Book Review
Book Review: A Natural

A Natural
by Ross Raisin
Published by Jonathan Cape
2017
One hundred and fifty years or so into the history of this game we know and love, there are still numerous examples of how football has yet to properly emerge from the dark ages.
The attitude of football towards homosexuality is one of the most glaring cases in point. At grassroots level, there have been great strides with Stonewall …
Book Review: English Gentlemen and World Soccer

English Gentlemen and World Soccer
by Chris Bolsmann and Dilwyn Porter
Published by Routledge
2018
Although he was writing before the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Ivan Sharpe’s labelling of the Corinthian Football Club as one of the four greatest club teams in English football history is the kind of assertion that really makes one sit up and take notice. Founded by Nicholas Lane Jackson in 1882 …
Book Review: Tunnel of Love

Tunnel of Love
by Martin Hardy
Published by de Coubertin Books
2016, £18.99
Writing this review before the recent mini-revival in form, defeat at the Emirates on Saturday 16th December – to an admittedly world-class goal from Mesut Özil – was Newcastle United’s seventh in eight games. The solitary point during that period was gleaned at then managerless West Brom, a side who themselves hadn’t won since August. Our last …
Book Review: There To Be Shot At: The Autobiography of Tony Coton

There To Be Shot At
by Tony Coton
Published by De Coubertin Books
2017, £12.80
Cards on the table before we start: I’m not coming at this from an unbiased perspective. Perhaps this is no surprise; Tony Coton retired from playing twenty years ago and whilst he was a successful top flight goalkeeper this book is surely targeted squarely at supporters of Birmingham City, Watford (my team) and Manchester …