I need to admit I have broken a tradition in that I have ordered the Non – League Club Directory for delivery as soon as it is published rather than receive it as a Christmas present. Whether it’s because I am starved of football or just can’t wait to immerse myself in some planning and indulge myself in some statistics and fantasy I’m not sure, but I can’t wait.

I have just copied the info from their website because I couldn’t have put it better. If you buy the book I hope you enjoy it as much as I will.

PRE-ORDER NOW…

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Now in it’s 43rd year, the latest edition of the Non-League Club Directory will possibly become the most unique of all the Directories as it records a season that, for most at our level, ultimately didn’t take place! However, up to lockdown clubs were pushing for promotions, battling against relegation or enjoying cup runs, a record of which can be found in the latest Directory. 

Team line-ups for the clubs in the National, North and South Divisions including FA Cup and FA Trophy matches, plus a data-base of over 2000 players who featured.

See how the new 2020-21 constitutions will look for all leagues in Steps 1-7.

Also included in almost 900 pages are the results from all the FA competitions, as well as England C; Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Island football; Colour and black & white photographs.

To reserve your copy and to receive it hot off the press (Mid August) as well as taking advantage of the ONLINE DISCOUNT (RRP £24.99)  click on the website http://nonleagueclubdirectory.co.uk/non-league-club-directory-2019-20.html . 

The Day Italian football Died – Torino and the tragedy of Superga

Written by Alexandra Manna and Mike Gibbs: Published by The Brredon Books Publishing Company in Great Britain 2000

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This is a really sympathetically written book that takes as the central theme the tragic plane crash of May 1949 which was carrying the entire Torino team as well as reserves, officials and trainers. Torino were known at the time as Grande Torino because of their dominance of Italian football having won Serie A for the previous three seasons and were about to win their fourth,

The players were so dominant in Italian football that they contributed more than half of the national team players for some time. The final chapter in the book reveals some very profesional statistics about the players and the club and throughout there are numerous photos that bring the words to light.

There are obvious comparisons to be drawn with the Munich air disaster but what followed was not a rebirth into ultimate bright lights but a struggle to shake off what appeared to be a curse on the team and its fortunes.

The history before the crash from the clubs inception is covered as is the 50 years that followed and it was this anniversary that inspired the publishing of the book. This disaster had a profound impact on Italian football and is still very much in the conscience today.

Philosophy Football ‘Eleven Great Thinkers Play it Deep’.

Written by Mark Perryman:   Published by Penguin Books 1997

Yet another Oxfam Book buy (£1.80) that has sat on my bookshelf for some time.

A small sized book with only 131 pages I thought would be a quick read. Nothing of the sort, this book sets 11 great philosophers, thinkers, writers, musicians in Mark’s eleven a side football team. Mark reviews, extends and fits their life skills and what they have contributed to world development into their imagined position in the team.

This sounds deep and highbrow  but mark gets lots of light hearted writing even into some of the very serious team members.

For me it was not an easy book to read as I wanted reference to the individuals values that I did not know but it certainly was worthwhile. Mark Perryman is the Co founder of Philosophy Football which as the book states “is a self styled sporting outfitters of intellectual distinction”. www,philosophyfootball,com

Mark has written other books and writes regularly on different topics as well as football.

One recent article ‘Null and Void’ points out that in this pandemic top flight football has shown up to be in the main just another business that is scrambling to keep the money-spinning show on the road. I fully sympathise with his article and will look out for more in the future.

Just look up ‘Null and Void’ Mark Perryman and it will come up first on the google list.

 

‘

Bowles’ written by Steve Bidmead and Published by Virgin Books Ltd 2002 as part of FourFourTwo Footballers series.

This was a nostalgic read capturing the era when characters not only filled the back pages but front as well of the press in general. Stan Bowles was the anti hero to some but a hero to many who saw him as one of their own. He has been termed a maverick by many which is defined in The Collins Dictionary 25th Oct 2016 as : a person of independent or unorthodox views….Over the subsequent course of time, the word has been used to describe people in both a positive and negative context. To me Stan was a postive person reflecting the lives of many of his time. He was also an amazingly talented footballer.

This book captures the time and with the help of Stan a look into his world.

