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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 13:39:21 GMT 1
Esquire have just done a piece on what they reckon are the 11 best football books: www.esquire.co.uk/culture/sport/6094/11-best-football-books/How many have you read, and do you agree with their choices? What else should be on there? Looking for some (football related) reading material for the holidays. For my money, the 'national' books Calcio (Italy), Tor (Germany), Brilliant Orange (Holland) and Morbo (Spain) would be my desert island football reading. Have to agree with The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro from the Esquire list. N.B. We'll just accept that Mansfield's book is a given
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 13:54:23 GMT 1
Cheers, Biffy! Still plenty of copies left, with Father's Day looming large ... Have to also add that Jim Brown's 'HUDDERSFIELD TOWN CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND 1923-26' is a great read. Not looked at the Esquire list, but I'm guessing that 'THE DAMNED UNITED' will be on there too ...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 14:02:18 GMT 1
Cheers, Biffy! Still plenty of copies left, with Father's Day looming large ... Have to also add that Jim Brown's 'HUDDERSFIELD TOWN CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND 1923-26' is a great read. Not looked at the Esquire list, but I'm guessing that 'THE DAMNED UNITED' will be on there too ... Indeed, you have just talked me into ordering one for my Dad! - JT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 14:10:53 GMT 1
Payment received, Jimmy. Thanks. Will post tomorrow.
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Post by gledholt terrier on Jun 7, 2015 14:48:29 GMT 1
All Played Out is excellent and has a great bit about the England v Ireland game epitomising what was wrong with the game in the British Isles.
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
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Post by dooky82 on Jun 7, 2015 19:01:38 GMT 1
Can anyone recommend any lower league player or manager autobiographies?
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 19:18:00 GMT 1
Wouldn't recommend it, but I read THE SECRET FOOTBALLER which was pretty much tosh. Too many uninteresting anecdotes and not enough names. Also read Rodney Marsh's autobiography. Quite good, but he really has/had a very high opinion of himself which, I suppose, is only to be expected. Also read a book supposedly by Jeff Stelling - JELLYMAN'S THROWN A WOBBLY or something akin to that. Very funny moments from Gillette Soccer Soecials. That's a good one.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 19:19:05 GMT 1
Tom Cowan's book is a good read. Lower League AND Town related!
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Post by Nickhudds.UTT on Jun 7, 2015 19:24:28 GMT 1
Fever Pitch Nick Hornby
Best football book
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Post by workshyfop on Jun 7, 2015 19:35:55 GMT 1
Can anyone recommend any lower league player or manager autobiographies? The Garry Nelson ones are decent - "Left Foot Forward" and "Left Foot In The Grave". There's one about Millwall that's meant to be good, but I've not got round to reading it yet - "Family: Life, Death and Football" by Michael Calvin (he also wrote one I have read called "Nowhere Men", about scouting, statistics, moneyball, etc. and it's excellent).
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Post by otium (EPBS) on Jun 7, 2015 19:42:27 GMT 1
Football books are all pretty turgid generally. Reading Jacobo Timmermans "Prisoner without a name, cell without a number". A Jewish political prisoner tortured in the 70's fascist Argentina. Just finished Nabokovs "The Luzhin defense"...an over-rated novelist? My eclectic taste means i do two books a week...i never know whats next. Books are life.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 19:43:44 GMT 1
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 19:46:44 GMT 1
Football books are all pretty turgid generally. Reading Jacobo Timmermans "Prisoner without a name, cell without a number". A Jewish political prisoner tortured in the 70's fascist Argentina. Just finished Nabokovs "The Luzhin defense"...an over-rated novelist? My eclectic taste means i do two books a week...i never know whats next. Books are life. Fucking hell Otium. If someone says they've been to Tenerife, you always have to go one better and say you've been to Elevenerife.
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Post by otium (EPBS) on Jun 7, 2015 20:05:49 GMT 1
Room for us all Biffo..room for us all.
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Post by Walton-on-the-Hill Terrier on Jun 7, 2015 20:11:33 GMT 1
Can anyone recommend any lower league player or manager autobiographies? Pointless....a season with Britain's worst football team, by Jeff Connor About East Stirlingshire. Fantastic supporters that can laugh at themselves.
