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Anoraknophobia: The Life and Times of a Football Obsessive
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| List Price: | £9.99 |
| Price: | £5.70 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery. Details |
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Product Description
"Anoraknophobia" is an affectionate and revealing account of the life of the sporting anorak. Disclosing the experiences and methodology of the self-confessed football-fact fanatic, it goes a long way to discrediting the traditionally held belief that geeks lead drab daily existences. Furnished with a cast of groundhoppers, program collectors, school team managers and Subbuteo players, Rob Grillo's gently self-deprecating memoir brings home the truth that the sporting obsessive is in reality a social animal, sharing his passion with other like-minded enthusiasts. Every sports fan will recognize the characters who feature in this engaging and lighthearted account, and maybe sympathize a little with how it feels to be a football anorak.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #99269 in Books
- Published on: 2008-02-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 240 pages
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Rob Grillo lives in West Yorkshire appearing semi-regularly on BBC Radio Leeds and is a member of the Association of Football Statisticians.
Customer Reviews
The truth is finally out there!
If, like me, you've begun every relationship in the past 10 years by giving the lady in question a copy of Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity' to study, now is the time to change tack and offer your intended beau Rob Grillo's wonderful 'Anoraknophobia'.
This book will surely become a bible for all sports obsessives out there. Grillo's easy prose style aligns a dedication to his subject with a dry sense of humour which gives 'Anoraknophobia' broad appeal.
Accounts of trips to various non-league grounds display an obsession beyond the call of duty and one gets the sense that it is quirks of sport that interest the author more than the mass of the mainstream we are constantly bombarded with through the media.
Most importantly, Grillo's opus to obsession, should it fall into the hands of the female of the species, will provide a handy and readable answer to all those ridiculous questions such as 'Why are you travelling half the length of the country on a wet Wednesday night?'
A wonderful read full of passion, pratfalls and perceptive writing.
An Amazing Book!
Wow - an amazing book. Rob Grillo taps in to all the little foibles and eccentricities of what it's like to be an anorak and somehow makes us all sound completely sane. Made me realise I'm not alone in the world! Absolutely essential for any football fan or anorak and, even if you don't like football, you'll be absorbed in some of Rob's hilarious anecdotes and observations. Surely a career as a chat show guest beckons!
We are all anoraks!!
Author Rob Grillo is an Anorak ad openly admits it!! Not your sterotype Roy Cropper, but a compulsive collector and hoarder of information, in Rob's case football and fell running. The book though is not all about Rob, though he does describe how he became the anorak he is today, it covers the people he has met. From the fanatics who try and travel to every non league ground in the country (groundhoppers or ground travellers) to the head teacher he once worked for who just loved buses.
There is an anorak in us all, most of us are compulsive towards something, even if we don't admit being anoraks. On reading the book you will quickly say 'I do that' or 'So and so is just like that'. There is nothing wrong with being an anorak, even if you use an alternative description to your hobby.
The books tells of the patience of the Mrs Grillo and all other spouses and partners, but also concedes that given a choice of going to some obscure football ground on his own or travelling on holiday with Mrs Grillo, the latter always wins. No fool Rob Grillo!!
The book describes his passion for teaching, another obsession and how he manages to create passion for Geography and share his passions with his pupils. In his early days of teaching, Rob, managed to start a school football team, not just to give the kids a chance, but to give him some more statistics, needless to say, he later became results secretary of the local schools league.
I totally enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone, you may find out you are an anorak!!
