Product Description

'I have always collected football stories like other people collect stamps, and it's great to get this opportunity to stick them in a book' From the bestselling author of RICKY comes this collection of hilarious anecdotes about football, with stories about the stars themselves, the fans, the girlfriends, the managers ...in fact every aspect of the beautiful - and occasionally ridiculous - game. Recounted with Ricky Tomlinson's trademark wit, this is a bright and brilliantly entertaining collection that will delight football fans everywhere.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #308847 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-19
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
'Rollocking collection of hilarious football anecdotes from the much-loved entertainer.' SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE

About the Author
Ricky Tomlinson was born in 1939 and grew up in Liverpool. He has starred in many TV series including The Royle Family; Brookside; and Cracker and in films such as Raining Stones; Mike Bassett, England Manager and The 51st State. He lives in Liverpool wit

Customer Reviews

A Very Funny Book
This is a very funny book of football anecdotes and for those of us of certain age brings back memories of certain players. In fact, some of the names go back even further than I do.

Ricky Tomlinson is the ideal man to compile this book. Certainly for me while reading the book I had this picture in my mind of Ricky with his heavy Liverpool accent telling these stories down at the local and having everyone in stitches.

Here are a couple of one liners from the book. There are hundreds of them:

Malcolm Allison: "Our 'keeper Joe Corrigan many be concussed, but it's difficult to tell with him as he always looks a bit dopey."

David Beckham: "My parents have always been there for me, ever since I was about seven."

Many of the anecdotes are several pages long but there is also a good assortment of one liners, like those above. Gaffs from players, managers and commentators alike.

If you are a football fan, you can't help but love this one.

Football My Arse:
Ricky Tomlinson is probably Famous as both the lazy father of the family in "The Royles" (Jim Royle) and as the last Manager to give a team Talk in the changing rooms at Wembley before it was knocked down and rebuilt. as Mike Bassett. Directly because of this, there are several references to the fictional England Manager in this book. Perhpas too many.
Nevertheless, This book contains some of the most amuzing and hilarious stories from "the beautiful game" itself, some of which have now surely gone down in football folklore. Not only are there crazy stories from these shores, but from overseas. Stories from deep in the game's past, and some of the more recent Howlers. (Peter Enckelman, anyone?)
Some of the witty remarks included also help the book in its comedic cause (Football my Arsene, and football my Farce Being two good examples)
This book is surely one of the most amuzing football books ever written, better than anything that has gone before it. Whilst on the subject, I recomend "David Seaman's Goalkeeping Nihgtmares" on DVD. Some of the things menioned in this book appear on the DVD.

I was disappointed...
This book does contain some amusing and bizarre footballing stories, don't get me wrong. But for every genuinely funny moment there are 5 or 6 references by the author to his own alter-ego Mike Basset, his home in Liverpool and just Liverpool Football Club in general.

If these consistent references had any substance to them, then this book might well be a fantastic compendium of footballing trivialities. But none of them go anywhere, most ending abruptly in some witless, throw-away comment. I can't help but feel that it is dragged a long way down by Tomlinson's peculiar fondness of himself.

My advice is save your money, don't go for this one. Unless you want to buy my copy on the cheap, that is ;)