What's the best football book of all time?

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Bilston Blue said:
A Season With Verona by Tim Parks. An Italian based British writer who decides to follow one of the Verona teams (can't remember if it's Hellas or Chievo) for the season. A great insight into the culture of Italian football fans and the sport in Italy in general. Some funny moments spent on 18 hour bus rides with a group of ultras singing about shagging the drivers daughter... but seriously a good read.
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i don´t like italian football at all, but this is indeed a good book. It was Hellas Verona by the way, still Serie A at that time, but already in decline
 
Ruhr said:
Bilston Blue said:
A Season With Verona by Tim Parks. An Italian based British writer who decides to follow one of the Verona teams (can't remember if it's Hellas or Chievo) for the season. A great insight into the culture of Italian football fans and the sport in Italy in general. Some funny moments spent on 18 hour bus rides with a group of ultras singing about shagging the drivers daughter... but seriously a good read.
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i don´t like italian football at all, but this is indeed a good book. It was Hellas Verona by the way, still Serie A at that time, but already in decline
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Another shout for this. Read it about 5 years ago, and I`m tempted to read it again.

9780099422679.jpg
 
The Beautiful Game? by David Conn. This guy is one of the best investigative journalists in sport and the book details the shady shenanigans and double dealing in football.

If you want to see a sample of his writing he regularly writes for the Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/davidconn

Oh, and most importantly, he supports the greatest team in the world...guess who
 
mcnil said:
the big book of city by gary james

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Book-City-Gary-James/dp/0955812720" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Book-City-G ... 0955812720</a>
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Thanks. Very much appreciated.
 
Can only endorse what's been said about Morbo. Have been dying to read some of the others suggested like A Season in Verona, and I'll certainly be hoping that The Ball is Round makes it into my Christmas stocking!
 
Haven't read many books about football (insights, biographies etc), but have read a few novels which have football at the 'heart' of it and would recommend the usual suspects of 'Fever Pitch' and 'Damned Utd'. Though you may have seen the films, which may ruin it. Especially 'Fever Pitch'.
 
I would reccommend Gary James' book on the history of Manchester football. Also, Fred Eyre's 'Kicked into touch' is a great book about football in the days before 20 grand a week salaries and is also very, very funny.
 
Get 'The Italian Job' by Gianluca Vialli and Gabrielle Marcotti - it's THE best football book I've read and I've read Morbo and a few others mentioned on here. It's not an autobiography but is all about contrasting Italian with English football and gives insights into the different cultures and styles of football in the two countries. And includes the views of Mourinho, Wenger, Lippi et al.

It's top. So get it.

In fact anyone on here who simultaneoulsy clamours for us to play a fast-based winger-centric 4-4-2 formation and begs us to get Mourinho in as manager should read it. He'd never listen to you.
 
kippaxwarrior said:
All Played Out by Pete Davis

He was given unlimited access to the England team during World Cup 90
Real warts all all stuff(something which wouldnt happen now) great stories on Barnes, Waddle and of course Gazza and the late Sir Bobby
Its brilliant
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This^^^

We never had this sort of insight into a world cup campaign before and we never will again

If you remember Italia 90 (the Cameroon game, Rijkaard gobbing in that German porn star's hair, Platt's goal against Belgium, Toto Schillacci, Gazza's tears) then this is the book for you.
 
i always return to 'the rules and regulations of the FA' by sir alex ferguson. i get angry sometimes when i see him getting away with all and sundry, but when i pick it up, i reaslise he is in fact right.

silly me.
 
A few stand out - "Broken Dreams" by Tom Bower, which looks at corruption within the English game, and "Only a Game" by Eamon Dunphy, a diary of a real footballer well written. Dunphy is actually a great writer, never mind his association with the Roy Keane book, the guy knows his stuff and how to express himself
 
The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw - The Robin Friday Story, by Paul McGuigan (ex oasis I believe) and Paolo Hewitt. Interesting read about an undoubtably talented footballer who had most success whilst with Reading. He would go partying for days and was renouned for his outrageous behavoir, his career went downhill and he died at the young age of 38.
 
howiedeblue said:
Joe Mercer.....Football with a smile.

My favourite city book, but all those mentioned by Gary James wont be a waste of your voucher.

HDB
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Thanks. It's also the book I enjoyed writing most. It's been out of print now since 1994 (it came out in 1993, hardback, then 1994, paperback, but sold out each time within a year).

I'm desperately trying to get it revised and updated for sale next year. Rather than simply reprint it I want to update the text where I can and change the majority of images.

It'll probably only be produced in a limited number (1,000 copies) because, like most of my books, it's quite expensive to produce and there's been so many other books written about the Mercer-Allison years since "Football With A Smile" came out that it'll be a bit of a gamble.

If I get agreement and the opportunity to publish, it'll be revealed on <a class="postlink" href="http://www.manchesterfootball.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.manchesterfootball.org</a> and here on Bluemoon as soon as I can.

I notice there's also been mention of "Manchester: A Football History" - that is definitely being updated for sale next year and a subscriber offer is already in place for a discounted version, with the purchasers' names included in the book. Details can be found low down on page: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.manchesterfootball.org/publications.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.manchesterfootball.org/publications.php</a>

Cheers,

Gary
 
BLUEMATT69 said:
The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw - The Robin Friday Story, by Paul McGuigan (ex oasis I believe) and Paolo Hewitt. Interesting read about an undoubtably talented footballer who had most success whilst with Reading. He would go partying for days and was renouned for his outrageous behavoir, his career went downhill and he died at the young age of 38.
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Yes.... big thumbs up for this one... but the title can be misleading, cos once you've read the book it seems as though you really did see him play...

The Super Furry Animals song 'The Man Don't Give A F**k' was about Robin Friday, allegedly.
 
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