'It's Only Banter' is the story of the footballer, Leroy Rosenior. He started his football career at Fulham and went on to enjoy a long and fruitful career, playing and scoring goals for - among others - Queens Park Rangers, West Ham and Bristol City. Rosenior also won international caps with Sierra Leone.
The son of a poor butcher, John Gully rose to the height of Victorian respectability, whose death in ripe old age was mourned by all classes from paupers to princes. It's the story of an extraordinarily varied life - a bare knuckle fighter and champion of England, a publican, a hugely successful gambler, bookmaker, racehorse and colliery owner, and finally a Member of Parliament. Set at a time when fortunes were won and lost on the turn of a dice, Gully saw the greed and corruption, the rogues and rascals. Remarkable sporting characters of the age feature, such as William Crockford, the Betting Shark; the chivalrous prize fighter Henry Pearce; the mighty Tom Cribb, bare knuckle champion of the world; and Colonel Mellish, prolific gambler and finest of the Corinthians. Enemies saw Gully as a cunning man, a schemer who corrupted the betting world. To others he was a man with impeccable judgement and integrity, to whom royalty would trust their fortunes. The Stakes Were High is the fascinating story of his life.
Fred Perry, three-time Wimbledon champion in the 1930s, was one of Britain's greatest sportsmen of the 20th century. His success on the hallowed Wimbledon turf went unmatched by a British man for a remarkable 77 years, until Andy Murray's triumph in 2013. Perry was the first player to hold all four Grand Slam titles, and he also played a pivotal role in Great Britain's domination of the Davis Cup in the mid-1930s. Despite his status as a global sports celebrity, Perry was criticised for his ruthless desire to win and was frequently at odds with the amateur tennis authorities of the day. In this revealing biography, award-winning historian Kevin Jefferys examines afresh the life and career of Britain's most successful tennis star. The author shows how good fortune as well as tremendous talent aided Perry's meteoric rise to the top; traces his frosty relationship with the British tennis establishment, which continued after he turned professional in 1936; and considers Perry's place among the true legends of the sport.
Described in atmospheric and evocative detail, here are 50 of Saints' most glorious, epochal and thrilling games of all! Southampton Greatest Games offers a terrace ticket back in time. From the Martin Chivers-inspired promotion to Division One in 1966 to reclaiming Premier League status thanks to back-to-back promotions in 2012.
Former county cricketer and one-time England Test batsman Alan Butcher was looking for a new challenge after leaving his job coaching Surrey County Cricket Club. A phone call out of the blue from a Zimbabwean great alerted him to the possibility of coaching the nation's cricket team. His three years in charge presents an insight into the at times schizophrenic nature of cricket in this intriguing country. Starting at the point when Butcher was offered the job, he describes the process of moulding a team out of a dispirited and disillusioned group of players. Part cricket memoir, part travelogue, part ode to Zimbabwe, part lament for a beautiful-but-troubled country, The Good Murungu? is a fascinating insight into Zimbabwean cricket.
Football is about goals, great players and glory. But it's also about own goals, goats and the game gone wrong. Pulp Football looks at the comedy rather than the beauty of the world's favourite sport, the farce not the force: the incompetent coaches, the 30-yard thunderbolt that ends up in the wrong net, the players' Christmas parties that ended up in the courts. Find out how a murder was uncovered because Blackburn built a new stand, which manager was sacked after only ten minutes in a job, which mascot pulled the head off a rival and kicked it into the stands and which player scored all four goals in a 2-2 draw. Written by experienced Fleet Street scribe Nick Szczepanik, he has unearthed some cracking tales and stood up some of those so-called football myths. With sections devoted to owners, managers, goalkeepers, players, mascots, fans and of course, sex, drugs and rock n roll...Pulp Football is what it says it is: an amazing anthology of true football stories you simply couldn't make up!
Fifty Shades of White is Gary Edwards's fifth book; and he returns with more fabulous, rib-tickling tales that come with half a century of following one of the most talked about football clubs in the world. Like the time he was asked to accompany a four-and-a-half-foot tall monk with a large hearing aid, who hadn't previously left his abbey for 25 years, to a Leeds United game as part of a BBC documentary. Or the time he escaped from hospital, still in his hospital gown and attached to a catheter, a blood bag, several needles and with two tampons stuck up his nose to travel 70 miles up the A1 in a thunderstorm for a relatively meaningless Leeds game at Darlington. There is a fascinating, controversial and hilarious insight into Leeds United's former owner Ken Bates, gleaned from being a special guest at his birthday and Christmas parties for eight consecutive years. Fifty Shades of White gives a unique fan insight into the club and a life devoted to Leeds United.
