Pitch Publishing Ltd strana 5 z 7

Forgotten Football Clubs of Great Britain and Ireland is a nostalgic journey through the histories of clubs that left an indelible mark on the sport, yet no longer exist.Philip O''Rourke delves into the narratives of 50 defunct teams from around England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, uncovering their origins, achievements and the circumstances that led to their extinction. Along the way, we learn about their key players and managers and any controversies surrounding them.Inside you’ll discover:Interviews with fans and journalists that help bring the story of each club to lifeHow George Best ended up playing for a League of Ireland sideThe History of Wanderers FC and how they won the first FA CupHow the first ever Welsh Cup finalist, Druids FC, became a forgotten clubThe story of Renton FC, the Scottish club who were once world champions but are now just a memoryHow one English club, Corinthians, influenced some of the world’s top sides despite staying at amateur level for so longHow Drumcondra AFC took on Europe, but now just play in the local football leagueThis engrossing book is a heartfelt tribute to the teams that once brought joy to their supporters, but now survive only in memory or archival record.

Explore the careers of every goalkeeper who has stood between the sticks for Merseyside giants Everton FC, with exclusive insight from some of the keepers themselves.Meticulously researched, this compelling book is brimming with fascinating stories of the club’s leading last lines of defence, including:Ted Sagar and his 24-year spell with the ToffeesDouble title-winner Gordon West and his comedic partnership with skipper Brian LaboneThe inimitable Neville Southall’s rise through the football pyramid, including the punishing training routines and elite mentality that set him apartNigel Martyn, whose calming presence proved invaluable at both ends of the Premier League tableThe exploits of US international Tim Howard, Everton’s goalscoring goalkeeperEngland number-one Jordan Pickford, and how his relationship with Alan Kelly highlights the importance of a top-level goalkeeper coach in the modern gameThe history of Everton Women’s goalkeepers, including a detailed portrait of former England goalie Rachel Brown-FinnisWith chapters covering every period of the club’s rich goalkeeping past, this book is a must-read for Evertonians and goalkeeping aficionados everywhere.

Journey into the Unknown explores the early years and development of pan-European football competition alongside changing British attitudes to overseas teams.There was once a belief in Britain that England and Scotland were among the leaders in the development of football and therefore de facto champions of the game. But when UEFA introduced a competition for Europe’s top clubs, the Brits got a rude shock. It soon became clear that sides like Real Madrid, AC Milan and Benfica possessed more technically gifted players, and that Football League clubs had much to learn.This fascinating book:Examines the development of pan-European football competitions, from the Mitropa Cup and Latin Cup to the introduction of the European Cup in 1955Explores the reluctance of England to get involved, from the stand-off with FIFA to the Football League denying Chelsea the chance to enter the first European CupCovers Scotland’s early adventures, with Hibernian the first club to play in European competition and Rangers making early stridesLooks at Manchester United’s early years in Europe, ending with the Munich tragedy in 1958, including Sir Matt Busby’s role in encouraging British involvementIncludes how Europe influenced clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, the first English trophy in 1963, Celtic’s success in 1967 and Manchester United winning the European Cup in 1968, Cup Winners’ Cup successes and Liverpool’s domination of EuropeTurns the spotlight on British xenophobia and the threat of playing abroad, with violence on and off the pitch and suggestions of cheatingDiscover how European club competition became an exciting spectacle that opened the football community’s eyes to just what was possible. Scotland and England gained a foothold in Europe, but things took a disastrous turn with the Heysel Stadium tragedy in 1985.

Diamonds in the Rough explores the fairy-tale phenomenon of footballers who rose from the non-league to make their mark at the game’s top levels. For all the glitz and glamour of the Premier League and EFL, they are hugely indebted to non-league football for the role it has played – and continues to play – in springboarding so many players to success.The book relives the rise of 100 players from the humble non-league who made it to the big time of top-level football. It gives you:The inside track on climbing the football pyramid as a non-leaguer, revealed through exclusive interviews with players, managers and coachesHuman-interest stories galore: from Troy Deeney being spotted playing at Sunday League level, to Ethan Pinnock turning to the solace of non-league after being released by an academy, only to rise againA metaphorical ‘trip on the Tube’ to unearth the best talent out of the London non-league sceneAn exploration of the non-league roots of numerous EFL striking greatsStories of the goalkeeping Goliaths who have graced non-leagueA scout’s advice on what it takes to unearth a ‘non-league gem’In this unique book, you’ll discover where the players’ careers started, where they got their big breaks, plus their routes to the top. A must-read for all football lovers!

