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The third and final part of the highly acclaimed The Smell of Football trilogy, bringing to life the day-to-day running of a professional football club.Mick ‘Baz’ Rathbone concludes his riveting football memoir with a 100-day diary starting in the early 2024/25 season. Once again, he brings us a unique insight into the world of professional football, this time through his role as a physio:Written with humour and candour, the book demonstrates that incredibly fine line between winning and losing – the width of a goalpost or a referee’s decision – and the diametrically opposed emotions they bringTakes the reader on a roller-coaster ride of emotions from the mundane yet fascinating day-to-day happenings of the medical team at a famous old League Two club, to the utter despair of a relentless losing streak and the pressure that comes with itSee the internal world of a professional football club through the eyes of the physioLearn about Mick’s role and responsibility, and the pressure on him to provide the manager with the strongest team possible, week in and week out, as the demand for results increases exponentially across the seasonThis book is for diehard fans who support their team unconditionally. It will show them just how much the players and officials really do care, and just how painful and emotionally draining defeat is. It is an honest account that draws on the author’s incredible 50 years in professional sport.

The searingly honest and unputdownable sequel to the award-winning The Smell of Football, balancing laugh-out-loud moments with darker periods of difficult self-reflection.In this engrossing and moving memoir, Mick ‘Baz’ Rathbone picks up from where his highly acclaimed debut tome left off:We follow him from his shock departure from his role as head of medical at Everton in 2010, to finally finding the internal peace and self-worth he has searched for all his life, some ten years and ten teams later, on a paradise island in the CaribbeanHe takes us on a hilarious, yet thought-provoking journey through the international team’s setup via the biggest club in the world and many other famous football clubs along the waySkilfully told, in the same self-deprecating way as the original, there are great stories involving such football luminaries as David Moyes, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton and the late, great Ray Clemence to name but a fewWith revealing insights into the world of professional football, Mick highlights how the game has changed since he left school in 1975, as a wide-eyed 16-year-old, to join his beloved hometown club, Birmingham CityAt its heart, this is a book about doubt and lack of direction and an ageing man searching for his rightful place at the football table, increasingly filled by younger and more academically qualified protagonists, fear of the future and the fear of growing old. Mick’s story will resonate with all football fans, and especially those of a certain age – from any walk of life – who are fighting to stay relevant.

An under-the-skin chronicle of Tottenham Hotspur’s historic 2024/25 season – from a national press reporter who was there to witness every astonishing twist and turn. Perfect for any Spurs fan!By Tom Barclay, Tottenham Hotspur reporter for The Sun.Tottenham’s unforgettable 2024/25 season saw the north London club end their 17-year trophy drought despite the wheels coming off in their Premier League campaign. Barclay was there to witness it all and was one of the main reporters asking questions of Ange Postecoglou and his players throughout. This riveting book:Relives every major event from Postecoglou''s follow-up term in charge at Spurs, where the Australian kept up his proud record of second-season silverware with Europa League glory in Bilbao – and was still sacked anywayGoes behind the scenes for all the key decisions made over transfers, tactics, injuries, team selections, protests, victory-parade speeches and more during a period unique in the club''s 143-year historyIncludes the views of all the key players, coaching staff and power-brokers involvedProvides fresh insight into the decisions that were made throughout the campaign, including on transfers and the tactical switch Ange Postecoglou employed to win the Europa LeagueFrom the mistakes made in pre-season, to a gruelling winter of discontent, to the European triumph that will live forever with players and fans alike, Miracle in Bilbao details every step of a Tottenham campaign like no other – and one that Spurs supporters will talk about for decades to come.

Bill McCracken, the Offside King is the first biography of a football pioneer and Newcastle United legend who forced a fundamental change to the rules of the game. Written by former Newcastle United official club historian Paul Joannou, this gripping book is a must-read for all Magpies fans and anyone interested in football history or nostalgia. Brought up in Belfast, Bill was a much-wanted talent at full-back and became a key figure in Newcastle’s great Edwardian line-up. Read how:McCracken was the most talked about player in the years before and after World War One as Newcastle United’s defensive master in a line-up at the very top of the game – his playing career spanned more than 20 yearsHe claimed notoriety for his perfect execution of the offside trap, a tactic which caused uproar on the terraces and was widely copied, earning him the nickname ‘the Offside King’Something of a rebel with a cause, the likeable, yet at times controversial Irishman fought a long-running feud with the Irish FA over paymentsLater he was a respected manager with Hull City, with whom he got within a whisker of the FA Cup final, before taking charge of Gateshead, Millwall and AldershotAfterwards, as a celebrated talent scout, he remained active in the game into his 90sBill’s fascinating career and huge influence on football are explored in detail in this superbly researched biography, published a century on from when ‘McCrackenism’ changed the face of football.