Highs, Lows and Bakayokos tells the story of Everton in the 1990s; the successes and failures, the agony and the ecstasy, the good times and the Mike Walker times. It's the tale of how one of English football's greatest clubs lost its way and how the nature of being an Evertonian changed forever.
Hearts On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the club's distinguished history, mixing in a maelstrom of anecdotes and characters to produce an irresistible Jambos diary. From romantic origins in Edinburgh's Old Town to near financial ruin and ultimate redemption, there's an entry for every day of the year.
The 1960s heralded a golden age of players who wore the dark blue of Scotland. Law, Gilzean, Baxter, Greig and Johnstone are just some of the names still familiar to supporters today. Bookended by heavy defeats against the Auld Enemy, the decade witnessed just one other defeat in the annual fixture against England and contained both the most-celebrated and horrific of Wembley encounters. The '60s also included a brief spell with Jock Stein as manager and the only Scotland international to date to be decided in extra time. Valiant but ultimately failed World Cup campaigns included memorable matches against Italy, West Germany and Czechoslovakia; an embarrassing loss to the amateurs of Norway was offset by a six-goal spree in Spain a matter of days later. Set against the backdrop of the Swinging Sixties, Scotland in the 60s looks at each of the 64 matches played by the national side during the period and the consequences of those results. Extensive newspaper and video archive research is complemented by the memories of the players who took part and the reminiscences of supporters and journalists who were there.
Being shot at five times propels anyone into the public eye. Jamie Moore generated more attention than average - and it had nothing to do with the shooting. His presence in the ring earned him British, Irish, Commonwealth and European light middleweight titles. The Fighter's Fighter is an honest insight into one of Britain's most-loved fighters.
From near-extinction to cup-final triumph, this is the story of the team which is remembered by Hibs fans as 'the team that would not die'. From Oblivion to Hampden is the tale of one of the most remarkable cup runs in Scottish football history, as Hibernian Football Club, having survived a hostile takeover by city rivals Hearts in 1990, a dreadful season in 1990/91 and summer spent in administration in 1991, bounced back from the brink of death to fight their way to Hampden glory a few months later. It was a courageous and memorable cup run that nobody, not even Hibs' most optimistic fan, could have envisaged a few months prior to the final. The story begins with the club's attempt to emulate the glory days of previous decades via an ill-fated experiment on the stock exchange in the late 1980s and culminates in the unexpected triumph which followed. With a foreword by Hibs statistician Bobby Sinnet and exclusive interviews with cup heroes Keith Wright, Tommy McIntyre and Mickey Weir, as well as an interview with Sir Tom Farmer and input from current board members, this book examines a crucial period in history at Easter Road.
In 1914 one of Britain's most famous sportsmen went off to play his part in the First World War. Like millions of others, he would die. Unlike millions of others, nobody knew how or where. Until now. Lost in France is the true story of Leigh Roose: playboy, scholar, soldier and the finest goalkeeper of his generation. It's also the tale of how one man became caught up in a global catastrophe - one that would cost him his life, his identity and his rightful place as one of football's all-time legends. Lost In France is the biography of goalkeeper Leigh Roose, football's first genuine superstar, a man so good at his position on the field of play that the Football Association made one of the most significant rule changes in the game's history just to keep him in check. Small wonder that when the Daily Mail put together a World XI to take on another planet, Leigh's was the first name on its team sheet.
Millions watched during the 2015 Women's World Cup as England's Lionesses captured the bronze medal as well as the hearts of a nation. Carrie Dunn follows some of the most famous - and not so famous - female footballers in the country over the course of the year after the amazing campaign in Canada, and looks ahead to the game's future.
Drink, drugs, depression, sex scandals, financial meltdowns and serious health issues are just some of the fights British boxers have faced once they've quit the ring. A Champion's Last Fight examines just why and exactly how some of Britain's greatest boxers have self-destructed in retirement. It tells the stories of former world champions who have struggled in life away from the spotlights and the glare that comes with boxing success; delving into the post-boxing lives and tribulations of Benny Lynch, Randolph Turpin, Freddie Mills, Ken Buchanan, John Conteh, Alan Minter, Charlie Magri, Frank Bruno, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, Scott Harrison, Herbie Hide, Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton. With interviews and new revelations, A Champion's Last Fight is an emotional journey through boxing history that examines the struggles many former champions experience after hanging up the gloves - and asks what, if anything, can be done to help the nation's boxing greats adjust to life away from the ring?
Grandson Charlie attending a Championship game at Hillsborough prompts Richard Crooks to transport himself back to the 1970s and recall what football was really like for supporters in the 1970s. Crooks provides an engaging and comprehensive narrative on all things football in that decade, and brings out the social context of the time. Reflecting on what it was like getting to a game, the grounds, the crowds, the clubs, the managers, players, referees, reporting the game, growing commercialism, the World Cups, and through to the spectre of the rise of hooliganism and racism. Using written and broadcast material of the time, as well as Crooks's own experiences, Grandad, What Was Football Like in the 1970s? provides a fascinating insight and description of a decade when things really started to change in football - and also sheds light on the oft-asked question 'Was football better then or in the modern era?'
