The Football Ramble

Download or read book Football Manager Stole My Life written by Iain Macintosh, Kenny Millar, Neil White and published by BackPage Press. This book was released on 2012-08-10 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Football Manager Stole My Life lifts the lid on the cult of Football Manager (FM). It is an easy-to-read, highly illustrated, light-hearted guide to the game s lasting impact on popular culture. We hear from the gamers whose lives have been taken over by FM, a game cited in 35 divorce cases in the UK. There are interviews with the players who become world beaters in the game, but in real life never make the big leagues. The incredible scouting network of Sports Interactive is revealed. We speak to the men who make the game, and put an FM addict on the psychologist s couch to discover what 20 years as a virtual football manager has done to him.

Download or read book Football Murals: A Celebration of Soccer's Greatest Street Art written by Andy Brassell and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-10-13 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023 - ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF THE YEAR WATERSTONES BEST BOOKS OF 2022 – SPORT 'This book is a work of art about football's works of art... Loved it.' - Kevin Day, broadcaster 'A beautiful showcase of such a distinctive part of the game's culture... impossible not to get lost in the book' – Miguel Delaney, The Independent 'Gorgeous to behold... Unmissable' – Danny Kelly, TalkSPORT radio presenter 'I absolutely love this book' – Jules Breach, football presenter On high-rise buildings, street corners and stadium walls in countries around the world, eye-catching murals pay tribute to footballing greats. From Messi and Ronaldo to Rapinoe and Cruyff, these striking displays are remarkable testaments to the awe and affection fans feel for these football legends and cult heroes. Join renowned football writer and broadcaster Andy Brassell as he explores this fascinating phenomenon. Offering a fresh, highly visual perspective on the global game, Football Murals is the first book to celebrate these towering works of art. Beckenbauer and Cruyff, Rooney and Ronaldinho, Totti and Salah, Zlatan and Zidane – being honoured with a mural cements a player's place in a club's heritage and links them to the heart of the community. This richly illustrated book showcases the most impressive examples, explores their inspirational qualities and examines what they say about these icons and their sport. Written and curated by respected football writer Andy Brassell, this ground-breaking book features more than 100 murals from around the world, capturing the scale, grandeur and wit of this powerful and popular art form. Through a series of short essays and extended captions, Andy shares the players' stories, discusses the cultural politics and explains just why these men and women have been immortalised in mural form. Covering such diverse topics as Home Town Glory, Football Fame and The Cult of the Coach, Football Murals addresses the issues important to fans worldwide. It spans Marcus Rashford's inspirational mural in a Manchester suburb, the George Best tribute on the East Belfast estate where he was born, the 15-foot depiction of Megan Rapinoe in St Paul, Minnesota, and the Naples 'shrine' to Diego Maradona. 'I can't tell you how nice it is for players to see their face on a mural.' – Jermaine Jenas, The One Show

Download or read book The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Eight written by Jonathan Wilson and published by Blizzard Media Ltd. This book was released on 2013-03-11 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Eight Contents ------------ Cyprus ------------ * The Wrong Side of the Border, by Jacob Steinberg—After decades of stalemate, Northern Cypriot football may be about to come in from the cold * The Hangover of War, by Cyrus Philbrick—Almost four decades after the Turkish invasion, the shadow of conflict hangs over the Nicosia derby -------------- Interview -------------- * Sepp Blatter, by Philippe Auclair—The president of fifa admits he may stand for re-election in 2015 and reveals his concerns over the Qatar World Cup ------------ Theory ------------ * Mourinho's Cult of Personality, by Roy Henderson—How the Real Madrid manager's charismatic authority fosters loyalty * The Lawnmower and the Teapot, by Iain Macintosh—Barry Fry discusses how to motivate players and how the world of management has changed * The Bicycle Thief, by Lars Sivertsen—Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always been an individual—it's how he fits in ------------ Fans ------------ * But You Can't Change..., by Mike Calvin—How a Watford supporter ended up being converted into a Millwall fan * In the Shadow of the Goldfish, by Gary Hartley—Having lived the dream, Leeds have slowly drifted into a protracted doze * Paying the Price, by Craig Anderson—Rangers' administration and relegation were about far more than a club that couldn't pay its debts ---------------------------------- In Appreciation of... ---------------------------------- * Franco Baresi, by Sheridan Bird—How the great libero staged a remarkable recovery from a knee injury to play in the 1994 World Cup final * Brian Glanville, by Philippe Auclair—The doyen of English football writing discusses the forefathers of modern sports journalism * Ireland's Pioneers, by David Owen—This year marks the centenary of Ireland's first victory over England ------------ Africa ------------ * Eat Them Like Bread, by Jonathan Wilson—Nigeria ended their 19-year wait for a third Cup of Nations but a familiar sense of chaos remains * After the Circus, by Luke Alfred—What was the legacy of the World Cup for South Africa * The Great Administrator, by Tom Dunmore—How Ydnekatchew Tessema led the fight to have African football taken seriously * Bamako Twilight, by Stuart Roy Clarke—Away from the war, football goes on in the Malian capital ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * In Praise of Football, by Alex Keble—For all the commercialisation and scandal, football remains the purest and most demotic of cultural modes * Financial Fair Play?, by Steve Menary—How Champions League revenues can devastate competition in Europe's smaller leagues ------------ Fiction ------------ * The Limping God, part 3, by David Ashton—His football career ended by injury, John Brodie's life is going nowhere until he is sucked into the world of crime -------------------------- Greatest Games -------------------------- * Boca Juniors 2 Real Madrid 1, by Rupert Fryer—Toyota Intercontinental Cup final, National Stadium, Tokyo, 28 November 2000 -------------------- Eight Bells -------------------- * Football on TV, by Scott Murray—Key moments in the history of televising the game

