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Football books worth a read

Red Exile

By Red Exile
in Football Chat

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spudski

spudski

Posted
Posted
37 minutes ago, wendyredredrobin said:

"Why the Gas are Sad and Pathetic Pikies - by every single Bristol City fan EVER" 

Where can I get that one?

Is that book written by the same author who wrote about the CSF, that had the title with a deliberate spelling mistake ;-) what's a 'pikie'? :facepalm::thumbsup:

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Carey 6

Carey 6

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Just bought 3 of the books mentioned on here. Went for "The Numbers Game", "The Nowhere Men" and, "The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro" 

Set me back a huge £3.38 (before delivery) for the 3! Better not disappoint! 

Oh also, I've got Christian Roberts & Trundles book if anyone wants to borrow them. Roberts' book was very good & my favourite of the two. 

Currently reading Joey Bartons, love him or hate him you know it's going to be interesting! Currently only a chapter in though so can't review it. 

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EnclosureSurge

EnclosureSurge

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On 10/26/2016 at 14:07, Red Exile said:

Last summer, after the disappointment of England's performance at the Euros, and having watched them and a couple of other matches, I was given two books to read by my eldest. Now to respond to a point in another thread I am a poor and uneducated football player, and I guess that like most City fans I have zero experience of football management but I've watched a lot of football, and a lot of City home and away down the years, I thought I knew alot about the game. Until I read "Inverting the Pyramid - The History of Football Tactics" by Jonathan Wilson and "Calcio", a history of Italian football written by John Foot. Between them they beautifully expose why it is that the English national side is so poor and why English football is in many ways stuck in the past. I'd recommend both...great reads.

And I've viewed the recent developments at City in a different way since reading them...and come around to what might be termed the "Spudski" world view. I think we're heading in the right direction on and off the pitch. I sympathise with the obvious hurt felt by folk on here who went last night expecting us to win. I didn't. Hull are good side, thrashed us last time I saw us play them, they played most of their best available players. I thought we played well and I got more out of the match than I thought I would.

Which isn't the same as saying that I don't mind us losing. My in-laws all support Hull, unfortunately they're visiting tonight.

 

John Foot is a follower of City (not a fan). He was at the Blackburn game, first game he's attended at the new AG. He's very busy, wot with being a lecturer and a writer, so his email to me (oooh, get me) after the game - I'd emailed on the Sunday to apologise for the quality of football on display - said, "Game not so good, Gerry Gow tribute excellent*, stadium impressive. Will be going again soon".

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I like a wordy email, me. Curt and concise it may have been, but I felt he could have elucidated a little further. Still, not bad *especially coming from someone who knows Italian displays inside and out.

Think he's working on an updated version of his Calcio book.

Some of us, we blagged our way in, a couple of years ago, to a seminar at Bristol Uni, on football writing, with David Winner (Brilliant Orange), Jonathan Wilson, Simon Kuper (Football Against The Enemy) and James Montague (When Friday Comes). Splendid morning's listening. I'd recommend all of the above, along with the Jonathan Wilson edited The Blizzard.

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EnclosureSurge

EnclosureSurge

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38 minutes ago, EstoniaTallinnRed said:

A good read is Trautmann's Journey by Catrine Clay, sub titled From Hitler Youth to FA Cup Legend.  One of the greatest goalkeepers, Bert broke his neck and never left the pitch, one doesn't have to say any more, Bobby Robson.

Is that the one where he details coming to Bristol for a trial and either not getting it or playing and not being taken on by City? Or did he not make it down here from Manc, because he was so well liked up there? I forget the exact details, but we were interested in him. Think both he and Alec Eisentrager were invited... I probably have most of that wrong...

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Jack Dawe

Jack Dawe

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The opening 88 minutes of the Blackburn game were a chance missed to catch up on some reading, but I didn't have a book on me! "Is this a library?" no, there's no bloody books. I don't anticipate this coming Saturday to be a time for quiet reading, with rather more goalmouth action likely than the Blackburn game (although probably Frank's goalmouth more than the one down the other end). 

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Stortz

Stortz

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30 minutes ago, EnclosureSurge said:

The Castel di Sangro book is good - it's certainly got a few 'likes' on here - but I could never shake the irritating sensation that it was written by a Yank (it was, for the uninitiated). It certainly shows the corruption around.

But nothing, fer me, beats Tim Parks' A Season With Verona. 

Warning, MoCdS spoilers ahead for those that haven't read it....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would normally agree with you about US interlopers, but I think McGinness's relative naivety as an American made the knife in the guts of a denouement even more pronounced, even for the most cynical of European observers.

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Jack Dawe

Jack Dawe

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Just a heads up to all on here, don't read this book (not even at a game like the Blackburn one), below...

