True Storey by Peter Storey – review
Promised Land: The Reinvention of Leeds United by Anthony Clavane – review
The unchanging world of Dalglish
‘My ass is earthquake-proof’
Mihir Bose’s top 10 football books
African Soccerscapes, Feet of the Chameleon, Africa United
The World Cup has inspired a number of books about football in Africa
One of the side-effects of the decision to allow Africa to host the World Cup is the publication, by high-calibre writers, of books describing the continent's football or, in some of the most fascinating, the continent...
African Soccerscapes: How a Continent Changed the World’s Game by Peter Alegi; Africa United: How Football Explains Africa | Book reviews
The World Cup organisers have lost sight of the sport's immense contribution to African culture and politics
When South Africa was announced as the host of the 2010 World Cup, it was understood across the continent that, in part, this was Africa's tournament. Rooted in the material reality of...
T.J. and the hat-trick, and T.J. and the penalty by Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott's sticks to what he knows with his foray into child fiction, with surprisingly good results
Theo Walcott seems likeable enough, but releasing a series of books for children? Footballers rarely publish anything more than autobiographies, yet here is some whippet-heeled colt, still only 21, churning out fiction...
Anderson lost in mists of sparse memory
After a ground-breaking football career, Viv Anderson should not be short of material, but his autobiography lacks detail
"The first thing you need to know," writes Viv Anderson in his preface, "is that my memory for detail is not the best in the business." This is perhaps not the...
Trautmann’s Journey – From Hitler Youth to FA Cup legend
A fascinating if dispiriting tale of a ruthless killing machine who later became a hero for Manchester City
This book should carry a warning: "Trautmann's Journey can seriously damage the mental and emotional health of Manchester City fans who prefer rose‑tinted fantasy to genocidal reality."
When we were growing up,...
