What's the best football book of all time?

[AliBobbyJ]

Interesting. Didn't know that. Has he written anything worthwhile on cricket? Genuinely good cricket writers are rare, I find. C.L.R. James wrote one of the best books ever written on cricket, and a lot of other things in passing: Beyond A Boundary.

More to it than cricket but Neville Cardus's autobiography has some lovely writing about his time as assistant cricket coach at Shrewsbury School and reporting for the Manchester Guardian on Roses matches at O.T. and England tours of Australia.

(Born in Rusholme but sadly didn't turn his talents much to writing about City.)

 

[mayo31]

I quite enjoyed it, knowing that it was a novel and giving it that licence. I think Martin Sheen's portrayal of Clough redresses the balance, and the film needs to be seen. He gets just the right mixture of arrogance and vulnerability in the man.

That author, though! I can get through some fairly arduous, reader-unfriendly stuff if I'm determined to (i.e. if I'm getting something out of the book). But I've picked up that book Red or Dead two or three times in bookshops, and I cannot even finish one page of it. It's like having your teeth drilled — all of them, at the same time. It is difficult for me to believe that anyone actually finishes that book.

Peace wrote a book called GB84

Superb read about the miners strike

 

[Norbert D]

When I had a season ticket a few years ago, we got a fee copy of Mike Summerbee’s autobiography. Tbh it wasn’t something I would have bought and it stayed on the shelf for a while but out of boredom I tried a few pages, couldn’t put it down, it was a cracking read.

A must read for anyone interested in football in the 60s and 70s and of course City.

 

[There is a Light]

‘States of Play: How Sportswashing Took Over Football’ by Miguel Delaney, loved by insomniacs worldwide.

 

[traditionalleesy]

Modern Football is Rubbish, an A-Z of all that's wrong with the beautiful game, by Nick Davidson and Shaun Hunt....piss funny!

 

[warringtonblue]

Foul, and the dirty game, both written by Andrew Jennings (who was instrumental in bringing down Sepp Blatter) in the first one he can’t really name names but in the second he most certainly does.
He also wrote 2 about corruption in the olympics called “the new lord of the rings” and “the great Olympic swindle” both well worth a read

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

More to it than cricket but Neville Cardus's autobiography has some lovely writing about his time as assistant cricket coach at Shrewsbury School and reporting for the Manchester Guardian on Roses matches at O.T. and England tours of Australia.

(Born in Rusholme but sadly didn't turn his talents much to writing about City.)

Neville Cardus and C.L.R. James! You couldn't get more absolute polar opposites, in their styles, and their interests. Both great lovers of cricket, though, and connoisseurs of the game.
James, by the way, wrote what is still considered the most serious book on the repercussions of 1789 in the French-speaking Caribbean — The Black Jacobins.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Peace wrote a book called GB84

Superb read about the miners strike

And that would be well worth reading. But only if it were written completely differently to the completely unreadable Red or Dead. I'm supposing it is.

 

[Pell]

Garrincha: The Triumph and Tragedy of Brazil's forgotten football genius.

 

[BrianSaladSurgery.]

Niall Quinns or Lakies are my favourite.

 

[hallsteve62]

That brings back some happy memories. Sticker book iirc?

 

[The Norfolk Blue]

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby is still for me the best. Better than anything else he has written.

Also, now this is fiction not non fiction, I can’t recommend enough “Panenka” by Ronan Hession. Its a short novel and its fucking brilliant.

Yes, I read that many years ago, an excellent read it is/was too,

Paul Lakes was that good, I promptly read it again and had tears in my eyes on both occasions. David White's came a close 2nd after all he went through.

For stand alone brilliance though I doubt anything will get close to Trautmann's Journey by Catrine Clay. The film (although decent) doesn't do justice what that great man went through, and left me aghast at times.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I have a book token and believe it or not, I was thinking of purchasing a book with it. What's the best non fiction book to buy? Not the ones about City 'cos I've already read these.

My daughter bought me Made in Manchester. It's new this year. And it's all about Manchester. Social and economic history at its best. I've walloped the first fifty pages. The downside, I've not got there yet, is that there will be some Rag shit to wade through - they've got a graphic of The Swamp on the front. Mind, it's only the dust cover so that could be removed and yer could avoid the chapter. Trouble is it might be mixed up with that other team that won FOUR FUCKIN' PL TITLES IN A ROW! NOBODY HAD DONE THAT TILL NOW!

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Garrincha: The Triumph and Tragedy of Brazil's forgotten football genius.

After reading that he lost his virginity to a goat the book was always going to struggle to maintain it's high level of shock and astonishment

 

[mexico1970]

That brings back some happy memories. Sticker book iirc?

Spot on mate, this is what the inside looks like. Look at the stature of those players mate?

 

[Bluethemaway]

I bought ‘Play Football with Pele’ in the late 70’s when I was 15/16, it would be my most influential football book as well, after reading it my game changed forever, I progressed from a centre back into a number ten, goal scoring play maker, scoring the goals in the last game of the season that won my Sunday team the league and winning many player of the season awards. I have so many great memories of playing and I always put it down to Pele’s book.

 

[hallsteve62]

Spot on mate, this is what the inside looks like. Look at the stature of those players mate?

View attachment 124127

Got any swapsies? lol

 

[Whether or not]

Left Foot Forward by Garry Nelson is certainly the football book I have enjoyed the most. Whether it is the best is obviously subjective, but it is a cracking account of the struggles of a lower league journeyman player.

 

[ballbag]

Lakey's book
and
Blue Moon: Down Among the Dead Men with Manchester City (this just pips it for me). Captures the season in our lowest ever period with all the humour I remember from back then.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

I read the City book Teenage Kicks about the 1986 FA Youth Cup winning team.
It was very good.