Download or read book We Play On written by Andy Brassell and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2023-09-28 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A gripping account of how Shakhtar Donetsk came to represent embattled Ukraine's hopes for the future' Sunday Times 'We want to show to the world that we are alive. That we are strong. Not just us - the whole of Ukraine. We are continuing to play. We are continuing to win.' Darijo Srna 'Excellent ... a symbol of Ukrainian resistance' Ada Wordsworth Shakhtar Donetsk have not played in their home stadium since 2014. Their matchdays now typically have no crowds, air raid sirens interrupt games and thoughts of and fears for family, friends and hometowns frontline troops loom large in the players' minds ahead of every game. These are extraordinary times - but Shakhtar is an extraordinary club. Displaced when fighting first began in the Donbas region, and then again when Russia mounted a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this book honours a club - players, coaching staff, management - who choose to play on. In a time of chaos and conflict, they have become emblems of hope and unity. They are winning on the pitch, and winning hearts and minds across the world. Following the club's meteoric rise from domestic team to domineering European contenders, Andy Brassell expertly weaves a story of Shakhtar through the ages - their origin story after Ukrainian independence, their evolution and their reinvention. The war forced an exodus of star players and staff and the club has had to find itself once again. With direct testimony and exclusive interviews from those at Shakhtar, this book delivers unparalleled insight to the club's journey - one that is all too often hidden from view. The result is an ode to Shakhtar Donetsk, shining a light on the beauty and force of their football and their fight to play on.

Download or read book Disrupting Sports Journalism written by Simon McEnnis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-11-29 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book critically explores the impact that digital technology has had on the practices and norms of sports journalism. In the wake of major digital disruptions in news reporting, the author analyses how sports journalism has been particularly vulnerable to challenges and attacks on its expertise because of its historically weak commitment to professionalism. Ultimately, an argument is built that sports journalism’s professional distinctiveness will depend on its capacity to produce rigorous news work at a time when its core, routinised practices are being displaced by bloggers and team media. Recent developments such as The Athletic, a start-up that has built its business model around quality sports storytelling, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic offer hope that a paradigm shift in digital sports journalism culture towards serious reporting is starting to emerge. The question for both the industry and scholars going forward is whether these changes will crystallise and take hold in the long term. Disrupting Sports Journalism is a valuable text for researchers and students in sports media and journalism studies, as well as for industry professionals seeking an insight into developments in the field.