John Wight spares nothing in his appraisal of Glasgow Celtic Football Club as a cause to live by rather than just a club to support, with a special focus on the 1980s. By the author of This Boxing Game: A Journey in Beautiful Brutality, this engrossing book is perfect for all Celtic fans and anyone interested in social history. During the tempestuous 1980s, when Thatcher and Thatcherism ruled the roost, Wight found sanctuary and meaning in Celtic FC. In this enthralling book he:Explains the ‘whys’ as well as the ‘whats’ of Celtic, blending personal memoir with social historyOffers a deeply personal insight into the 1980s as experienced by a devout Celtic supporterDelves into the compelling history of Glasgow Celtic FC from its inception onwardsAssesses the role of Hibernian FC in Celtic’s formation and seminal moments in the club’s pastProfiles some of the club’s legendsExplores the club’s Irish roots and identityWriting with uncommon honesty and clarity, Wight mines the contours of football as a sport and entity that is far greater than the sum of its parts to bring us an inimitable account of a unique club and time.

Discover or relive the legendary Kenny Dalglish’s brilliant playing career through 50 pivotal Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland matches.From Tom Brogan, author of the widely acclaimed Going to the Wire: English Football''s Finest Final Day Acts of Escapology and We Made Them Angry: Scotland at the World Cup Spain 1982.This fascinating book showcases 50 matches that track Kenny’s trajectory – from a young, natural talent to one of the greatest to ever play the game. Inside you will find:An in-depth look at Dalglish’s early career from before he made it big, including his days playing boys’ club football, his caps for Scotland Schoolboys and his time in Celtic’s reservesA deep dive into the relationships Dalglish formed on the pitch with team-mates, focussing on his strike partnerships with Dixie Deans and Ian Rush, as well as his close relationships with Sandy Jardine and Graeme SounessAn examination of the relationships Kenny had with the coaches and managers who helped to shape the player he became: from his bond with Bobby Dinnie (the scout who discovered him), to his connection with Celtic reserve team boss Sean Fallon, to his relationships with managers such as Jock Stein and Bob PaisleyInsight from those who played against Dalglish on what made him such a difficult opponentA new slant on some classic Celtic, Liverpool and Scotland gamesEssential reading for all fans of Liverpool, Celtic or Scottish football, this enthralling book unpicks what made Dalglish such a special player for almost 20 years as he won trophies and set records at the top level.

There Are Places I Remember whisks us back to the domestic dysfunction and unexpected European glory of Liverpool''s 2004/05 season, when the Reds seemed to match every two steps forward with one to the side and one back.From British Sports Book Awards-shortlisted author Steven Scragg.Steven, who attended almost every Liverpool game that season and was on the terraces of the Atatürk Olympic Stadium for the final, brings us a first-hand account of one of football''s most astonishing stories, with views from the pitch and press box:Scragg pairs his own personal perspective of this unforgettable campaign with player and journalist testimoniesInsights into the often frantic nature of the chaotic 2004/05 season, as new manager Rafael Benítez attempts to build a team fit for Champions League glory amid an incredible injury crisisExplores the chemistry at play in Benítez''s squad, as he sifts through the players inherited from Gérard Houllier, working out who to keep and who to discard while trying to motivate his men to an unlikely gloryRecollections and experiences of supporters who were not only in Istanbul, but also took in the trips to Graz, Athens, A Coruna, Monte Carlo, Leverkusen, Turin and LondonRelive the chaos as Liverpool lift ''Old Big Ears'' for the fifth time, under the most ludicrous of circumstances, as Scragg brings the drama to life. A must-read not only for Liverpool supporters, but all football lovers.

Hot Shot Tottenham guides you expertly through the transformative 1980s, both on and off the pitch, for Spurs and English football, with exclusive insight from players and fans. Perfect for all Spurs supporters and anyone interested in 1980s football. By Gareth Dace, author of the widely acclaimed Is Gascoigne Going to Have a Crack: Spurs in the 90s, Magic, Mayhem and Mediocrity. In this riveting book you will find:An easy-to-read season-by-season account covering all the key matches, players and events from 1979/80 to 1989/90Exclusive interviews with Spurs heroes Steve Perryman, Clive Allen, Tony Parks, Terry Gibson, Guy Butters and Vinny SamwaysA full list of club results and goalscorers, plus mentions of every 1980s first-team player – 83 names in allContributions from famous journalists Julie Welch, Mihir Bose and Tim VickeryA comprehensive review of the club’s off-field fortunes that covers managerial changes, boardroom battles and listing on the Stock ExchangeAnalysis of the wider football climate, including hooliganism, stadium tragedies and commercial challengesHot Shot Tottenham is your guide to a dramatic decade of glory nights, near misses and boardroom upheaval, when Spurs boasted an iconic team of legends with the likes of Chris Waddle, Paul Gascoigne and Gary Lineker lighting up the pitch.

