Football books for holiday

aghalee_hero

aghalee_hero

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I've got The Ulster Connection but I'm looking for something else, was thinking about Jonathan Wilson's "Angels With Dirty Faces" but open to suggestion, and as I've already a book about us, wouldn't mind something else.

Cheers
 
Inesta’s book is a good read different from a lot of football books. Denis Bergkamp’s gives you a good incite into Ajax as well.

I enjoyed both books.
 
I have heard good things of ‘Life in a Jungle,’ the Bruce Grobelaar story, although not managed to get round to reading it yet.
 
If you're looking for something a bit different, I would recommend The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro, one of my favourite football books. It's about a tiny Italian team who made it all the way to serie B back in 98, journalist follows them for the entire season and captures the highs, lows, genuine tragedy, shady Italian godfather type owner etc...

It's a great story and a solid read, although the author is an american who sometimes feels the need to explain the most basic of football terns and tactics, which is a bit annoying. But theres a chapter where he describes a game they played against Genoa in the middle of a lightning storm which is superb.
 
250 days by Daniel Storey about Cantona’s king Fu kick at Crystal Palace and how the aftermath shaped Utd is very good if a little short
 
aghalee_hero said:
I've got The Ulster Connection but I'm looking for something else, was thinking about Jonathan Wilson's "Angels With Dirty Faces" but open to suggestion, and as I've already a book about us, wouldn't mind something else.

Cheers
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Won't take you long reading The Ulster Connection. It will take you longer scratching your head over the mistakes and the omission of a current NI international.
 
True Blue Avenger said:
If you're looking for something a bit different, I would recommend The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro, one of my favourite football books. It's about a tiny Italian team who made it all the way to serie B back in 98, journalist follows them for the entire season and captures the highs, lows, genuine tragedy, shady Italian godfather type owner etc...

It's a great story and a solid read, although the author is an american who sometimes feels the need to explain the most basic of football terns and tactics, which is a bit annoying. But theres a chapter where he describes a game they played against Genoa in the middle of a lightning storm which is superb.
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Second this recommendation.

As you might expect from an account of 90s lower league Italian football, it gets REALLY interesting towards the business end of the season.
 
I usually just buy FourFourTwo in the airport, although I'm away the weekend and might go for Mundial for a change. Seems to be full of the hipster football shit I like.
 
'Gunshots and Goalposts', 'The Story Of Northern Irish Football' (2017) by Benjamin Roberts is a very good read if you are interested in Northern Irish Football both local clubs and the international team. There is an emphasis on history i.e. Linfield v Belfast Celtic etc., politics and conflict within the game interspersed with rioting fans and serious incidents. However it is also up to date and present day.
 
A season with Verona is a classic book


Bit dated now but I really enjoyed :

Behind the curtain: travels in Eastern European football


You Come with Me - I Get Tickets: On the Football Terraces with the Locals in 15 European Countries


For light holiday reading , the secret footballer books contain some interesting stuff too
 
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All my favourites are 'old-school' - Shankly by Bill Shankly makes you fall back in love with football (and life!) ; The Glory Game by Hunter Davies, the first 'fly-on-the-wall' documentary of a season in the life of Spurs, early 70's; any or all of Harry Redknapp's three books, vastly entertaining stuff from a real football. man
 
aghalee_hero said:
I've got The Ulster Connection but I'm looking for something else, was thinking about Jonathan Wilson's "Angels With Dirty Faces" but open to suggestion, and as I've already a book about us, wouldn't mind something else.

Cheers
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Definitely read Angels with Dirty Faces. Brilliant book.

Wilson's book, Behind the Curtain, is also worth checking out.
 
aghalee_hero said:
I've got The Ulster Connection but I'm looking for something else, was thinking about Jonathan Wilson's "Angels With Dirty Faces" but open to suggestion, and as I've already a book about us, wouldn't mind something else.

Cheers
Click to expand...
I really enjoyed reading das Reboot by Raphael Honigstein which is the story of how German football reinvented itself, culminating in the World Cup win in 2014.
 
I’ve went with Angels With Dirty Faces and the Cryuff book.

Loads of good suggestions here, Gunshots and Goalposts, Soccernomics and the Simon Jordan books will be next up.
 
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bearmind said:
'Gunshots and Goalposts', 'The Story Of Northern Irish Football' (2017) by Benjamin Roberts is a very good read if you are interested in Northern Irish Football both local clubs and the international team. There is an emphasis on history i.e. Linfield v Belfast Celtic etc., politics and conflict within the game interspersed with rioting fans and serious incidents. However it is also up to date and present day.
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Just ordered that for the holidays.
 
luckywhitefeather said:
A season with Verona is a classic book


Bit dated now but I really enjoyed :

Behind the curtain: travels in Eastern European football


You Come with Me - I Get Tickets: On the Football Terraces with the Locals in 15 European Countries


For light holiday reading , the secret footballer books contain some interesting stuff too
Click to expand...

Sure I’ve heard of it before but can’t find the 15 Euro Countries one, couldn’t point me in the right direction could you please?
 
Broken Dreams by Tom Bower

Investigative journalist exposes greed and shady dealings down south with the usual suspects involved. It's a few year since I read it, but he's maybe updated it to bring it up to the current day. A very interesting read.
 
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