Footie Books

**ciaran76** · 25/03/2005, 11:51 AM

How they stole the game by David Yallop is a good read.
Mainly about all the money that is in football and how people are just ripping the fans off.
Excellent readf in my opinion and also easy to get from most libarys.

**JoeSemi** · 25/03/2005, 9:59 PM

'Futebol-A Brazilian Way of Life' is a crackin read. Can't remember the author but it explores everything from Brazilian footballers playing in the Faroe Islands to the story of Ronaldo's breakdown at France 98'.

'Barca- A People's Passion' by Jimmy Burns gives foundation and insight into why it is more than a club and will make you want to visit the place all the more.

'Hand of God' by Jimmy Burns is a classic, although the autobiography itself might show Maradona in a different light.

Best autobiographies have to be Cascarino, Quinn, Adams and Di Canio.

**JoeSemi** · 25/03/2005, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Can't think of the name, but the author travelled to all the ibggest derbies in the world - Old Firm, Liverpool, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Istanbul - to see which really is the best derby. Cracking book.

Its 'Us versus Them' by Giles Goodhead. Great book. Don't think he did Liverpool. It was the North London derby in England he went to as far as i remember.

**pete** · 29/03/2005, 9:02 AM

Originally Posted by ciaran76

How they stole the game by David Yallop is a good read.
Mainly about all the money that is in football and how people are just ripping the fans off.
Excellent readf in my opinion and also easy to get from most libarys.

Yeah thats good read too. If you email the author & send him a cheque he'll post a signed copy himself...

**davey** · 29/03/2005, 10:37 AM

Eammon Sweeneys "Theres only one red army" - one of the funniest books I've ever read - brilliant.

Garry Jenkins "The Beautiful Team" - guy goes in search of Brazil 1970 squad - excellent

Rough Guide book of Cult Football - great toilet book

loads of hilarious and little know facts

**lopez** · 29/03/2005, 11:05 PM

My faves:

Out of his skin : The John Barnes Phenomenon by Dave Hill

The Sash He Never Wore by Derek Dougan

The Team That Jack Built by Paul Rowan

Hand of God, Barca & When B*ckham Went To Spain all by Jimmy Burns

Football Against The Enemy & Ajax: The Dutch, The War by Simon Kuper.

**Longfordian** · 30/03/2005, 12:48 AM

'A season with Verona' by Tim Parks is also excellent

**ciaran76** · 30/03/2005, 8:12 AM

Originally Posted by Longfordian

'A season with Verona' by Tim Parks is also excellent

I have heard this book pop up a few times in conversation of footie books so might go out and get this one.

**Junior** · 30/03/2005, 8:49 AM

Originally Posted by ciaran76

I have heard this book pop up a few times in conversation of footie books so might go out and get this one.

I am about 6 games in to the season on this one and I'm loving it. It helps that I love Italy as a travel destination as well, couple that with a bloke picking a local team to support in a foreign country (though he has lived there for 20 years) and it could be any one of us doing it. Its great stuff so far!

**Baker** · 01/04/2005, 1:36 PM

Found Football against the enemy by Simon Kuper really interesting, although one or two of the chapters were a bit boring.

Another one along the same lines I liked was Dynamo by Andy Dougan. Its mentioned in Football against the Enemy.
Its about a game in occupied Kiev during World War 2 between a Luftwaffe team and a local team made up of many former Dynamo Kiev players.
Ive heard they got the idea for Escape to Victory from it!

**colblimp** · 01/04/2005, 8:58 PM

'Tales from the Boot Camps' by Steve Claridge is a good read.

'Motsons National Obsession' by, er, John Motson is full of trivia and is, really, a must.

Kenny Dalglish's auto-biography is also very good.

**Longfordian** · 02/04/2005, 1:44 AM

Originally Posted by Junior

I am about 6 games in to the season on this one and I'm loving it. It helps that I love Italy as a travel destination as well, couple that with a bloke picking a local team to support in a foreign country (though he has lived there for 20 years) and it could be any one of us doing it. Its great stuff so far!

It is quality, it really brings across the passion that all home and away supporters of their club have, so many bad games but you'll still go the next week and travel wherever you have to travel to because you're passionate about it, be it Eircom League or Serie A the emotions are the same.

**ollie** · 06/04/2005, 1:40 PM

my favourites:

"Football against the enemy" by Simon Kuper
The Roy Keane autobiography
the niall quinn autobiography
the tony cascarino autobiography
Man.Utd ruined my life

**Eire06** · 06/04/2005, 1:46 PM

Soccer for Dummies

**�anna** · 06/04/2005, 3:18 PM

Originally Posted by Eire06

Soccer for Dummies

along that line, anyone know where to get a copy of that book Mrs Doyle was reading in the Fr Ted episode with the priests 5-a-side. "Football for Women" or something it was called. I'm sure it would be a great read

**Eire06** · 06/04/2005, 3:43 PM

Originally Posted by �anna

along that line, anyone know where to get a copy of that book Mrs Doyle was reading in the Fr Ted episode with the priests 5-a-side. "Football for Women" or something it was called. I'm sure it would be a great read

Will this one do �anna
Football for Women: And Men Who Want to Learn the Game

**Macy** · 07/04/2005, 7:18 AM

Originally Posted by sirhamish

Bought this book a few years ago - not that well written but the author's passion and desire to learn as much as he can of the game shines through. I think the club was back in Serie B recently.
I think there's a plan to make a film of the book soon.
Worth checking out - got a lot of good recommendations from footie magazines when it first appeared.

agh, can i just repeat my contempt for this book and it's author.

**hamish** · 09/04/2005, 4:41 AM

Apologies, it should have been Tuff Paddy, I called you.

**wws** · 09/04/2005, 8:09 AM

some good recommendations in this thread already

have read football against the enemy which is more a collection of anecdotes and tales rather than any great look at football that is claimed - still great read in parts though

Morbo by Phil Ball is a great read for those wanting to get to know spanish football culture a little better - can be a bit boring in parts so you'd have to be interested in spanish football to get it

theres a book just out about the english game - origins history and culture - the writer was on the george hook show the other day and he was definitely entertaining so i might check it out - anyone catch the name?????

theres nothing worse than po faced books on football that take themselves to seriously so I steer clear of anything to do with Barca or Alex Ferguson

**Schumi** · 11/04/2005, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by wws

theres a book just out about the english game - origins history and culture - the writer was on the george hook show the other day and he was definitely entertaining so i might check it out - anyone catch the name?????

It was something like "English football: a sensual history" I think.

*edit* Those Feet: a sensual history of English football: David Winner