When it comes to sports and entertainment, the glitz and the glamour of celebrity life, most of us only aspire to gain something small such as an autograph. Few of us ever have the chance to sit down with stars and discuss their lives, or rub shoulders with those closest to them. Being up close and personal with UFC, boxing and entertainment stars is just part of Fiaz Rafiq's daily routine. He's worked closely with some of the most revered champions and pioneers of UFC. In this gripping memoir he shares riveting behind-the-scenes stories of the top MMA and boxing champions and legends - from Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Brock Lesnar, Daniel Cormier and Conor McGregor to Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee (to many the Godfather of MMA) - their gritty beginnings and their most triumphant moments. The result is the culmination of over two decades of work, gaining the trust and confidence of the greatest fighters and personalities in MMA and combat sports. To the Top is a fascinating odyssey that uncovers the hidden history of the most brutal combat sport on the planet.
A lot can happen in 90 minutes. For almost 160 years, goals, red cards and even substitutions have led to some of the strongest and most remarkable sporting legacies. From the first kick to the last, The History of Football in Ninety Minutes (Plus Extra Time) gives fuel to the notion that every minute in football counts.
Few things convey the identity of Britain's towns and cities more vocally than football and food, yet put them together and they become incompatible foes. Balti pies served out of tin trays and rubbery burgers that cost north of a tenner are typical of the over-the-counter fare that welcomes fans through the turnstile. But it doesn't have to be that way. As Britain embraces a craft revolution of locally made produce we, the travelled football fans, have the unique opportunity to experience the country in a way few others can. We can feast on cockles and mussels on the south-east coast, tuck into smack barm and pey wet in Lancashire and drink our way through an explosion of craft distillers and breweries all in the name of the club we love. The Great Pie Revolt is the definitive guide to the cafes, market stalls, takeaways, microbrewers, pubs and bars that pride themselves on their locality. It is proof that when paired properly football and food are a match made in heaven, but both are in dire need of a spectator-driven revolt.
Generazione Wunderteam is the enthralling story of the Austrian national football team of the 1930s, an innovative side that dazzled Viennese crowds and sparked a new-found passion for football both at local and international level. Although the Wunderteam was short-lived, this squad led by Hugo Meisl, one of the most prominent figures in European football, proved hugely influential. Vienna quickly became - along with Budapest and Prague - one of the world's football capitals and the birthplace of some of the greatest players of the era, including Matthias Sindelar, a centre-forward whose fame transcended football, and who was often compared to Mozart and other Viennese celebrities. Sindelar died in suspicious circumstances at age 35, after defying the Nazis. The book takes the reader on a journey through that forgotten era, examining the genesis of Hugo Meisl's side, its key figures, the historical vicissitudes of the inter-war years and the most important Viennese teams of the period.
Pride: The Inside Story of Derby County in the 21st Century is the fascinating story of one of Britain's most tumultuous football teams, as told by the people at the heart of the club. Ryan Hills gained exclusive access to almost 50 former players, managers and board members to bring you the Rams' modern history. The move to Pride Park in 1997 was supposed to mark an exciting new chapter for the club. But despite initial success, things started to go wrong. Relegation from the Premier League caused huge financial strife, leading to the arrest of three board members. On the pitch, a single promotion brought the worst season in Derby's history and a 362-day wait for a win. Since that fateful season, the club have been on a cyclical and so far fruitless mission to return to the Premier League, while dressing-room turmoil, car crashes and a man named Bobby have stood in their way. Pride gives you the inside track on a football club that refuses to accept obscurity, as revealed by those who know it best.
Football celebrations are a vital part of the beautiful game. Gooaal! The Joy of the Football Celebration is all about what happens in the exhilarating moments after a goal. Where once a firm handshake was the norm - with a brief head nod if it had been a really good goal - today we see backflips, finger-pointing, ear-cuffing, badge-bashing, knee-sliding, camera-mugging, thumb-sucking - and sometimes something entirely original and funny. Often, the celebration is instinctive and all the better for it, but others are carefully planned and designed to make a point. Some are controversial or political, and an unfortunate few have resulted in injuries. Peter Crouch, Wayne Rooney, Paul Gascoigne, Jurgen Klinsmann, Jamie Vardy, Raheem Sterling, Alex Morgan, Bebeto, finger-wagging Jimmy Bullard, golf club-waving Craig Bellamy, line-sniffing Robbie Fowler - all of them are among the 200-plus celebrations featured in this book. You'll discover exactly what went on - and why.
London's Fields: An Intimate History of London Football Fandom celebrates the turbulent rivalries, local antagonisms and even, on occasion, the fraternal harmonies held in common by the supporters of the capital's many professional football teams. The us and them dichotomy of a local derby is told here through the voices of us, the fans. In a one-club town or city your choice of team would appear to be simple. However, in a city with a dozen clubs the choice is less straightforward. London is a place of constant flux and change; it's diasporic nature may have taken people far from their ancestral heartlands but the football clubs that remain there have, in a sense, travelled with them - local bragging rights and capital gains remain just as important. The author's upbringing was steeped in football, he has played and coached the game; written on it and worked in it. His less than conventional path to choosing his own team forms the foundation upon which the stories of other fans are richly rendered.