30341896._UY500_SS500_.jpg

...because, according to one reader reviewing it on book retailers Amazon: "If, after reading this book, you do not fall in love with the club you must have a heart of stone."

Blimey! I can only assume, checking the attendances they currently get up that Mem, that very few people have read this book. 

Another reviewer refers to some goal by some fellow that plays or played for them sending the "blue half of Bristol into rapture" and I thought, blimey! (again), knowing as I do the attendances currently flocking to theirs and those at ours, and after doing the math, I'm pretty confident that's not half and half. 

One more reviewer opines "the book itself looks like its (sic) been put together by a child on a home printer" which I imagine will not be discouraging to any gas types and indeed will ge on many a Christmas list winding its way to Santa from the Kingswood/Cadbury Heath/Fishponds "half" of Bristol as we speak.

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Downend2005

Downend2005

Posted
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14 hours ago, EnclosureSurge said:

The Castel di Sangro book is good - it's certainly got a few 'likes' on here - but I could never shake the irritating sensation that it was written by a Yank (it was, for the uninitiated). It certainly shows the corruption around.

But nothing, fer me, beats Tim Parks' A Season With Verona. 

I also enjoyed the Miracle of Castel di Sangro very much. My only issue with the book was the author becoming very unlikeable and overbearing as the story progressed.

A season with Verona was excellent.

Danish Dynamite was a fun read, about the 1980's Denmark team.

When Football Came Home (about Euro 96) was also very fun, and brought back some great memories of the 'Cool Britannia' era.

My favourite football book though is All Played Out (now being called One Night in Turin). Sadly we'll never get such candid access to the England Team again, and some of the interviews were fascinating.

I have three more football books lined up for my holiday coming up, all of which look quite interesting. Bobby Moore - the man in full, Das Reboot (about how German football rebuilt its whole football set up to win the latest World Cup), and also And The Sun Shines Now, written by a Hillsborough survivor about how Hillsborough and the creation and evolution of the Premier League changed Britain.

Really looking forward to reading them!

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Merrick's Marvels

Merrick's Marvels

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18 hours ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

If you mean Steaming In' ES you can add at least another 5 City fans on the cover - was the Dutch game in 88 wasn't it - Me looking shirtless and tanned :D

 

Yes, the Rheinstadion, Dusseldorf, June '88. I've had better days out.

And if you'd told me then that England would reach a World Cup semi-final just 2 years later I'd have said you were off yer rocker!

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handsofclay

handsofclay

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22 hours ago, EnclosureSurge said:

Is that the one where he details coming to Bristol for a trial and either not getting it or playing and not being taken on by City? Or did he not make it down here from Manc, because he was so well liked up there? I forget the exact details, but we were interested in him. Think both he and Alec Eisentrager were invited... I probably have most of that wrong...

If memory serves from reading it a few years ago, Trautmann was working at Ashton Court along with Eisenstrager. City took an interest in both but as Trautmann prepared for a trial with us he was told by the coaching staff, or the message was relayed to him, that City were well off for goalkeepers so was no longer required to attend the trial. That is how close we came to signing a future European Footballer of the Year for nothing!

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EstoniaTallinnRed

EstoniaTallinnRed

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22 hours ago, EnclosureSurge said:

Is that the one where he details coming to Bristol for a trial and either not getting it or playing and not being taken on by City? Or did he not make it down here from Manc, because he was so well liked up there? I forget the exact details, but we were interested in him. Think both he and Alec Eisentrager were invited... I probably have most to Brof that wrong...

Yes, I think the fact that he was so well liked there and didn't come down might have been in the book, I still have it,  so will have to look it up.

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handsofclay

handsofclay

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On 02/11/2016 at 11:58, wheatus59 said:

Ive always enjoyed Enid Blyton !!!

As a kid I really enjoyed her 'Five Sign For Bristol City But Get Rat Arsed On The Local Scrumpy So Get Drummed Out Of The Club Without Making A Single Appearance'. Critics reckon she was getting a bit cheesed off with writing the Famous Five series when she wrote it and it receives little acclaim because of it but I engaged with it, although the bit where one of the new young City recruits throws another player into a river in Devon was a bit far-fetched.

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EnclosureSurge

EnclosureSurge

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5 hours ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

Memory stoker for you @EnclosureSurge @Merrick's Marvels

Fun days , tho the results were dire !!!

Im stood on a barrier shirtless 2/3 way up on right edge !!!

 

IMG_0686.JPG

Good one, Bob! Very, very top, under the words in blue OF A above the bloke in the black shirt, on the very edge of the photo, two blokes in beanie hats. 

And young England fans think it's bad nowadays... Try pathetic in 1988 and not qualifying in 1984 or 1994...

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