Product Description

Hugh McIlvanney is a living legend in sports journalism. A regular winner of the UK Sports Writer of the Year Award, he is the only sports writer to have also won the Journalist of the Year honour. This book represents the best of 35 years of excellence in football writing for "The Scotsman", "The Observer" and "The Sunday Times", from the epic Real Madrid versus Eintracht Frankfurt European Cup final to the World Cup in France 1998. It profiles managerial giants from Matt Busby, Jock Stein and Bill Shankly to Jack Charlton, Alex Ferguson and Terry Venables, and provides essays on footballing greats such as Pele, Moore, Best and Maradona. It also looks at disasters from Ibrox to Hillsborough and celebrates World Cup competitions from 1966 to 1994.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #208349 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 347 pages

Customer Reviews

Pretty good account of a lifes work
From the 1960 European Cup Final between Real Madrid & Eintract Frankfurt to the 1997 Scottish Cup Final between Kilmarnock & Falkirk, McIlvanney writes with skill, insight and colour.

The best moments are his descriptions of the World Cups esp. of the 70s, his bias for how he believes the game should be played comes through superbly as he describes Brazillian & Dutch football.

The worst aspect of the book is that he devotes a large portion to recalling the 'greats' unfortunately listing the attributes of great players often became repetative, as they were listed next to each other.

Overall a good read.

Savour the work of a giant of journalism
McIlvanney is a giant not just of football journalism but of all journalism (and I'm a reporter in Lebanon), an example of an 'old school' based on commitment, hard work and the odd touch of stunning inspiration. He has a gift not just for reporting what happens on the field but for reaching the human beings that are first and foremost flesh, blood and spirit ... and secondly players and managers. Unsurprisingly, McIlvanney is at his best in writing about the greats that have emerged from his native Scotland - Stein, Busby, Shankly, Ferguson - where he explains their achievements not just in grit and tactical prowess but in the ethics that shaped their man management. But even in less familiar territory - in his writings about the Brazilians or the great Dutch sides of the 1970s - his enjoyment of the aesthetics and drama of football is infectious and thrilling. His account of Brazil vs England (Guadalajara, 7 June 1970) is a minor masterpiece. Buy, read and savour this book. There aren't many giants around.

A gripping football writer
McIlvanney is a giant not just of football journalism but of all journalism, an example of an 'old school' based on commitment, hard work and the odd touch of stunning inspiration. He has a gift not just for reporting what happens on the field but for reaching the human beings that are first and foremost flesh, blood and spirit ... and secondly players and managers. Unsurprisingly, McIlvanney is at his best in writing about the greats that have emerged from his native Scotland - Stein, Busby, Shankly, Ferguson - where he explains their achievements not just in grit and tactical prowess but in the ethics that shaped their man management. But even in less familiar territory - in his writings about the Brazilians or the great Dutch sides of the 1970s - his enjoyment of the aesthetics and drama of football is infectious and thrilling. His account of Brazil vs England (Guadalajara, 7 June 1970) is a minor masterpiece. Buy, read and savour this book. There aren't many giants around. --