The King of White Hart Lane is the authorised life story of Alan Gilzean, the legendary, world-class Tottenham Hotspur, Dundee and Scotland footballer. Exclusive insights provided by his family, closest friends and colleagues add to the author's own experience to reveal Gilzean the man and the player, dubbed 'Nureyev in Boots'.
A true story of intrigue, mystery, blackmail and skulduggery, which tells how one man was able to bring down an English Football League club. In 1919, Leeds City player Charlie Copeland returned from active service and made a request for a pay rise, which the club steadfastly refused. During the war, guest players for League clubs were supposed to have gone unpaid for their services, though in general this FA law was overlooked as a nod to the war effort. Copeland, however, issued the club with an ultimatum: either meet his wage demand or answer to the FA for making illegal payments. When Copeland carried out his threat and City proved reluctant to produce their books for FA inspection, a complex web of deceit and hypocrisy ensued. Subsequently, Leeds City were disbanded and expelled from the Football League, the only club before or since to receive such harsh punishment. However, out of the ashes of this fallen institution emerged another, brand new club - Leeds United.
Evertonians know what it is to experience greatness. Since the club first came to life in 1878 there have been titles won, European adventures and trips to Wembley. The fans have seen records broken, legends make their mark, matches of undeniable class. Every decade that Everton have been in existence has yielded moments of wonder, games that supporters at the time have cherished for their entire lives and which fans of subsequent generations have looked back on with undeniable pride. From the earliest days, when St Domingo's first morphed into something recognisable as a modern football club, the whole span of Everton's narrative is covered here. Those earliest title wins, those earliest finals, Dean, Lawton, Hickson, the Holy Trinity, Latchford, the glory of Kendall, the agony of Wimbledon, the joy of Royle and restoration under Moyes. Everton Greatest Games is more than just a selection of the moments that have stirred the soul of Blues. It is the story of Everton, the tale of how a church team grew into an English giant.
This story starts with Great Britain women's hockey team's dismal failure to qualify for the 2004 Olympics and culminates in a gripping match in Rio 12 years later. The stunning gold medal victory at the 2016 Olympics was described as "the moment of the Games" and History Makers charts the turbulent journey of a team that rewrote its own destiny.
Glory, Glory Lane is the life-affirming history - including a momentous last season - of a world-famous football stadium, Tottenham Hotspur's home for 118 years. A Victorian structure turned wraparound 21st-century all-seater, long attracting fans devoted to the 'Spurs way' of achieving glory. From Harry Hotspur to Harry Kane via Harry Redknapp.
Hijacking La Liga tells the story of Atletico Madrid's resurgence from their relegation from Spain's top flight in the year 2000 to their current status as one of world football's most capable clubs. It investigates all of the key moments, decisions, goals and matches that have threatened Barcelona and Real Madrid's dominance of Spanish football.
The Wizards FC was a team of former schoolfriends who - with the help of a few star ringers - slogged their way through mud, skinheads and Staffordshire bull terriers to win the Edmonton Sunday League. Team captain Ewan Flynn brings alive a world of young men giving it their all on sloping pitches a million miles from the glamour of the Premier League, and officials who volunteer to maintain some sort of order. Along the way he charts the bittersweet stories of mates who brought success to the Wizards, despite suffering disappointment in their own all-too-brief professional football careers. It's a sometimes farcical, sometimes tragic tale of growing up in north London: family tensions, friendship, being a man, and seeing where your dreams can take you - even a Roy-of-the-Rovers rise to captaining your country against the world champions. Injuries on the pitch led the writer to many encounters with the surgeon's knife in order to keep playing. He shows how once football has you, it never lets you go.
West Ham United's move to the new Olympic Stadium ended a 114-year stay at the Boleyn Ground at Upton Park. With full access to The Times newspaper archive and stunning photography, lifelong West Ham fan and sports journalist John Dillon has created the definitive history of the ground the club first played at in 1902.
Few cities in the world have as many professional football clubs as London and none have the history explored in this book by journalist and broadcaster Steve Tongue. It was in the English capital that the Football Association - the first of its kind anywhere - was founded in 1863 and that the FA Cup, the world's most famous domestic cup competition, was born. After the North and Midlands dominated the first forty-odd years of league football, three clubs in particular - Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea - began to challenge them and eventually succeeded, joining West Ham United as trophy winners not only at home but in Europe. Between those four clubs, and more than a dozen other professional clubs past and present, grew the turf wars that are the bedrock of the great rivalries and derbies across England's most vibrant football city. Turf Wars tells the story of football in the capital.