Relive Scotland’s epic journey to and at the 1990 World Cup in Italy: the trials and tribulations, the dramatic games and goals that defined Scotland’s fifth World Cup in a row.It was 1986 and Alex Ferguson had just led Scotland to a disastrous World Cup in Mexico. Coming away with just one goal and one point in three games, he resigned and joined Manchester United a few months later. Andy Roxburgh, a former PE teacher who had never managed a league club, was his shock replacement. ‘Andy who?’ asked the press.In this engrossing book you’ll discover:Why Roxburgh was such a shock appointment, assessing the other contenders for the jobRoxburgh’s management style and the background of his assistant Craig BrownThe roller-coaster ride that was Scotland’s dramatic qualifying campaign, with full game reports and analysisWhich players made the World Cup squad, and did Roxburgh pick the right team and tactics?Game by game reports and analysis: from the opening match against Costa Rica to the glorious Sweden game, to the dramatic Brazil clash in TurinThe aftermath: Scotland qualifying for Euro 1992, their first European ChampionshipFeaturing players’ and fans’ stories, this is the definitive account of that glorious long hot summer. It’s a must for all Scottish football fans and anyone who loves the iconic 1990 World Cup.

Supporting a lower-division club may not always be rewarding, but it''s rarely dull. Welcome to Never Never Land, an intimate and personal story of Southend United and English football over the past 60 years.The book chronicles memorable matches as United challenge for promotion and battle against relegation. With action, sights and sounds from the terraces, stands and TV screens, it offers a front-row seat to the club’s most triumphant highs and devastating lows.Inside you will discover:Unique personal experiences of memorable Southend United matches over 60 years, interwoven with the author’s own storyHow NOT to end up supporting Liverpool: despite this being the city of his birth and hailing from a Liverpool-supporting family, Williams chose an uncelebrated lower-division Essex teamWhat it takes to support Southend United: battling the axis of commiseration, ridicule and misunderstanding afflicting supporters of lower-division clubsAn exploration of the key characters, on and off the pitch, who have helped to build United’s historyInsights into the challenges of supporting Southend United in Australia and the author’s endeavours to spread the word 12,000 miles away Never Never Land is a must-read not only for Southend United supporters, but fans of lower-division Football League clubs everywhere.

The inspirational and relatable real-life story of how accountant Peter Wright transformed himself from being mildly active to an endurance event extraordinaire.Foreword from Rory Coleman, the UK’s leading ultramarathon coach.Forty is the age when people tend to wind things down to a life a bit more ordinary. Not Peter. Having put his questionable athletic ability and mild asthma to one side, he catches the running bug and completes the London Marathon. Only, this isn’t the end of the story. Instead, it provides the springboard for a passion for endurance challenges.Follow Peter as he:Crosses desert, tropical rainforest and Arctic tundra, to raise more than L100,000 for charityCompletes the Marathon des Sables, the Jungle Ultra, the Western States 100, the Cape Wrath Ultra and many other gruelling challengesRuns a marathon while dragging a carTakes the ultimate test while nearing 50: rowing the Atlantic Ocean on a very small boat with his friend and fellow adventurer, Steve HayesInspiring, hilarious and jaw-dropping, this book shows what you can achieve if you put your mind to it, and why age – and a lack of athletic ability – is no barrier to pushing beyond your imagined limits.

Veteran Fleet Street sportswriter and stroke victim Neil Harman tells seven vivid sporting stories: tales of doubt, fear and ultimately of fierce determination in the face of a frightening condition.A former SJA Sports News Reporter of the Year, Neil suffered a brain haemorrhage on May Bank Holiday 2023, spent four months in hospital and had to face a retirement very different from the one he had planned. This inspirational book includes:Neil’s own deeply personal story as well as interviews with six people from the world of sport who have suffered a stroke, including the great Olympian Michael Johnson and former captain of the Australian rugby union side Michael LynaghVivid descriptions of the stresses and strains of life on a stroke ward, where hope is so often in short supply but where sadness and humour mix in the strangest of atmospheres A candid account of how not only the life of the stroke victim is turned upside down but how their family and friends cope with the personality changes that inevitably follow such a physical and mental upheavalAnalysis of the key elements that can assist a successful rehabilitation from a stroke – strength, positivity, patience, inspiration and a never-say-die attitudeThis powerful book will provide inspiration to those living each day with the debilitating effects of a stroke, showing there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

