What are you reading? Football related

[Christof]

Good thread.

Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters by Daniel Gray - part travelogue, part local history essay, as a Middlesbrough fan visits the provinces (i.e. your Watfords, your Bradfords, your Sheffields) throwing in some non-league as well for good measure. Thoroughly enjoyable, so much so I've got his other football book, Stramash, about Scottish football in the pile to read.


Black Diamonds and The Blue Brazil by Ron Ferguson - mixing the history of the town of Cowdenbeath (my adopted Scottish team) with the football club of the same name. Quite dry in parts, yet evocative tale of when times really were hard. Mining, community, disasters (on and off the pitch), recommended for fans of Scottish football and left-leaning types everywhere.

Finally, more +1s for The Far Corner (recommended by Floyd a few years back I believe), and Provided You Don't Kiss Me, with honourable mention to Inverting The Pyramid by Jonathan Wilson, about the evolution of football tactics and formations.

[dizzynewheights]

about to start fever pitch by nick hornby.

the worst book ever written. makes me actually shake with anger just thinking about it.

[From Despair To Where?]

about to start fever pitch by nick hornby.

the worst book ever written. makes me actually shake with anger just thinking about it.

Maybe a little harsh but yeah, it's not very good.

[Hendo]

Not football related but for anyone out there who plays Village/Club cricket or enjoys Cricket/Travel writing, I would highly recommend Penguins Stopped Play.

Very enjoyable.

[stlmike]

Tim Parks - A Season With Verona - part travelogue, part season review. It's almost a cultural and social study of Italian ultras.

Currently reading this very good book. Going to read Daniel Gray Hatters Railway and Knitters book next already got it.

[floyd__streete]

about to start fever pitch by nick hornby.

the worst book ever written. makes me actually shake with anger just thinking about it.

Agreed. Disgrace of a book and an absolute shocker that this is somehow considered by some to be some sort of Bible of Football Supporting.

[Croydon Royal]

Another plus one for the Robert Enke book - a very dark read but in my opinion the best football-related book ever written. Would also back up FTDW's Gary Imlach recommendation as well.

Couple more recommendations from me:

Keeper of Dreams - The other book written by Ronald Reng (who wrote the Enke book). This one is a much lighter read, but just as brilliant. It's the tale of Lars Leese, a keeper who was plying his trade in the German lower leagues, who inexplicably got signed by Barnsley the year they got into the Premiership, and suddenly found him going from park football to keeping a clean sheet at Anfield in the space of weeks. It's a remarkable story, told brilliantly, and best of all it's a situation that didn't take place too long ago, but would be unthinkable now. Very enjoyable.

The history of the Premier League in 10 matches By Jim White, who's an excellent writer. Not a fantastic book but diverting enough, and a decent trip down memory lane. The choices are more interesting than just simply having 'Man Utd v Arsenal' ten times, and with Portsmouth 7-4 Reading one of the games picked it's worth a read for any Reading fan.

[From Despair To Where?]

about to start fever pitch by nick hornby.

the worst book ever written. makes me actually shake with anger just thinking about it.

Agreed. Disgrace of a book and an absolute shocker that this is somehow considered by some to be some sort of Bible of Football Supporting.

It's 250 pages of Nick Hornby saying "I was into football before it was cool, look at me, ain't i great".

It's a good book if the year is 1993 and you're an impressionable twat.

[Hendo]

Quite liked High Fidelity by NH, but not read Fever Pitch and after these scathing reviews, I shall stay clear!

[Royal Lady]

the worst book ever written. makes me actually shake with anger just thinking about it.

Agreed. Disgrace of a book and an absolute shocker that this is somehow considered by some to be some sort of Bible of Football Supporting.

It's 250 pages of Nick Hornby saying "I was into football before it was cool, look at me, ain't i great".

It's a good book if the year is 1993 and you're an impressionable twat.

If my ex old man hadn't taken him to a Reading game first, he probably wouldn't even have LIKED football. He never even got a mention in his book.

[wingnut]

It's an old book and may even be out of print now but All Played Out by Pete Davies was a pretty good read (at the time - it may not have aged well). Written not long after Italia 90 by someone who had pretty good access to the England players and bobby robson and looked at the evolution of formation and tactics used by the national team in that tournament.

[leon]

Calcio: A History of Italian Football by John Foot is an excellent read. Even has some Reading facts in there.