Stuck On You charts the history of football stickers in the UK - those little bundles of self-adhesive joy that have given so much to so many since Panini burst on to the scene in the late 1970s. Immerse yourself in a story of bitter rivalry, media moguls and the seedy underbelly of what can be a surprisingly murky business. Discover how upstarts Merlin took on the might of Panini and beat them at their own game - only for the Italian giants to hit back with the weight of nostalgia behind them. But ultimately you're invited to wallow in wistful memories of swapping in the school playground, shinies and recurring doubles. Featuring interviews with many of the industry's leading historical players and images from some familiar and lesser-known collections, Stuck On You is a must-read for anyone who has ever spent months, if not years, hankering after the St Mirren badge.
Got, Not Got: Tottenham Hotspur is an Aladdin's cave of memories and memorabilia, guaranteed to whisk you back to White Hart Lane's fondly remembered 'Golden Age' of mud and magic. Here's Gascoigne, Greaves and Archibald on stickers and in comics, Spurs Subbuteo and petrol freebies, league ladders, big-match progs and tickets, and much more.
Punk Football tells the story of how supporters have made the incredible journey from the terraces to the boardroom. Initially intrigued by the rise of AFC Wimbledon, the supporter-owned club set up after Wimbledon FC's relocation to Milton Keynes, Jim Keoghan was drawn into a world in which ordinary fans have started new clubs, taken a stake in those they once followed and sometimes saved clubs from disappearing altogether. The fan-ownership movement has touched every echelon of the game, challenging the private model that has dominated football for over a century. There have been highs and lows, successes and failures, but through it all the dogged determination of fans to be more than paying customers has shone through. Regarded as a revolutionary force in modern sport, the story of Punk Football is one that will appeal to every fan who has ever thought, "e;I could run this club better myself."e;
Watford FC On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the club's rollercoaster history, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Hornets diary. From the club's formation in 1887 to the Premier League era, there's an entry for every day of the year.
Dame Bola takes us on a journey through the rich football-related language - phrases, concepts, stories - used by arguably the most passionate fans in world football. Fútbol dominates Argentinian society's machinery - the cogs of their world simply wouldn't turn without a metaphorical mention of football in every sentence.
1978: The Birth of Moneyed Modern Football is the tumultuous yet captivating story of when new clashed with old, madness gave way to genius and innovation collided with custom. Maverick stars, trailblazers, famed managers, legendary sides, apocalyptic showdowns and developments that changed the fabric of the game all feature.
The Power of the Badge is the inspirational story of how a group of fans battled against the odds to save their club from oblivion - not once but twice. After being relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history, Chesterfield FC bounced back and won promotion with the help of the fans.
The Scouting Game brings us the inside story of the hidden world of top-level football scouting from a man with 30 years' experience in the professional game, and more than a decade in the recruitment team at Chelsea FC's renowned academy. It reveals how scouts work, what they look for and how they report on players.
Excerpts from a New England is a perceptive and wry analysis of Gareth Southgate's time as England manager, which included two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final. Acclaimed author David Winner cleverly places Southgate's legacy in the context of a period of political, social and cultural upheaval.
Out of the Darkness reveals a grittier side of football. Former Leicester and Sunderland winger Matt Piper retired aged 24, after 16 knee operations, and his life soon spiralled out of control. His daily existence became dependent on alcohol and Valium, culminating in an ugly rock bottom. But after the darkness came light.
The Fifty tells the story of football through its most influential players, from Victorian gent Charles Alcock to world champion Megan Rapinoe via Pele, Charlton, Maradona and Jimmy Hill. It's not about the stats, tactics or managers - it's about players, from war heroes and match-fixers to superstars and an African president.
Iberia Chronicles is a fascinating compendium of all things Spanish and Portuguese football. From the glory and grandeur of Spain's biggest clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, to the rise of Portugal's Boavista and Braga along with everything in between, this is a comprehensive guide to the highs and lows of the game in two football-mad countries. The two nations have a vast history in the sport - Portugal started playing in 1875 and Spain 15 years later. Today they are two of the world's top footballing nations. Despite political issues, the Basque region dominated Spanish football in the 1980s, while great managers such as John Toshack and Luis Aragones made their mark in the country. In nearby Portugal, the late bloomers in the sport had an era to be proud of in the 1990s, but it wasn't until 2016 and the European Championships that they tasted true glory. Iberia Chronicles is penned by a collective of 22 writers. Learn about the key players, managers, glories and downfalls that have shaped the sport in Spain and Portugal.
Wings of Change explores how the world's biggest energy drinks business influenced football. After taking over Austria Salzburg and changing their crest, colours and name, the project went to New York, Leipzig, Sao Paulo and Sogakope. Despite the backlash that followed, Red Bull have established themselves as a global force in football.
Prenumerera på vårt nyhetsbrev för att få fantastiska erbjudanden och inspiration för din nästa läsning.
Genom att registrera dig accepterar du vår personuppgiftspolicy.
