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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.

Iconic darts showman Bobby George gives you the inside story of his extraordinary life and epic playing career in an era when the sport was dominated by huge personalities who were household names.Bobby has teamed up with long-time friend, sports reporter and BBC commentator Dave Bracegirdle to pen this no-holds-barred autobiography.Nicknamed ‘The King of Bling’, Bobby possesses the most famous walk-on in darts. Incredibly, he didn’t touch a dart until his 30th birthday, yet within three years was lifting the first of his two News of the World titles. Two world championship finals followed, one played with a broken back.In this riveting tell-all book, he:Provides personal reflections on his dazzling playing career, including epic encounters with his contemporaries, while mourning the loss of his great friend Eric BristowBrings you the inside track on everything from building his own mansion (the 18-bedroom George Hall), to digging his own fishing lakes, losing four toes and appearing alongside Johnny Depp in the movie London FieldsRelives his experiences on ITVs controversial documentary Gone To Pot, American Road Trip and the BAFTA-nominated travel series The Real Marigold HotelBobby remains one of Britain’s most recognisable and charismatic entertainers. This revealing autobiography is a must-read for all darts fans and sports-nostalgia lovers.

Former Everton players and backroom staff give you the inside track on Howard Kendall’s illustrious first spell in charge of the Toffees and how he became the most successful manager in the club’s long history.From the author of the widely acclaimed Goodison Memories: A Lifetime of Football at Everton.Charting the homecoming of one of Everton’s greatest midfielders, to manage the club and bring back the glory years of a side desperate for silverware, this compelling book reveals:The days of trouble with poor results, culminating in an alarming drop in attendances and fans calling for Kendall’s dismissalHow he went from being on the verge of getting sacked to achieving unprecedented success – players and backroom staff explain how Kendall made it happen, including the signing who had the biggest impact on the Toffees’ return to greatnessPreviously untold tales from the dressing room and team-bonding sessionsThe effect the Heysel disaster had on Kendall’s departure to Athletic Bilbao after Everton clinched their second league title in three yearsEvertonians who remember that special era will be fascinated to go behind the scenes, while younger supporters will enjoy reading about the period when their team dominated, not just the domestic game but European football as well, and the heights they could have reached had it not been for Heysel.This is Everton FC at their brilliant best.

‘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.

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.

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.

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.

The inside story of Tottenham Hotspur''s tumultuous 1991 FA Cup campaign, as told by the players, staff, fans and broadcasters who lived it. Essential reading for every Spurs fan!From Ewan Flynn, author of the critically acclaimed Amazon best-seller We Are Sunday League.For manager Terry Venables, and his talented, eclectic and sometimes wayward squad, hazards abounded on that year''s fabled road to Wembley. Tottenham Hotspur plc was out of step with Tottenham Hotspur FC; fans were organising in protest; the Midland Bank was getting ready to call in Spurs'' astronomical debt. Everything seemed to depend on Paul Gascoigne – poised to become the world''s greatest player – and the price tag on his head. Could he avoid the dual perils of injury and his spiralling white-hot fame?This exhaustively researched and irreverently written book:Features exclusive interviews with players, club staff, fans and broadcasters who lived the trauma and triumph of Tottenham Hotspur''s 1991 FA Cup campaignTakes the reader inside Spurs during the most tumultuous season in the club’s historyGets to the bottom of what really happened with Gazza and that tackle in the cup finalReveals how the struggle for Spurs facilitated the Premier League breakaway and ensured the survival of Rupert Murdoch''s Sky TVSpurs fans inside Wembley Stadium didn''t know it, but the big beasts encircling their wounded club would – for better or worse – determine Tottenham''s future and irrevocably transform the whole of English football.

Chronicles a momentous year in the life of England’s largest wholly fan-owned football club, FC United, who were the only English side to win a European trophy in 2024.In 2005, a group of Manchester United fans stood up and said no to the rampant commercialisation of football and set up their very own club. Some reckoned it would be ‘all over by Christmas’, but two decades on FC United of Manchester provides a beacon for supporter ownership in a world that increasingly views football clubs as the property of the fabulously wealthy.Read and you will discover:A unique perspective on life at England’s largest wholly fan-owned football club as it approaches its 20th anniversaryHow a collectively owned and run club – which seeks to unite football, fans and community – copes with turbulent economic times without the backing of a wealthy owner while staying true to its core valuesThe inside track on FC United: in his role as volunteer board reporter, Jonathan Allsopp has reported on more than 80 FC United board meetings over the last eight years, writing nearly half a million words in the processHow a regular pre-match ‘club night in the afternoon’ offers football fans something more than cheap lager, saturated fats, fixed-odds coupons and gawping at a big screenIn its founding manifesto, FC United set out to be ‘a good example of how a club can be run in the interests of its members and be of benefit to its local communities’ – 20 years on, has it succeeded?

Gripping autobiography of former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick, one of football’s nice guys, who fought a hidden battle with depression and anxiety due to appalling abuse from the media and fans.Foreword by football legend Dion Dublin, Luke’s hero who became his team-mate.As a member of the Manchester United first team, Luke found himself lining up alongside Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Roy Keane as United marched to their third successive Premier League title. But instead of enjoying what should have been the happiest of times, he shut himself away from the outside world.Read and you will discover:A first-hand insight into Sir Alex Ferguson’s unique method of signing promising youngsters and the way he dealt with the more established starsHow unbeknown to his Manchester United team-mates, friends and family, Luke was battling depression and anxiety, brought on by the personal abuse he was receiving from the national media and football fans up and down the countryLuke’s time as an England under-21 internationalHis early life growing up in a sleepy Cambridgeshire village – although he had ambitions of becoming a professional footballer, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would play for the biggest club in the worldDetails of his time at Royal Antwerp, Reading, Burnley, West Ham United, Stoke City, Norwich City, MK Dons and Cambridge United, and how he became one of only a handful of players to score in each of the top five divisions in English footballHaving played more than 500 games across seven different divisions during his 15-year playing career, Luke’s tale covers all aspects of life as a professional footballer. Brutally honest and often hilarious, his story isn’t one of gloom – it’s a tale of resilience and inspiration.