Football for the Soul journeys through the European game – from Bilbao to Berlin, Paris, Naples, Amsterdam and beyond – drawing on candid personal interviews to get to the heart of what makes football special and why it matters so much.By BBC Sport journalist Alex Bysouth.Exploring and uncovering some of the most unusual and intriguing stories in European football, this unique book includes:Exclusive behind-the-scenes access at Athletic Club in Bilbao, featuring interviews with players, directors, fans and journalistsFresh insight into the Berlin football scene, from those who live and breathe itAn exclusive interview with Johan Cruyff’s trusted former right-hand man and extensive details about his legacy at Ajax and beyondReflections from a unique Parisian derby and time spent with Red Star, one of France’s oldest clubsUnique and wholesome personal stories from the football world, including with Andorra’s record-breaking, shirt-collecting former captainOn-the-ground interviews in Naples with the city’s second club to tell their unusual storyAccess to Serie A legends during a weekend spent discovering the cult of Italian football nostalgiaUntold tales from the teams behind the non-league Champions League and a pioneering new multi-club ownership modelFootball for the Soul is a must-read for fans who want feel-good, wholesome tales that help make sense of why we really love the beautiful game.

Definitive story of one of the most extraordinary periods in the history of the Italian national football team, contextualised with a journey through Italy’s footballing past.When it comes to international football, Italy dines at the finest tables. Their failure to qualify for consecutive World Cups in 2018 and 2022 sent shockwaves through the footballing world. Yet, incongruously sandwiched between the two failures was success in the European Championship against the backdrop of a world grappling with one of the deadliest pandemics on record. What on earth was going on?Delving into Italian football’s past to make sense of the present, this compelling book includes:In-depth analysis of one of the most fascinating periods in the history of the Italian national football teamStories about how football began in Italy and the important part played by its portsHow the Italian national team was transformed by one man and the journeys to glory experienced in the 1930sHow the Azzurri stayed relevant for many decades despite the tragedy that befell them in 1949Cinque Anni tells the tale of how it all happened – the agony and ecstasy, the tears and the laughter. It’s a must-read not only for fans of Italian football, but for anyone fascinated by the fine line that can separate winning and losing.

What was it like to be a die-hard Newcastle fan stuck in the void between the club’s Wembley glory days of the 1950s and its dazzling entertainers of the 90s?After humiliating relegation from the old First Division in 1978, it soon became clear to fans there was no plan to bounce straight back. The Magpies were trapped in the wilderness. It would take more than mediocrity, though, to deter the fledgling fans born in the right place at the wrong time.This gripping book:Tells the story of a young Newcastle fan, from matchday debut to die-hard, across six seasons when his team were reduced to an irrelevance at a time when English clubs dominated EuropeReveals what it was like to grow up on terraces that featured boiled burgers, bovver boys, basic facilities, questionable catering, police cordons and the horror of fan fencingCaptures the life and times of a typical North-East lad, with dreams of becoming the next Malcolm Macdonald in the number-nine shirt, in a story transferred from schoolboy diaries, scrapbooks and newspaper cuttingsChronicles moments of hope too, and includes a happy ending with the signing of a superstar and promotion in his final season as reward for the patience and loyalty of the fansThis is one resolute supporter’s tragi-comic remembrance of times past, dedicated to anyone who calls themselves a football fan and doesn’t only sing when they’re winning.

The fascinating life story of Ted Peate, a top Victorian cricketer hailed by W. G. Grace as the world’s best spin bowler. This is the first-ever biography of Peate!Peate is the cricketer whose name heads the Lord’s honours board. Yet he ended his life broke and is buried in an unmarked grave at the side of the runway at Leeds-Bradford airport. Read and you’ll discover:How Peate was the last man out in the famous first ‘Ashes’ Test when Australia beat England at The Oval in 1882The truth behind Peate’s character flaws, including his weakness for drink, which led to his sacking by new Yorkshire captain Lord Hawke when he was at the peak of his powersHis working-class origins, his season touring local fetes with a group of clowns, plus the dramatic breakthrough that led to a tour of Australia after just one full seasonThe murky world of the professional cricketer, including new details about the scandal-ridden 1882 England tour to AustraliaWith unprecedented insight into Peate’s life and times, the book will appeal to lovers of Yorkshire county cricket, plus anyone interested in the emergence of the England cricket team or the development of sport in Britain.