66 on 66 offers a unique perspective on the greatest day in English sporting history. Fifty years since England's glorious World Cup Final win, this marvellous book gathers together stories from 66 people who were present in the stadium that day and presents them alongside exclusive, newly-taken photographs of them as they are today.
Sussex and England superstar Maurice Tate's story is one of triumph and fame, controversy and tragedy. In the 1920s and 1930s, the barnstorming all-rounder was the most popular cricketer in the world; but a nervous breakdown and a bitter sacking awaited Sussex's 'greatest ever player'. It's time to remember this forgotten great of English cricket.
Often called the greatest middleweight boxer of all time, Marvelous Marvin Hagler held the world title for 12 defences, his bouts with Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran entering fistic folklore. Marvelous tells Hagler's extraordinary life story for the first time, and gets right to the heart of a complex and charismatic man.
Journeymen tells a story that is often ignored - that of the modern-day boxers who eschew glamour and lose for a living. Far from the pay-per-view hype, the book lays bare the reality of modern-day boxing and the way it works in small-hall venues countrywide. Though sometimes dark, the journeymen's tales reveal humour, wisdom and sporting pride.
Rangers began the year in the doldrums - and stayed there for a good few months, struggling to make fifth spot in the league. That was until Graeme Souness became manager on 8 April. With new insightful interviews with those who were at the heart of the turnaround, 1986: The Rangers Revolution tells the story of what happened at Ibrox in 1986.
Nowt stops for cricket in Yorkshire. Passion runs deep, beyond those in whites, to the groundsmen, tea ladies, scorers and umpires who embody the game. All Wickets Great and Small is a romp across the landscape of amateur cricket in Yorkshire during the summer of 2015. Author John Fuller looks at the key issues affecting the grassroots game: the struggles to attract players, funding shortages, natural disasters and the social dynamics that can threaten a captain's eleven on a Saturday. What shape is the grassroots game in and can it still survive and thrive? From vicars and imams socking sixes in Dewsbury to heritage clubs hitting social media out of the park, this is the story of sleeves-rolled-up cricket at its best in the county that locals call 'God's own'.
Almost half of professional footballers face the threat of bankruptcy within five years of their retirement. A third will be divorced less than a year after hanging up their boots. With little or no support from the game to which they gave their lives, many end up addicted, depressed, living with debilitating illnesses, behind bars or even worse. While an elite few may be financially secure, or others may land plum managerial jobs or punditry roles, it transpires that for the majority retirement is something they're not prepared for and lives can spiral into a rapid and depressing decline. Retired is the ultimate 'where are they now?' and asks what actually happens to most footballers once they hang up their boots? How do players cope with going from heroes to zeroes in such a short space of time? And what can be done to help with their transition to normal life?
Budge Rogers: A Rugby Life is the long overdue biography of one of rugby's most iconic players. It's the story of how Rogers emerged from a modest background to become one of the greats. Cup glory at Bedford and exciting tours with the British Lions and Barbarians, followed by nine years as England captain, and later he became president of the RFU.
There's far more to vintage football programmes than optimistic manager's notes and unreliable teamsheets. Before the era of the glossy corporate brochure, every club's programme had a unique personality, and played its part in the precious ritual of going to the match. Fully Programmed offers an irresistible window back into more innocent times.
The funny, heart-warming tale of Adam Carroll-Smith's enduring love of sport on the radio. From furtively listening to Premier League matches under his duvet as a boy, to secretly following Ashes Tests and Wimbledon championships when he should have been working, all the way to sleep-deprived nocturnal sessions with the Super Bowl and Ryder Cup.
AFC Bournemouth Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Cherries, from irresistible anecdotes to the most mindblowing stats and facts. A brilliantly researched collection of trivia, essential for any fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.
The history of Leeds United's Elland Road home, revealing the stories behind its past uses, famous features and characters - plus fires, gypsy curses and escaped pantomime horses. Using archive research, insiders' insights and fascinating photos, Jon Howe retraces the intriguing historical journey of one of Britain's most iconic football grounds.
Hibernian FC On This Day revisits the most memorable moments from the club's past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary of the club's history. From Hibs' foundation as a club for Edinburgh's Irish community, through to the SPFL era, there's an entry for every day of the year.
Swansea City Miscellany collects together all the vital information you never knew you needed to know about the Swans, from irresistible anecdotes to the most mindblowing stats and facts. A brilliantly researched collection of trivia, essential for any Swans fan who holds the riches of the club's history close to their heart.
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