Brendan Madden delves into archives and secret files, and speaks to those who were there, to uncover Spanish football’s most incredible hidden stories.Perfect for anyone interested in Spanish football or wider Spanish culture and history.In this passionately crafted collection brimming with compelling characters, you’ll learn about:The team-mates persecuted by Franco’s regime for a humble protestHow the fastest winger in the land became a Nazi spyThe boy abandoned at an orphanage who became a rebellious generational talentTwo rising stars caught in one of Spain’s deadliest firesThe boardroom figures who defied ETA and Galicia’s drug cartelsJohan Cruyff’s bizarre stint at LevanteThe extraordinary life of the man who gave the world ‘tiki-taka’How a Blackpool lad became the cherished voice of Spanish TVThe goal that shook Barcelona in the middle of the nightThe profound connection between Cádiz’s carnival and its football clubMeet new heroes and villains in this meticulously researched anthology, which offers a vivid, deeply human glimpse into Spanish football – and the culture, politics and history that shaped it.

Ruling the Roost: The Managers of Sheffield Wednesday explores the tenure of every manager of this famous football club, turning the spotlight on each man’s record and achievements. Penned by experienced football writer and lifelong Owls supporter Richard Crooks, this fascinating and absorbing book:Gets beneath the skin of the various characters who have filled the Hillsborough hot-seat amid the club’s changing fortunes, examining the record and achievements of every managerFeatures illuminating insights from ex-Wednesday manager and player Chris TurnerProvides lucid and interesting views on all the managers since the mid-1970s – courtesy of experienced local broadcaster and reporter Alan BiggsReveals who was in Jack Charlton’s ‘little black book’, which manager has the best win percentage and who was a member of the Moral Re-armament LeagueCovers the highs and lows of league championships, FA Cup and League Cup wins, fighting to avoid relegation to the fourth tier, plus their handling of off-field issues such as the betting scandal of the 1960s and a potential players’ strike before an FA Cup finalFeatures a statistical breakdown of each manager’s time in charge to provide a rounded picture of their tenureThis book is a must-read for all Sheffield Wednesday supporters and anyone interested in the history of the game.

Nights in Gold Satin is the story of a momentous time in football for both Wolverhampton Wanderers and the wider game. The groundbreaking ‘floodlit friendlies’ of the 1950s would be the catalyst for the competition we now call the Champions League.Written by Jake Perry, a lifelong supporter of the club, whose previous books include the widely acclaimed The Secret Game and Playing With Teeth.In this enthralling book you will find:An affectionate and revealing portrait of an iconic chapter in the history of Wolverhampton Wanderers and the wider European gameA riveting account of the impact of the floodlit friendlies and their place in the establishment of the European CupAnalysis of the tactics and training methods that brought Wolves to dominanceAn engaging narrative based on contemporary sources and eyewitness accounts, with exclusive contributions from legendary Wolves playersCrowned league champions in 1954, the advent of the floodlit age gave Stan Cullis’s Wolves an opportunity to test themselves against some of the best sides in the world. Most celebrated was the visit of Honvéd, a team boasting six of the Hungary players who had humbled England at Wembley the year before. Wolves’ win restored national pride and led some to hail them ‘champions of the world’. Out of the debate that followed, the European Cup was born.Nights in Gold Satin is a must-read for all Wolves fans and anyone interested in football history.

Every language has its sports-related phrases: in English one communicates through metaphors originating in boxing, horse-racing, cricket and even fencing. Why do Argentinians almost exclusively express themselves through footbal? ame Bola takes us on a journey through the many intriguing words, phrases and concepts used by Argentinians not only in their football but also in everyday society. The book explores identity and the inextricable link between football and life. Enjoy a deep dive into the cultural, historical and linguistic context of football terminology and the concepts unique to the Argentinian beautiful – and sometimes not so beautiful – game.