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paulsg
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Post by paulsg on Jun 7, 2015 20:42:27 GMT 1
Terry Yorath Hard Knocks Jacko's book, including his wife's contribtion Autobiogs, by Tony Adams, Paul McGrath and Clarke Carlisle - not cheery holiday reading but honest & moving Duncan Shearer - Shearer Wonderland, includes Town Andy Morrison - The Good the bad and the Ugly - tough Bobby Robson - Fairwell but not Goodbye - fascinating Frank Worthington - On Hump or Two (joke!)
Best books on football -
Gary Imlach - My Father and other Working Class Football Heroes Duncan Hamilton - The Footballer who could fly Colin Shindler - Man Utd Ruined My Life, and several others by same author
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 20:51:11 GMT 1
Terry Yorath Hard Knocks Jacko's book, including his wife's contribtion Autobiogs, by Tony Adams, Paul McGrath and Clarke Carlisle - not cheery holiday reading but honest & moving Duncan Shearer - Shearer Wonderland, includes Town Andy Morrison - The Good the bad and the Ugly - tough Bobby Robson - Fairwell but not Goodbye - fascinating Frank Worthington - On Hump or Two (joke!) Best books on football - Gary Imlach - My Father and other Working Class Football Heroes Duncan Hamilton - The Footballer who could fly Colin Shindler - Man Utd Ruined My Life, and several others by same author The Gary Imlach book is wonderful. It's a shame that enlightened Otium writes off such beautiful social commentary as low-brow turgid tomes for the masses...
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Post by araucaria on Jun 7, 2015 20:58:05 GMT 1
Football Against The Enemy includes the story of Helmut Klopfleish, who supported Hertha Berlin. He was 13 when the Berlin Wall cut him off in the East from his football club in the West. He had to wait 28 years before he next saw his club play at home.
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Amigo
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Post by Amigo on Jun 7, 2015 21:07:47 GMT 1
The Unstoppable Keeper about Lutz Pfannenstiel is an interesting read, not sure anyone has had quite a unique career. Bullard's is quite funny and Vinny Jones was quite interesting as it also shows him crossing over to Hollywood. Agree about The Secret Footballer, it was so secret I gave up about a third of the way through.
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Post by space hardware on Jun 7, 2015 21:08:40 GMT 1
Terry Yorath Hard Knocks Jacko's book, including his wife's contribtion Autobiogs, by Tony Adams, Paul McGrath and Clarke Carlisle - not cheery holiday reading but honest & moving Duncan Shearer - Shearer Wonderland, includes Town Andy Morrison - The Good the bad and the Ugly - tough Bobby Robson - Fairwell but not Goodbye - fascinating Frank Worthington - On Hump or Two (joke!) Best books on football - Gary Imlach - My Father and other Working Class Football Heroes Duncan Hamilton - The Footballer who could fly Colin Shindler - Man Utd Ruined My Life, and several others by same author The Gary Imlach one is magnificent. The Paul McGrath one makes for fascinating but utterly grim reading.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2015 21:14:21 GMT 1
The Unstoppable Keeper about Lutz Pfannenstiel is an interesting read, not sure anyone has had quite a unique career. Bullard's is quite funny and Vinny Jones was quite interesting as it also shows him crossing over to Hollywood. Agree about The Secret Footballer, it was so secret I gave up about a third of the way through. Didn't he spend some time at Town? I had zero recall of him, but sure it was mentioned in a Danny Baker interview. In a completely different way, A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke is a worthwhile read. Even more so for those who believe depression is just about 'cheering up and pulling yourself together', etc.
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Amigo
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Post by Amigo on Jun 7, 2015 21:23:29 GMT 1
The Unstoppable Keeper about Lutz Pfannenstiel is an interesting read, not sure anyone has had quite a unique career. Bullard's is quite funny and Vinny Jones was quite interesting as it also shows him crossing over to Hollywood. Agree about The Secret Footballer, it was so secret I gave up about a third of the way through. Didn't he spend some time at Town? I had zero recall of him, but sure it was mentioned in a Danny Baker interview. In a completely different way, A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of Robert Enke is a worthwhile read. Even more so for those who believe depression is just about 'cheering up and pulling yourself together', etc. Yeah he did, I never remembered him being here either but it was when Macari was around and apparently we wanted to keep him but he'd just got out of prison and didn't feel ready, think he played a few reserve games.
