that is different. With the salary cap it means you don't have teams full of superstars and all teams have to rely on the draft (young players) playing key roles. When their contracts run out it is a massive balancing act by the teams to stay under cap and keep the best players, whilst still staying competitive throughout the team. It basically means that all teams have the capability to have at least one top player as they all have the same money to spend on wages. Makes it a much more level playing field.

 

[PompeyLapras]

Hm. Football, despite the pernicious impact of greed and corruption, patently hasn't lost it's magic, as the recent WC illustrated.

And I doubt there's anything the beautiful game can learn from gridiron.

I suspect I'd be more interested in the Pompey book

International football is the last bastion of pure football, I agree the World Cup has a great deal of magic still. It's mostly in terms of governance, it can actually learn a surprisingly large amount. It covers things like coaching, TV coverage, wage caps (of course), and stuff like that.

As for the Portsmouth book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0297852833/?tag=not606-21

It's Up Pompey: A Clueless American Sportswriter Bumbles Through English Football.

I enjoyed it. It was interesting seeing an American perspective of the Premier League, and it covered thosed heady days from 2005 to 2007.

 

[NorfolkSaint]

I've recently bought but not yet read Portrait of an Icon by Daniel Storey. A chapter each for some of the games biggest names, including Le Tiss. All proceeds go to the Sir Bobby Robson foundation as well.

http://www.ockleybooks.co.uk/shop/portrait-of-an-icon-by-daniel-storey

I also remember really enjoying No more Buddha, only Football by Chris England. It's about his journey around the 2002 World Cup so might be a little dated and doesn't meet the 2018 criteria, but it was a great read.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0340825480/?tag=not606-21