With the Covid-19 pandemic restricting fan access to top-level football, the author challenges himself to go to a game in every round of the 2020/21 FA Vase, from the qualifying rounds to the final under the famous arch.From Johnnie Lowery, author of the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards 2024-shortlisted Match Fit: An Exploration of Mental Health in Football.Despite its charms, the FA Vase generally remains a footnote in the football calendar, escaping the attentions of the average match-going fan. But the 2020/21 season was like no other. With the country in and out of various lockdown restrictions, ‘elite’ sport was largely played behind closed doors. If you wanted to get your football fix, you had to attend local non-league games.Set in a unique football season fraught with uncertainty, this fascinating book includes:A first-person account of Lowery’s attempt to attend a game in every round of the 2020/21 FA VaseVisits to an array of non-league clubs – from Whitley Bay to Warrington Rylands – from where Lowery captures the matchday experience in light-hearted but vivid detailFrank reflection on Lowery’s own mental state to provide a deeper insight into his lockdown experienceAn interesting and emotional side-plot as Lowery’s beloved Sutton United look like they could make historyFilled with funny and sometimes poignant reflections on life and the grass roots game, Amateur Hour captures both the strangeness of the lockdown period and the beauty of lower-league football.

Fascinating look at the highs, lows and riches that follow promotion to the Premier League, from the inaugural 1992/93 season to 2023/24 – told with special insight from chairmen, managers, players and fans.From the author of the widely acclaimed Fields of Dreams and Broken Fences.Dubbed the most valuable single football match in the world, the Championship play-off final doesn’t just secure a place in the illustrious Premier League. It offers lucrative financial rewards.This compelling book includes:Promotion stories featuring the likes of Charlton Athletic, Birmingham City, West Ham United, Huddersfield Town and Luton TownSpecial insight from chairmen, managers, players and fans across three decadesThe inside track from the likes of Martin Ling, Danny Butterfield and Bobby Zamora, who played a key role in their respective sides’ promotionsA breakdown of the financial rewards that come with top-flight promotion – such as increased matchday revenue, broadcast revenue and commercial revenue – plus the promise of further wealth should the club avoid relegationA look at how Sky Sports has changed the face of top-flight football over the past three decadesAn exploration of how the financial rewards of Premier League football will continue to rise in future and the impact this is likely to have on the beautiful gameDocumenting the triumphs and travails of newly promoted sides through the eyes of journalists, fans and club staff, this innovative book gives you the low-down on life after top-flight promotion.

Shocking and revealing autobiography of 100-fight journeyman boxer Johnny Greaves. Set in a world of violence, bravado and bravery, this immersive and powerful story feels like a Guy Ritchie movie!Written with award-winning documentary filmmaker and former Sky Sports features reporter Adam Darke. ‘Have gumshield, will travel’ was Johnny’s motto as he picked himself up off pub floors, police cells and strangers’ beds at the drop of a hat to appear on the undercard of huge fights involving the likes of Amir Khan and David Haye. Read and you’ll discover:Exclusive stories about the world of professional boxing, and the role of journeymen in particular, from a gnarled 100-fight veteran who took on such leading lights as Anthony Crolla, Lee Selby and Gavin ReesHow Johnny fought future British and world champions with little training, often impeded by the effects of alcohol and drugs, stuffing down a Tesco meal deal, necking a can of lager and smoking a few fags as he prepared for battle in front of an audience of thousandsA harrowing dive into the world of depression and mental health, with disturbing and upsetting insights into the mind of a professional athlete trying to cope with the trauma of childhood and emotional scarringVisceral and chilling tales of domestic violence and childhood neglect, plus how those experiences shaped the thinking and behaviour of Johnny, how it instructed the choices he made in life, and led to a loss of identity and self-esteemUntold stories and insight about the world of unlicensed boxing, made famous by the likes of Lenny McLean and Roy ‘Pretty Boy’ Shaw, where Johnny learnt how to fight roughThis outrageous yet poignant portrayal of a man on the edge, searching for validation in the most brutal business in the world, will make you gasp, laugh and cry in equal measure.

The fascinating story of Manchester United’s 1989/90 campaign – one of the most pivotal in the club’s history – and the goal that kick-started Sir Alex Ferguson’s epoch-making rein.Foreword by acclaimed Manchester United author Wayne Barton.United were at a turning point in the winter of the 1989/90 season. Ferguson had arrived three years earlier to try to end a two-decade wait to lift the First Division title. The gifted Scot had brought unprecedented success to Aberdeen, but the Old Trafford faithful were starting to get restless. Money had been spent but the team were no nearer to their goal of reaching the pinnacle of English football.With fans calling for the head of the man in the dugout, the club’s board of directors had reached a fork in the road. Would they bring in another new manager now or wait and see how the FA Cup run played out? There was going to be a hero, but little did he know the importance of that goal.Fascinating delve into Manchester United’s past, drawing on a rich mixture of sourcesA must-read for all Manchester United fans, the book will appeal to the wider footballing world as wellSports historians, particularly football historians, will enjoy this gripping story of an important seasonRiveting accounts drawn from newspaper research and interviews with players and managersInteresting facts and statistics for the periodThis is the compelling story of how the Red Devils inadvertently embarked on a period of domination beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.