Product Description

Football has dominated Lou Macari's life. Taken on as an apprentice by Celtic in the wake of their 1967 European Cup triumph, Macari learnt his football the old-fashioned way. He quickly broke into the first team, winning Scottish league titles and Cups in both 1971 and 1972, but it was at Manchester United, following a shock transfer in January 1973, that the attacking midfielder's prowess turned him into a fans' favourite and a household name. Macari went on to score 97 goals in 401 appearances for the Red Devils, including the winner against Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final. He also won 24 caps for Scotland and represented his country in the infamous 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina. After leaving United in 1984, Macari moved into management with Swindon Town. It was there that he was wrongly implicated in a betting scandal which blighted his managerial career. In his long-awaited autobiography, Lou Macari tells with typical candour of football then and of football now, of the glory days and the truth behind the scandals, and of the perils that threaten the beautiful game today. It is a story like no other.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47213 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From the Inside Flap
Goals, scandal, tragedy – Lou Macari’s life has had it all. When Macari scored the winning goal in the FA Cup Final in 1977, it not only gave Manchester United a famous victory over Liverpool, but erased the heartbreak of the Red Devils’ shock defeat to Southampton the previous year. It was also United’s only major trophy of the whole decade – unthinkable now.

In his long-awaited autobiography, the legendary United and Scotland forward tells for the first time the no-holds barred story of how football has dominated his life. From his early days with the Lisbon Lions at Celtic, to the events surrounding his controversial move to Man Utd, eleven years at Old Trafford and Scotland’s infamous 1978 World Cup campaign, Macari’s playing career had more than its fair share of dramatic moments. His experiences as a manager turned out to be another rollercoaster ride as he battled the whims of tyrannical chairmen, most notably at Swindon Town. In Football, My Life, Macari reveals what really went on behind the scenes, and the truth about the betting scandal that blighted his reputation, even after he was fully exonerated.

Most tragically of all, Macari tells of how the death of his son Jonathan, a young player at Nottingham Forest, saw him turn his back on football, before he again realised that he could not live without the beautiful game. Football, My Life is the unforgettable story of the triumphs and tragedies of a football icon.

About the Author
Lou Macari was born in 1949 and grew up in Ayrshire. Following his retirement from football playing and management, he works as an expert analyst for Setanta Sports and MUTV, as well as fulfilling numerous other football and media engagements.

Customer Reviews

If any of the Scottish FA are reading this, give Lou the Job.
I purchased this book as a Swindon Town fan and wanted to know the truth behind the scandal that Swindon went through, when Lou Macari was manager of the club.
I also wanted to under stand why one of the best British football managers is not managing a high profile club.

The book covers Lou's time with Manchester United and Celtic and gives an insight to how they were managed and also how Lou learnt the trade.

I enjoyed the book, and in some daft way it has given me closer (using Katie price's word) to the Swindon Town affair. I believe the club were used as a warning to other clubs and paid a heavy price as did Lou Macari.

The book tells a sad or unfortunate life which should have been a riches tale of not only money but a management legacy that should be up there with the top British managers, why Scotland haven't come knocking beats me, I would have him installed as a Swindon manager any day of the week.

The book touches the part in Lou's life when he lost his son, It made my heart weep, I have a son of 5 who I love so much and to loose him would break me, and you can tell that it broke a very decent man in Lou Macari.
I thank Lou Macari for the good days he brought to Swindon and If any of the Scottish FA are reading this, give Lou the Job.