Doing a Leeds charts the roller-coaster ride of Leeds United over two dramatic decades in 1996–2005, exploring how the Whites went from living the Champions League dream to bankruptcy, relegation and a fire sale within four years.Follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Man with the Plan: Howard Wilkinson''s Leeds United.Under chairman Peter Ridsdale, Leeds seemed to be on the brink of glory, but then the nightmare began. The Bowyer/Woodgate trial and financial collapse were followed by a player fire sale. Then came another sale and relegation. This eye-opening book brings you:A no-holds-barred analysis of what went wrong, including the personal ambitions and misjudgements that took the club off course to make this a cautionary tale of how not to run a businessNew revelations of what went on behind the scenesExclusive interviews with the likes of former Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson and striker Michael Ricketts, who joined Leeds from Middlesbrough in 2004 following the takeover by Gerald KrasnerThe inside track from Leeds United Supporters'' Trust chairman John Boocock, who had first-hand dealings with board members at the club, including Peter Ridsdale, and worked with some of the men who were looking to buy the club in 2004Dave Tomlinson gives us the fans'' perspective, revealing how their trust was abused and their hopes and dreams crushed in a story of controversies, legal disputes, faux white knights and false dawns. So, strap in and get ready for the ride!

Dave Worthington takes us inside the secret world of a top-tier football scout who has witnessed 20 epoch-making years of the Premier League. Foreword by ex-Bolton and England manager Sam Allardyce.Of major interest to all football fans but especially Bolton, Chelsea, Hull, Blackburn, Sunderland, West Ham, Leicester and Everton supporters.Lifting the lift on the dynamic, clandestine, pressurised, sometimes humdrum, often crazy life of a football talent-spotter, in this revealing autobiography we find Dave:Unearthing hidden gems for Sam Allardyce to polish at BoltonHelping Jose Mourinho spend big as part of Chelsea''s ''Roman Empire''Providing the means for Leicester to shock the worldWitnessing first-hand at Everton how messy things get when you recruit three faltering number 10s and strikers who don''t scoreFew scouts have experienced Premier League history at close quarters in the 21st century as Dave Worthington has. But then few people have two footballing parents, fewer still grow up as one of three brothers who all became professionals and even fewer go on to make close to 500 Football League appearances, securing cult status as Dave did at Grimsby.Worthy is also about the making of a scout and how a unique upbringing, lengthy playing career and lifelong love of the game equipped Dave to judge the best for the best.

Funny and poignant coming-of-age story about a life spent following one of England''s most brilliantly chaotic football clubs – Newcastle United.Debut book by Andrew Nagy, journalist for GQ, Esquire and Men''s Health.Andrew was only 16 in 1992 and, as the UK stormed into its most hedonistic decade since the ''60s, he was on a swashbuckling adventure of his own, supporting the new Premier League''s most exciting football team.A must-read for all Magpies fans, The Battle for Newcastle United includes:A riveting dual timeline narrative – encompassing both the 1990s and modern day football – packed with warm nostalgia and current crisis pointsTales of fake sheikhs and foul-mouthed gaffers, superstar signings and downright shady dealings, gun-toting Colombians and mysterious Uruguayans, relegation and promotionVarious laugh-out-loud moments – not least the author''s account of a dodgy B&B on semi-final weekend that gave rise to an elderly lady honeypot situationA frank look at negligent ownership, state control and football obsessionStarring the unadulterated joy of Kevin Keegan''s Entertainers and the soulless trudge of Mike Ashley''s zombified Magpies, this book is about why we fall in love with football … and a warning about what can happen when that love is pushed to the very limit.

Discover the rock-bottom moments in the histories of 19 disparate football clubs, through stories rich in colour and context that rarely have a happy ending – but which every fan can relate to. By Phil Harrison, author of the critically acclaimed Inside the Hermit Kingdom: Football Stories from Stalinist Albania – as featured by The Guardian and Daily Mail.Showcasing a miscellany of spectacularly diverse stories from the last five decades from across Europe, this unique book includes:Six guest chapters featuring the pained recollections of established authors (Alex Ireland, Miguel Lourenço Pereira, Paul McQuade), ex-professional footballers (Richard Shaw), musicians (Jonny and Tom Foster; Hardwicke Circus) and social media influencers (Michael Hamlen)Tales involving many of Europe''s biggest clubs: Ajax, Barcelona, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Celtic, Manchester United and City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa and many moreA close look at the meteoric, single-season rise and fall of Bayer 04, Barcelona''s abortive attempt to quell the demons of Francoist Spanish rule, Ajax''s staggering 2014 KNVB Cup Final fail, the end of Manchester City''s first golden era and Arsenal''s 70-game traipse towards oblivionFilled with accounts of the bad and the ugly football experiences that changed the lives of fans – and not in a good way – this gripping book serves as a reminder that football, for most fans, is a perpetual vortex of anguish, near misses and abject disappointment.