Comments on: Good Soccer Reading?

Question: Good Soccer Reading?

kickerofelves — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:25:34 -0800

Can you recommend some interesting soccer (football) books? Soccer has become my favorite sport as I get older. I love to read, and just finished Bill Buford's Among the Thugs and Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains the World. I have also read Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, A Season with Verona by Tim Parks , and The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinnis.

I am not tied to genre, fiction, biography, non-fiction, even magazine suggestions would be appreciated.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:28:24 -0800

Fever Pitch and Soccer in Sun and Shadow are my two favorites.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:29:06 -0800

Oh yeah, try 'Among the Thugs' also.

By: matteo

matteo — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:33:02 -0800

Roy Keane's autobiography

By: matteo

matteo — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:33:57 -0800

and "The Professor", the Arsene Wenger biography

By: athenian

athenian — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 14:59:12 -0800

The best magazine for me (a Brit) is When Saturday Comes. It's a small football magazine run by an independent company, and is quite fan-focused, rather than focusing on the hype and bullshit. They also properly cover the UK lower leagues. Selection of articles here.

More relevant to someone from Alabama, they have published a collection of their best writing on football, The Half Decent Football Book, and a series of histories of football in various countries: Morbo (Spain), Tor! (Germany), and Soccer in a football world (USA).

By: languagehat

languagehat — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 15:08:27 -0800

We just did this.

By: TheManticore

TheManticore — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:35:00 -0800

Sir Alex Ferguson's autobiography written with the help of noted Scottish novelist William McIlvanney, and "Penthouse and Pavement: How to survive in football without sucking up to the Old Firm," by Bill Leckie.

By: TheManticore

TheManticore — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:40:31 -0800

And if you're looking for good literature, try "The Thistle and the Grail," by Robin Jenkins who's written another football related book called "A Would Be Hero" the protagonost of which is a talented footballer trying to retain his dignity and humanity in a violent and cruel world.

By: fire&wings

fire&wings — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 18:05:46 -0800

People talk about Keane's autobiography as if it's some sort of bible, but it's barely better than David Beckham's book. Bogged down in meaningless match reports and specifics that everyone has forgotten. There is no insight into what made him who he is, and nothing about his personal life. 80% is clunky football reporting, with a few drinking sessions and bust-ups peppering the rest.

While I haven't read it, people refer to "Full Time: The Secret Life of Tony Cascarino" in favourable terms, I have heard it mentioned as the best football biography more than once.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 21:10:55 -0800

We just did this.

Although this one is a bit different. That one was asking for reference books to fill out football knowledge, while this one is just asking for good football books. I didn't suggest Fever Pitch for that one, but I would for this.

Fever Pitch, good book. Middling movie, both versions.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:27:08 -0800

Haven't seen this book, but it sounds good:
The Thinking Fans Guide to the World Cup

By: blim8183

blim8183 — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:55:38 -0800

"How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization" by Franklin Foer was an entertaining and interesting read.

By: TiredStarling

TiredStarling — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 09:11:56 -0800

Garry Nelson was what they call a "journeyman" footballer at various English clubs in the 1980s - i.e. a player who was never going to be a star, but still good enough to be a professional footballer in the top league. His book Left Foot Forward" is a well-written insight into the ins and outs of a season with Charlton Athletic. A far better and more entertaining read than any number of star biographies.