Download or read book The Blizzard - The Football Quarterly: Issue Five written by Jonathan Wilson and published by Blizzard Media Ltd. This book was released on 2012-06-15 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Contents of Issue Five ---------------------------- World Cup Bidding ---------------------------- * The Fall-Out, by James Corbett—Significant questions remain unanswered about the World Cup bid process * Russia's Victory, by Igor Rabiner—Russia's success in the 2018 bid was a triumph over internal as well as external opponents * Qatar Hero, by Philippe Auclair- Michel Platini is often seen as the ex-pro coming to save Fifa. But why did he vote for Qatar? ---------------- Interview ---------------- * Sócrates — The former Brazil captain talks to David Tryhorn about why footballers have a political responsibility -------------- Theory -------------- * Roy of the Rover, by Philippe Auclair—Roy Hodgson explains how his travels have shaped his coaching philosophy * Like a Shooting Star, by Luca Ferrato—How Ternana soared and then crashed with Corrado Viciani's high-tempo style * The Skilling Fields, by Steve Bartram—Manchester United are just one of the clubs influenced by the coaching model of Wiel Coerver ----------------------------- The Asian Market ----------------------------- * The 'Gaijin' of Gamba, by Ben Mabley—Fan culture has begun to challenge Japanese hierarchies. The only European Gamba ultra explains how * Sing when you're Winning, by Ian Griffiths—How the need to appear successful turns fans in Singapore from the S.League to the Premier League --------------------- Photo Essay --------------------- * The Hard Core, by Misha Domozhilov—Images of the fans who followed Zenit St Petersburg as they won the Russian championship in 2010 -------- Fall -------- * The Centre-Back and the Kitchen Knife, by Lars Sivertsen—Claus Lundekvam opens up on his battle against the addiction that overwhelmed him after retirement * My Name is Ally MacLeod and I am a Winner, by Dominic Sandbrook—How Scotland's humiliation at the 1978 World Cup knocked nationalism off course * The Lions Sleep Tonight, by Jonathan Wilson- Ten years after retaining the Cup of Nations, Cameroon failed to qualify. What went wrong? ---------------- Polemics ---------------- * The Real Problem, by Brian Phillips—Is the 'real fan' being marginalised or is he just a rhetorical tool? * Where's Darth Vader Gone?, by Simon Kuper—Is the age of football as a substitute for war coming to an end? * The Culture of Violence, by Sergio Levinsky—The absence of leadership means there is little hope of Argentina's hooligan problem being solved ------------- Fiction ------------- * The Glasses, by David Ashton—A gift from a mysterious visitor changes life for a man on a Scottish estate... --------------------------- Greatest Games --------------------------- * Romania 4-6 Yugoslavia, by Vladimir Novak—World Cup qualifier, Ghencea Stadium, Bucharest, 13 November 1977 ---------------- Five Rings ---------------- * Olympic Stories, by Marcus Christenson, Steve Menary, Jonathan Wilson, Colin Udoh and Joel Richards—Five tales from the rich history of Olympic football

Download or read book The Blizzard - The Football Quaterly: Issue Six written by Jonathan Wilson and published by Blizzard Media Ltd. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Blizzard is a quarterly football publication, put together by a cooperative of journalists and authors, its main aim to provide a platform for top-class writers from across the globe to enjoy the space and the freedom to write what they like about the football stories that matter to them. Issue Six Contents --------------- Portugal --------------- * The Curse of the Golden Whistle, by Ben Shave—How corruption and inefficiency have squandered the legacy of Euro 2004 * The Flight of the Eagles, by Luis Catarino—In the early sixties Benfica rose to topple Real Madrid, only to be cursed by Béla Guttmann * The Pretenders, by Andy Brassell—Only two sides outside 'Os Tres Grandes' have won the Portuguese title. For both a repeat seems unlikely * The Dragons' Cap, by Vitor Sobral—Porto's rise in the late seventies was inspired by the innovative coaching of José Maria Pedroto --------------- Interview --------------- * Antonin Panenka — The Czechoslovakia great discusses how his famous dinked penalty came about and the impact it's had --------------- Euro 2012 --------------- * The Essential Backdrop, by Jonathan Wilson—Euro 2012 raised major questions about the nature of fandom and what comprises a tournament * The First Twitter Tournament, by Barney Ronay—In Euro 2012, newspapers were very rarely the first with the news as social media came into its own --------------- Theory --------------- * Directing the Pianists, by Philippe Auclair—Brendan Rodgers discusses the importance of possession football and what he's learned from José Mourinho * Ivan the Reasonable, by Antonis Oikonomidis—Ivan Jovanovic explains his philosophy and how he hopes to build on Apoel's success last season * The Rise of the Technocrats, by Tim Vickery—How attitudes to the dictatorship shape Brazil's change of approach in the seventies * The Second Coming, by Federico Farcomeni—Zdenek Zeman talks about attacking, romance and his challenge after returning to Roma this season --------------------- Photo Essay --------------------- * River's Return, by Anibal Greco—Images of River Plate's battle to win promotion from the purgatory of Nacional B --------------- The Lost --------------- * The Paper Tiger, by David Bartram—How politics and society have stood in the way of a Chinese boom * The Coach on the Couch, by Iain Macintosh—Is being addicted to Football Manager a medical condition? * The Far Corner, by James Young—How football in the north-east of Brazil struggles to keep up with the giants of the south --------------- Polemics --------------- * Care for the Community, by Gabriele Marcotti—Could a radical rejig of television schedules help create a greater bond between clubs and their fans? * Location, Location, Location, by Tom Dart—Which is more important? How it looks or where a stadium is? --------------- Fiction --------------- * The Limping God, by David Ashton—His football career ended by injury, John Brodie's life is going nowhere until he is sucked into the world of crime --------------------------- Greatest Games --------------------------- * Spain 1-0 Ireland, by Dermot Corrigan—World Cup qualifying play-off, Parc des Princes, Paris, 10 November 1965 ----------------- Eight Balls ----------------- * Classic Footballs, by Sheridan Bird—A selection of the best footballs through the ages