Product Description

Nowadays a top Premiership football club can spend 50 million on a Portuguese pin-up or a legendary Italian goalkeeper, but you cannot take into account the effects of a dodgy takeaway meal, a dropped bottle of aftershave on a goalkeeper's toe, or the fact that your most creative player has to leave town because of a chance drunken encounter with another player's wife. It is these random moments that have shaped football as much as the headline-grabbing Cantona kung fu kick and that Russian linesman in 1966. Along the meandering paths of this witty alternative history of the world's most popular game, you will learn: * Different sizes of football were used in each half of the inaugural World Cup Final of 1930. * The first England defeat was not that famous 6-3 home defeat in 1953 by Hungary but was in Madrid against Spain back in 1929 (4-3). * After penalty kicks were introduced in 1891, the Corinthian Casuals goalkeeper would stand idly by his post to allow the ball into his goal unhindered, such was the stigma of conceding a penalty. From the height of international football to the scandal of the Conference league Christmas party that cost far more than a bar-bill, Colin Murray tries his best to make you believe, once more, in football's unpredictability.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1235 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 280 pages

About the Author
Born 1977 in Belfast, Colin Murray is a national radio and TV presenter. He is the host of Radio 5 Live's 'Fighting Talk' and has a weekday show on Radio 1.

Customer Reviews

Not just for the statto's
This is an entertaining read. Easy to pick up and put down as you wish. Whilst some facts will be known to you, it's fair to say most won't. And when they are, it allows you to reminiss. Pretty well written, very much from a fan's point of view. Good value, good fun. Would make a good stocking filler or table book

Readable, but not much more
I would describe this book as mildly entertaining. There are some interesting anecdotes, but I suppose I just expected it to be a bit funnier. It's reasonably well written fare, and as the previous reviewed said, easy to pick up and put down, but I wouldn't exactly call it absorbing.