Product Description

Bill Shankly once said that for him football was more important than life and death. But Shankly was manager of a great Liverpool side - what about those less fortunate, who offer their undying support to their team through thin and thinner? One such is Adrian Chiles, MATCH OF THE DAY 2 presenter and lifelong fan of West Bromwich Albion, and a man who thinks about his team far more often than he thinks about sex. Following West Brom - a team that has known more troughs than peaks - over the course of a season, Chiles writes brilliantly about the passion for the Baggies that dominates his life ('If West Brom are doing well, I'm good company. I'm a nice colleague to have around, a good friend, a doting father, a loving husband. If, as is more often the case, we're doing badly, I'm none of the above'). Along the way he meets a quite remarkable cross-section of fellow fans, including one who has missed only five games since the Second World War and 'one-legged Kev', whose false limb once fell off while he was celebrating a goal scored against Wolves; while unhappy circumstances give him pause to consider the truth of Shankly's famous assertion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #227153 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
'In his hilarious new book Adrian admits he thinks about his team more often than sex.' DAILY MIRROR 'endearing... no league winning histrionics, but plenty of nutty fans and tragic defeats.' ZOO 'this is a very funny book peppered with Chiles's trademark '2 Good 2 Bad' wit' MAXIM

About the Author
Adrian Chiles is a writer, journalist and broadcaster. He is the regular presenter of BBC TV's MATCH OF THE DAY 2 and WORKING LUNCH, as well as Radio Five Live's 606 phone-in and THE ONE SHOW on the BBC. He has also been involved in the TV series THE APPRENTICE.

Customer Reviews

A lovely human book
You don't have to be a Baggies fan to enjoy this book. You don't even have to be a football fan. This is just a book about people who share a common interest, and as such it is a lovely warm, very human book.

It is simply Adrian Chiles' account of the people he meets in a season of watching Albion as they struggle(unsuccessfully) against relegation. The people he meets are described openly with genuine affection - Nathan the unlikely Lothario, Gurdial the rebellious Sikh, Lee Hughes, the fallen idol, the tragic Steve, inevitably Frank Skinner, the list goes on.

What you get is an account of how people's passion, in this case for the Albion affects their whole lives.

Slightly disturbing is Adrian Chiles' account of his own feelings which a psychologist confirms border on the dangerous. (unless of course he is exaggerating for effect). Fans of Five Live will worry about his treatment of the lovely Jane Garvie. Adrian for goodness sake think more of her and less about the Albion!

But at the end of the day, Chiles is a fine journalist (which is why MOTD 2 is better than the main programme) and his real affection for his subjects is apparent. Thoroughly recommended.

We really don't...
As an Albion fan I found this book funny, touching and depressing. There are so many things that remind me of my own experiences, not just the games but the shared memories - the feeling at the first game, going with my Grandad, leaving the house to get the train and not knowing why I bother... The book can't ever explain why we do it, but as a document for Albion fans it's wonderful.

Good stuff
If Helen's face launched a thousand ships, then Nick Hornby's "Fever Pitch" prompted a thousand pale imitations by writers unfortunately not in the same league.

Thankfully, this is one of the rare exceptions to the rather depressing rule; Adrian Chiles' writing style shows that same approachability and likeable awkwardness familiar from his TV and radio work.

He examines the nature of support, with a number of examples, from the (somewhat underwhelmed) person attending his 750th consecutive WBA game to the long-distance supporter who has never actually been to a home game. He considers the effect of his team's performance on his own mood and his tendency to descend into a form of irrational despair as his team struggles and the response of others to his behaviour.

For all its honesty, sincerity and good humour, I could never quite shake my unease with the fact that this book was written by someone whose (hard-earned and obviously deserved) celebrity status necessarily provides him with a different perspective to those he is reporting on. When the fancy takes, for example, he is able to hire a box; he also has the ear of the upper echelons of the club. Those he meets on the coach to the match do so because it is their only option; the author has the choice.

That said, he does ask some of those questions a lot of those of us who have fallen out of love with the game at the top level would like to see answered: for example, what is it exactly which drives someone to spend £40+ on a match ticket only to spend most of the game in the bar?