Born in Manchester he first came to fame at Manchester City but a  not unusual fall out with another larger than life  character Malcolm Allison saw him leave and play for two northern clubs before he joined QPR in 1972 and set in motion a seven year stay that saw him idolised by the fans.

He was bought to replace Rodney Marsh, departed for Manchester City, whose number ten shirt no one wanted to wear. Marsh had become a cult figure at the club and I can testify to this having seen him dominate a game at Watford one evening. An injury on the far side of the pitch from the dugouts saw him leave the field, lean against the hoardings, chat to the fans for a few minutes, then signal to the referee to return and continue his masterclass.

Stan Bowles however was not fazed by his predecessors aura and soon became the fans darling due to his on and off field antics. As a player he would often receive the ball in the attacking half and be able to effortlessly jink or body swerve a defender and bend a ball with both sides of his right foot to produce a telling pass or shot. QPR  arguably had a golden era when Stan played for them.

Unfortunately his footballing abilities were overshadowed by his life off the pitch and this book captures this brilliantly.

Not to ruin the book I will list only two of his telling quotes and these only from the introduction, ‘I lost a half million quid on gambling, booze and women – the rest I wasted’ and ‘I was penniless again. I’d blown the lot on vodka and tonic, gambling and fags.Looking back, I think I overdid it on the tonic.’

If you can get a copy of this book sit back and enjoy a time when individualism was still above the team ethic and personal activities were not plastered across Social Media.

 

the neurotic genius of dutch football

brilliant orange : written by David Winner  : Published in 2000 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This was another classic must read football book I found in an Oxfam bookshop for £2.50. It’s bright orange cover has sat there for too long enticing me to pick it up and now was a good opportunity.

Firstly I must say that sometimes the football was incidental as David Winner educated me on Dutch history, culture, architecture, environment, people and much more and this enhances the background to the football.

This is an explanation of how ‘Total Football’ was born and developed from the 1950’s to the end of the millennium. The Netherlands had been considered a dull, efficient, practical country that changed in the 60’s with a vibrant youth culture, pioneering architects and a new flowing total football that encompassed individual skill with a team pattern that was to surprise and please the world.

Much is put on the shoulders of Johan Cruyff but the book explores his undoubted talent but also the flaws and the other key players who created the revolution.

Ajax are at the centre of the book with their amazing European Cup achievements in the early 1970’s when they won it three times and once again in the 1994/95 season under Louis van Gaal. There is also major analysis of why the National Team have not won the World Cup or beaten their major rival Germany when it seemed turning up was all that was needed. Is it arrogance, no killer instinct or are they are just nice people, the interviews with players and coaches give an in depth insight.

I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say I shouldn’t have left it on the to read pile for so long.

 

How Steeple Sinderby Wanderers won the F.A,Cup.

Written by J.L.Carr   v   First Published in 1975    This reprint 2005 by The Quince Tree Press-Bury St Edmunds

 

If you look at lists of Football books to read this invariably comes up. Unfortunately not true but a glorious way to indulge in football fantasy that you wished were true.

Todays F.A. Cup does not have the same cache of when the book was written, gone are the endless replays, the top teams not puting out full squads,  not being too upset when they go out in an early round and there seems fewer small team giant killing stories. Games are now clinically decide sometimes on penalties.

The glamour and fun have been taken away from the competition but it is there in full technicolour in this book. It is definitely a comedy novel but still almost believable.

From playing local football the team enter the F.A. Cup and progress through the many rounds to a final with Glasgow Rangers.

It’s the characters who are the stars, Alex Slingsby, Sid ‘the Shooting Star’ Swift, Monkey Tonk (son of a trapeze artist) the milkman turned goalkeeper, Mr Fangloss, Dr Kossuth, head teacher of the local school who is from Hungary and more. The interactions and the intricacies and depth of local village relationships are carefully woven into the story.

A quick read of 124 pages it will lift spirits at such an uncertain time.

 

‘From Mine to Milan’ – The Gerry Hitchens Story written by Simon Goodyear and published by The Breedon Publishing Company 2010.

I found this book in a charity shop in Bridgnorth in the heart of the area where Gerry grew up and made his first steps in senior football with Kidderminster Harriers in 1953 after initially playing for the local village team.