A scintillating journey through the greatest era in Bolton Wanderers’ history under the iconic Sam Allardyce. Essential reading for every Bolton fan!Names such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Youri Djorkaeff and Nicolas Anelka feature vividly as the author recounts the methods and madness of Allardyce as he transformed Bolton from Division One strugglers to the thorn in the side of the Premier League’s ‘big six’.Featuring tales that haven''t been published before straight from the mouths of those who were there, this fascinating book includes:How Sam Allardyce turned the Reebok Stadium into a fortress and a place of torment for the likes of Arsene Wenger, Rafa Benitez and even Sir Alex FergusonStories of team-mate bust-ups, boardroom fall-outs, scientific methods, transfer negotiations and even dining on bulls’ testicles after a 5-0 win at LeicesterFamous moments in the club’s history, such as the despair as Bolton lost three semi-finals in the space of three months, a play-off final victory, the great escape from relegation and the mix of English grit and international flair that took Bolton to the European Cup, where they faced the giants of MarseilleMeasured Spirit is a must for any fan of the ‘Barclays era’ of Premiership football, and a great insight into one of the sport’s most famous characters.

‘An epic tale of tragedy and resilience in a far, far-away land... An amazing book to read. There is no other sports story like it.’ – Leigh Montville, author and former writer for The Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated.The definitive account of one of the saddest chapters in sports history: the 1993 plane crash that killed Zambia''s national soccer team, and the inspiring story of the nation’s remarkable comeback. The book details the tragedy, its aftermath and the incredible resilience and determination of a nation to rebuild and honour the memories of its fallen heroes, including:How Zambia was on the cusp of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup in the US before the tragedyHow rebuilt Zambia defeated Morocco in its first game ten weeks after the crash, before storming into the final of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations 11 months laterIn-depth research and interviews with key figures on Zambia’s rise as an African footballing power before the horrific plane crash that claimed the lives of most of its top players of that generationInsightful interviews with sources that spent time with the team in its final hours and minutes – including the one person to board the doomed plane with the players and disembark before take-offHow, before it crashed, the DHC-5D Buffalo military plane carrying Zambia’s national team had been parked for four months at an air force base with ‘AOG’ status (i.e. with a serious technical fault)The lack of accountability: more than 30 years on, no official report on the crash has been released by Zambia – according to former Zambian president Rupiah Banda, none was written or existsMeticulously researched, gripping and emotive, this book is a must-read for football and sports fans everywhere.

A journey of football and self-discovery from an Italian who came to England with a one-way ticket and a burning desire to chronicle the country’s rich and colourful footballing culture. From the magic of Stamford Bridge to the charm of little Sandygate, the oldest football stadium in the world, from north to south and east to west, via trains, buses and tubes, the author gets to the heart of England’s long love affair with the beautiful game through 52 compelling stories of football and life.The narrative is told not only by the author himself but the people he meets along the way. Highlights include:The author represents Upton Park FC as a player in an historic game against the famous Royal EngineersHe experiences the Isles of Scilly League (the smallest league in the world) first-hand, and walks across the famous Garrison Field pitch where the games are heldHe awards the world’s oldest club, Sheffield FC, with the victory trophy after the game against Hallam FC, the world’s second-oldest club, and gains special insight from Sheffield chairman Richard TimsLifelong Fulham FC supporter Morgan shares memories of seeing legends such as George Best, Johnny Haynes and Pelé play at Craven CottageFrom the lower leagues to the Premier League, these and other remarkable tales bring club and stadium histories to life in a vibrant and uniquely relatable way.

1974 whisks you back half a century to discover the major matches, stories and controversies that lit up football in that momentous year.From the author of 1923: Life in Football One Hundred Years Ago and 1953: Life in Football Seventy Years Ago.Britain in 1974 was a land of strikes, electricity cuts, a three-day working week and the country’s first official recession for 50 years. Floodlit football matches were banned, Sunday football was established and attendances fell as cash-strapped fans couldn’t afford to watch live games.This compelling book includes:A chilling exploration of how football hooliganism began to spiral out of control and how the sport was shamed by the first murder on the terracesThe full story behind Brian Clough’s nightmare 44-day reign at Leeds United and its rancorous toxic fall-outThe sad tale of Bill Shankly’s retirement as Liverpool manager and how it all ended in tears and recriminationAnalysis of Manchester United’s nightmare season and their first relegation from the top flight for more than 30 yearsHow the FA finally ended the shameful 50-year ‘ban’ on women’s footballA revolution in amateur football as paid players are allowed, the league pyramid is totally reorganised and the national England amateur team disbandedThe story of how Leeds United and Umbro pioneered the multi-billion-pound replica kit industry and helped usher sponsorship into footballRead about all this and much more in this fascinating and exhaustively researched study of a special footballing year.