Football Books - Biographies, Autobiographies etc

[reading_fan]

I've just read Graham Poll's Seeing Red autobiography on holiday, and found it very interesting - a very open and honest account of his career (with a couple of mentions of RFC in there) and obviously all the stuff surrounding the World Cup. I'd previously read Perluigi Collina's autobiography The Rules of the Game, which was excellent.

I'm now after a new football book to read - any recommendations? I bought Dad the Bert Trautmann biography which I might borrow when he's finished it, but in the mean time what is a good football book you have read and would suggest I try?

[Svlad Cjelli]

Try "Woody & Nord: A Football Friendship" by Gareth Southgate and Andy Woodman (now West Ham goalkeeping coach).

They were both apprentices together at Palace and became friends. Southgate made the big time, Woody didn't - and this is the story of their conflicting fortunes.

[Jackson Corner]

Roy Keane's Autobiography is the best I have read. And I picked up Tony Cascerino's from the Oxfam shop last week and read it in two days it was that good.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Di Canio's is probably the best one I've read. Gazza's wasn't that bad either

[swansea jack]

Roy Keane's Autobiography is the best I have read. And I picked up Tony Cascerino's from the Oxfam shop last week and read it in two days it was that good.

Need to get the first edition with the full Haaland chapter in.

[Croydon Royal]

With the risk of rolling out the same old names, there are two 'must-reads' in this category:

My Father and Other Working Class Heroes - Gary Imlach

Only a Game? - Eamonn Dunphy.

[Nick Shorey my Lord!]

Andy Woodman (now West Ham goalkeeping coach).

I saw him play of a couple of times for Northampton. Steady, decent.

[Hoop Blah]

Paul McGrath's book is quite a good read, as is Bobby Robsons.

[Silver Fox]

The Miracle of Castel di Sangre (or something) always gets mentioned on these threads and is a very good read

[Toon Toon Blue army]

Roy Keane's Autobiography is the best I have read.

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[11.30 from paddington]

All Played Out (also known as One Night in Turin) is the best football book I've read. Pete Davies follows the England team during Italia '90.

He has access to the players and manager to an extent that you just couldn't imagine 21 years later. He exposes the hypocrisy of some of the press pack, over-reaction of the Italian police (and British authorities) along with some amusing portraits of some of the English brain dead plastic-chair throwers.

Bobby Robson comes across as incredibly decent, even at a time when everyone else was calling for his head on a stick. It's also a great window into the recent past, when everyone was cooing over the Italian's space-age stadia in comparison to our crumbling Victorian grounds. There's a heatlhy dose of social and political nostalgia as well as some interesting little stories involving the players, press, fans, locals and hoolies.

So yeah - I liked it.

Also liked 'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw,' for obvious reasons.

'Death and Glory' at the World Cup is also very good. Full of stories about corruption, violence and background to great World Cup stories. Provides a different take on why that Zaire defender booted the ball away when it was the opponents free kick...

[Svlad Cjelli]

Also liked 'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw,' for obvious reasons.

Great story, but a feckin awful book to read. No flow, nos style, nothing added by the author - just a series of EPo articles stitched together with a few basic words.

[floyd__streete]

Believe In The Sign - Mark Hodkinson
The Far Corner - Harry Pearson
Provided You Don't Kiss Me - Duncan Hamilton


are the three best books I have read on the subject of football.

[Alan Partridge]

My favourite Football book i've read is called 'Pointless' by Jeff Connor. He follows East Stirling around for a season, this is a few years old now because recently they've not been as terrible. Probs about 5 years old at the time they were abysmal, on the back of a season where they amassed a mighty 8 points.

He starts off as a taking the piss author and by the end of it is not only a fan but is assistant kitman and helping out with the team. Genius.

[roadrunner]

I've just read Graham Poll's Seeing Red autobiography on holiday, and found it very interesting - a very open and honest account of his career (with a couple of mentions of RFC in there) and obviously all the stuff surrounding the World Cup. I'd previously read Perluigi Collina's autobiography The Rules of the Game, which was excellent.

I'm now after a new football book to read - any recommendations? I bought Dad the Bert Trautmann biography which I might borrow when he's finished it, but in the mean time what is a good football book you have read and would suggest I try?

What were the references to Reading?

[who are ya?]

Also liked 'The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw,' for obvious reasons.

I think it's terrible! Got half way through and gave up, hideously boring. It's not an autobiography, it's a book full of mini match reports that mention Robin Friday.

[Handsome Man]

The Glory Game by Hunter Davies follows Spurs in 1972ish, written by a proper author
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby seemed like the best football book ever written at the time
All Played Out is brilliant - has anybody read the follow up about the Doncaster Belles?
Tony Cascarino's biography is better than most

[From Despair To Where?]

Tim Parks - A Season With Verona - Does what the title says, a travelogue of a season with Hellas Verona with some of the most vilified fans in Italy. They survived relegation from Serie A in a relegation play off after looking dead and buried with 4 games left. My favourite football book.

Most of the WSC books are worth a read. Tor!, about German football is superb. Morba is pretty good too.

Another vote here for My Father And Other Working Class Heroes by Gary Imlach

Jonathan Wilson - Behind The Curtain - Another travelogue style book about football in Eastern Europe

[Croydon Royal]

My favourite Football book i've read is called 'Pointless' by Jeff Connor. He follows East Stirling around for a season, this is a few years old now because recently they've not been as terrible. Probs about 5 years old at the time they were abysmal, on the back of a season where they amassed a mighty 8 points.

He starts off as a taking the piss author and by the end of it is not only a fan but is assistant kitman and helping out with the team. Genius.

Another vote for this as well. Didn't the fans of East Stirling come out criticising the book for some reason? Something I always thought was a little odd considering the love the author (and I'd say the majority of the readers) had for the club by the end of the book.

[EASTENDER MARKY]

The Miracle of Castel di Sangre (or something) always gets mentioned on these threads and is a very good read

+1