The book is sympathetically written by Simon Goodyear who along with his Dad were lifelong Aston Villa fans. The book is a tribute to Gerry and his character shines through. He was a hard working, likeable, committed, unassuming, team player who was talented too and often found the back of the net.

His progress in football would be unusual today in that there was no academy development but an initial mining career and a progression through local to English League, Italian and International teams. Like John Charles he was a trailblazer for British players to go overseas to further their career which have not been a success for many, it is all too common for players from overseas to come to England and develop and delight our game.

Gerry played for Kidderminster Harriers, Cardiff City, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, Torino, Atlanta (Bergamo), Cagliari, Worcester City and Merthyr Tydfil before retiring in 1972.

His most successful time was at Villa where he scored 96 goals in four seasons, 42 in his last season. Of his 7 games for England he scored five goals.

The book shows the depth of good feeling to Gerry through quotes by fans and fellow professionals, Jimmy Greaves, Jimmy Armfield, Bobby Charlton and many more.

The book is very well written in that it gives you a real sense of how Gerry coped with moving to new clubs and cultures as well as being able to keep and enjoy a family life.

His death in 1983 on a football pitch cut short a magnificent life.

 

The 42nd edition of Non- League Club Directory arrived at Christmas published by MW Publishing edited by Mike and Tony williams  along with a second hand copy of ‘Arguably   A Love Story’ written by Tony Williams published by Mike Williams Publishing 2018.
The directory as usual is packed with information and statistics of the non league game and is a go to reference for players and clubs. Will the publication survive to reach 50 years will be intriguing to watch as the game and the  compilers of the Directory change. Mike Williams has taken over the running and publishing of the Directory and his enthusiasm for the game is unquestioned. However his editorial article about the folding of Loddiswell Athletic Football Club is unfortunately  being repeated with Sunday and  Saturday teams all over the country.
New teams are starting and existing ones are using their facilities to generate income on match days and beyond and clubs have in some cases embraced the community theme and have developed or are developing a structure of all age teams and genders.
What is key to the game is the administrative side and it is often the retirement of the club secretary who administers the club financed and gets the WhatsApps, texts and  phone calls out to chase and badger everyone to get out there on the pitch. Somehow these people need more support and a means of exchanging ideas.

Well back to the book ‘Arguably a Love Story’.

Written by Tony Williams, Published by Mike Williams Publishing 2018

This book is about Tony Williams life in football and beyond, his playing, administrative, managerial, coaching and publishing career

A Social history of the Non League Game in the last 50 years and undoubtedly a homage to one of its most knowledgeable influential movers .
A quick and easy read that makes you feel good about the game but poses a lot of questions for the future. The game is changing due to social, financial, media, gender and land pressures from the park kick about (if there is a park) to the top of the Premier League.

Tony’s final comment on the back cover of the book captures it all and is an apt epitaph for many who are involved in this intriguing sport.

“I do appreciate how lucky I am to have so many wonderful football memories which have contributed greatly to a very happy life.”

Andrew Watson – ‘The world’s First Black Football Superstar’                                      Written by Tony Talburt – First Published in 2017 by Hansib Publications Limited.

This book I found in a nearby Library and turned out to be fascinating. Only 115 pages long it is a quick and easy read and is well referenced for anyone wishing to make further studies.

Tony Talburt sets the historical and environmental outlook in Guyana and Glasgow very well. He also paints the picture of developing battles between Amateurs and Professionals, between Scottish and English tactics and styles of play and the Working Class and the Elite for the future of football.

The time is the mid to end of the nineteenth century and Andrew Watson a blackman from Guyana plays for the two premier teams in the world, Queens Park and the Corinthians as well as the best national team in the world, Scotland. Watson played for Scotland in their 6-1 trouncing of England at the Oval in 1881 and although only appearing on three occasions he was made captain of the national team.

Watson was also an administrator of clubs he played for and helped influence some of the rules of the game.

The book certainly makes a strong case for Andrew Watson’s elevation to the rank of the worlds first black football superstar but Robert Walker of Queens Park (the first black player),  Arthur Wharton (believed to be the first black professional) and Walter Tull (an outstanding  club player for Clapton, Tottenham and Northampton) might all have had a view.

No need to say much more than suggest you get a copy of this book and enjoy.