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Post by terracesider on Jun 7, 2015 21:41:08 GMT 1
Gary Imlach's book - a good read - more social comment than football book.
The latest Ferguson autobiography - which was a recent "toilet book" for me - utter rubbish. Probably a quick few bob at the end of the great man's career - but not worth the time.
But; possibly the saddest sports book that I've read was by Duncan Hamilton (mentioned above) "Provided you don't kiss me" which is the story of the author's relationship with one of my football hero's (Cloughie.) A very good read, but, if you DO read it be prepared for some serious disillusionment.
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Post by otium (EPBS) on Jun 7, 2015 21:59:26 GMT 1
Terry Yorath Hard Knocks Jacko's book, including his wife's contribtion Autobiogs, by Tony Adams, Paul McGrath and Clarke Carlisle - not cheery holiday reading but honest & moving Duncan Shearer - Shearer Wonderland, includes Town Andy Morrison - The Good the bad and the Ugly - tough Bobby Robson - Fairwell but not Goodbye - fascinating Frank Worthington - On Hump or Two (joke!) Best books on football - Gary Imlach - My Father and other Working Class Football Heroes Duncan Hamilton - The Footballer who could fly Colin Shindler - Man Utd Ruined My Life, and several others by same author The Gary Imlach book is wonderful. It's a shame that enlightened Otium writes off such beautiful social commentary as low-brow turgid tomes for the masses... Not all bad, but certainly low brow. Cloughs was entertaining, Best, Worthington. Lifes just too short, its like watching footy on the box....not my (pigs bladder) bag.
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midlander
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Post by midlander on Jun 7, 2015 22:01:09 GMT 1
Can anyone recommend any lower league player or manager autobiographies? "Where's Your Caravan?" the autobiography by Chris Hargreaves is highly recommended.
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Post by workshyfop on Jun 7, 2015 22:22:16 GMT 1
Football Against The Enemy includes the story of Helmut Klopfleish, who supported Hertha Berlin. He was 13 when the Berlin Wall cut him off in the East from his football club in the West. He had to wait 28 years before he next saw his club play at home. I started following Hertha Berlin's results on the strength of that story. The blue and white stripes help too. What a great book that is.
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Post by morleyterrier on Jun 8, 2015 5:22:41 GMT 1
Not sure you can call this a 'good' read by I couldn't put down; Keith Gillespie - how not to be a football millionaire
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realmadkid
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Post by realmadkid on Jun 8, 2015 8:38:17 GMT 1
Can anyone recommend any lower league player or manager autobiographies? Would highly recommend Fred Eyre's books, 'Kicked into Touch' and 'Taking the Mike'. Fred was a lower league journeyman of the 60s / 70s era - turned millionaire businessman. They are very funny indeed but unsure whether they are still available. He had an extended trial at Town in the 60s when Eddie Boot was manager.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2015 8:56:12 GMT 1
Ronald Reng - A Life too Short. At the time of his death, Reng and Robert Enke were holding preliminary meetings regarding Enke's autobiography. It's a genuinely moving story which helped me to understand depression much more deeply. One of the most striking parts was that Enke was crippled with self-doubt when he played at the top level; when he went to Barcelona he was almost paralysed by the fear of making a mistake and he only returned to health when he was dropped to the reserves or dropped to a lower level. His problems returned when he was the favourite to succeed Oliver Kahn as the German number 1.
I am Zlatan was a completely different read, but had some funny anecdotes along the way.
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Post by DeepSpace on Jun 8, 2015 9:00:46 GMT 1
A few I'd have put on the list:
A Great Face For Radio - John Anderson's book about life as a football commentator
The Ballad Of Mad Dog McLeod - a brilliantly funny book about a guy's adventures with the Tartan Army, oil rigs, alcoholism & somehow rarely missing an away match without ever buying a ticket.
El Diego - Maradona'sautobiography.
I've just started reading The Miracle of Castel di Sangro about an Italian village team that started in local district leagues & briefly hit the heights of Serie B.
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