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Paris75

All Australian
Feb 8, 2003
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Have found myself with a bit of spare time. Anyone got any good football books to recommend?

I've just read Football against the enemy by Simon Kuper which was rubbish, The away game by Matthew Hall was fascinating for someone who knows little about Australian football.

Note: Have already read Fever Pitch :D
 
If you are in Melbourne head down to Melbourne Sports Books on Flinders St. There is an excellent range of football books, and I'm sure Santo (the owner) will be able to recommend a book or two.

Biogs are probably your best bet, I picked up an old copy of the Keegan biography a while back, an interesting read going right up to his days at Fulham. I won't buy them but I reckon the Stam, and Keane ones would be fairly interesting. Apart from that I figure you probably don't want a list of Man City related books do you. ;)

By the way, tell me that Danny Mills isn't on his way out of Leeds. I have a concern.

Moomba
 

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Cheers clucas and moomba.
As for Danny Mills well rumour had it a while back Chelsea were after him but that died off and haven't heard anything since.. He had an absolute shocker of a season which I won't hold against him due to family circumstances. However if a decent offer came in I wouldn't be too fussed as we have Kelly and young Richardson coming through the ranks.
 
I find most football books crap when compared with say cricket books, they seem to be written for idiots & alot of the autobiographies reveal nothing of interest & rarely show the subject in a bad light.

Tony Cascarino's effort broke the mould though & was a pretty good effort.

I don't know if you like hooligan books but the absolute classic was Among the Thugs written by a middle class American writer who intrigued by why hordes young English males were acting this way in the 1980s actually infiltrated a lot of them-West Ham,Man U ,England.

It's well written & insightful, it's interesting how he finds himself liking some of them & almost becoming like them-he even gets used to drinking gallons of crappy flat lager.

It's a lot better than then usual efforts that just go '......& then we did the Scouse c***s....'
 
Yeah, concur with Shinners about Richard Kurt. Very good writer, but very Manchester United, and not exactly complementary towards opposition clubs.

I know it is United, but Fergie and Keano's bio's are good reads. For an Australian perspective, I reckon Johnny Warren's book would be a goodun'.

The Hitman
 
Originally posted by moomba
If you are in Melbourne head down to Melbourne Sports Books on Flinders St.
Click to expand...


They have "White Storm", Real's 100 year history. Fantatsic book about how they became the biggest club in the world. Even before signing Beckham,;)

Also have a look at Vince Lombardi's biography. Fanstatsic book which won the Pullitzer prize.
 
When I was in Europe I picked up a great book called "Stamping Ground" about Liechtenstein's attempt to qualify for the 2002 World Cup - very amusing read (similar to Bill Bryson travel book at times) but it's very interesting too.
 
Futebol by Alex Bellos - great for anyone interested in Brazilian football.
Hand of God - Jimmy Burns, about Maradona
And I agree about Cascarino book, brutally honest.
Something similar is Eammon Dunphy's Only a game?
 
Hand of God, an absolute must read for any of you fellas out there.
There are some good George Best ones, The Good, The Bad and The Bubbly is very good. Charlie: Charlie Nicholas, haaa, not bad.
The Mavericks ( English Football When Flair Wore Flares) excellent. Heaps of good ones, heaps of rubbish.
 
I was going to say Hand of God by Jimmy Burns. A great read.

Jimmy Burns also wrote a book called Barca. I haven't read it but heard it was pretty good.

Also the Keane book was interesting. I read that one you mentioned Dipper, about the hooligans. Crazy sh*t!

One to avoid is Andy Gray's football tactics and systems;)
 
Left Foot Forward and Left Foot in the Grave, both by Gary Nelson are great reads. Basically tells the story of Nelson as he struggles with injury, playing in the reserves, deals with players bought to play in his position etc. Then he becomes manager of Torquay and spends half his time trying to find a council pitch to train on.

Personally I hated Fever Pitch. As a supporter of Southampton, all I could think is "what does an Arsenal supporter have to whinge about", all his complaints about not winning a championship in 10 years just sound crap. It was all based on dedication and suffering etc, but then he didn't really get tested did he. Following Arsenal every week is not the same Fever as following Scarborough away is it?

There is also a book by an American called The Mircale of Castel Di Sangro. About a Mafia linked Italian team which rises from obscurity to the brink of Serie A. I personally didn't like it, too many of the things that he made a big deal of seemed every day to me. He spends a whole chapter from memory fascinated with why a 0-0 away draw is a result a team might set out to achieve.
 

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If you feel like embracing the world part of the game (as opposed to reading another player biog)

A Season with Verona: Tim Parks
Tor! The Story of German Football: Ulrich Hesse-Lichtenberger
Morbo, The Story of Spanish Football: Phil Ball

Don't know what you hated about the Kuper classic Football Against the Enemy, but if you hated it, you probably wont like his follow up

Akax, The Dutch, The War: Simon Kuper

As mentioned earlier, Santo @ Melb Sports Books (near Cnr Flinders & Russell) is the place to head for books on anything sports related.

Cheers,

Kasey
 

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