Clubs

‘When a man walks on to a pitch there’s always a chance something magic can happen, that’s what keeps us coming back…’

In A Man Walks On To a Pitch, Harry shares a lifetime’s experience of obsessing over football, during which he has seen it all first hand – the good, the bad and the unbelievable. Harry started in an age where players were ordinary blokes who might live on the same street as you and earn a similar wage. Now he manages in an era of player power, multi-million pound wages and teams assembled from around the globe.

As he shares stories of some of the legends and journeymen he played, coached, argued and drank with, Harry picks a team for each decade from the 1950s to the present. He gets to the heart of what was right and wrong with each era and explores the changes in the game from lifestyle to tactics. He weaves his choices together with unforgettable tales from the training pitches, boot rooms and card schools.

There are tales of the untutored genius of Duncan Edwards and Tom Finney, legendary tough Scots like Bobby Collins, Dave Mackay and Billy Bremner, the world-beaters of 1966, unpredictable one-off wizards from Sir Stanley Matthews to Matt Le Tissier, natural-born goalscorers from Greaves to Dalglish and the greatest foreign players to grace our game from Trautmann to Bergkamp. It is one of the best informal histories of the British game you’ll ever read.

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The fun and easy way to master the art of football coaching

Volunteering as a youth football coach can be a great experience, both for you and your squad. But what if you’ve never coached before, or want to improve? Don’t worry! This friendly guide explains football rules, shows you how to approach coaching, and gives you practical pointers on improving team skills and encouraging good sportsmanship.

* Understand football rules
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Develop a coaching philosophy
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Teach football fundamentals
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Run great training sessions
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Lead your team during a game
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Communicate effectively with parents

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Delve into what our forefathers got up to, from the horse and carts, motorised charabancs, war years, the highs of Lisbon to the histories of over 400 CSCs. Every supporters club has a story to tell. This book brings them to life with some remarkable tales of heroism, prejudice, inventiveness, charity, mayhem and humour.

This book is by the fans, about the fans, for the fans.

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Packed with really fun illustrated footie facts for kids age 8. If you’re 8 and live and breathe football then you’ll love this football fact book. Over 100 amazing facts that will blow your mind, expand your knowledge and make you a walking, talking, football expert! From the most surprising world records and Premier League football stats to fanatical fans and fascinating trivia about your ultimate football heroes.

From Messi to Ronaldo, Rashford to Bellingham, Saka to Mbappe or the mighty Lionesses there’s a really fun football superstar fact we bet you didn’t know. Uncover crazy stats and randoms about your favourite team including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur and loads more.

Did you know?

• Did you know Marcus Rashford’s birthday is on Halloween? That’s proof he was born to score screamers and give defenders nightmares!
• Soccer in space! In 2014, two NASA astronauts held their own tournament in honour of the FIFA World Cup that year.
• The World Cup Trophy is made of solid gold! It weighs about 6kg, which is as heavy as carrying around 6 bags of sugar.
• The fastest footballers can run at a top speed of around 30-35 km/h. Manchester City’s Kyle Walker is one of the fastest ever, clocking a top speed of 37.802 km/h.

Highlights

★ Over 100 amazing facts for 8 year olds

★ One of 3 Really Fun illustrated trivia football books

★ Fantastic facts about your favourite football superstars

★ World records and weird-but-true footie facts

★ Great football gifts for boys and girls

★ The ultimate football book for boys 7-9

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Pre-order this paperback edition of Tackle! coming MAY 9th 2024 or purchase the Hardback, eBook or audiobook TODAY.

Jilly Cooper is a true fan favourite:

‘Entertaining, witty and a total escape!’
‘Unputdownable and addictive as always’
‘Rupert is back. Still gorgeous. Still naughty. Still wondrous’
‘A delightfully indulgent read . . . twists in the plot and, as always, a charming ending’

Jilly Cooper’s legendary hero returns!

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Football Weekly — everyone’s favourite football podcast — has decided the time (and the money) is right to finally commit their wisdom to paper. You know what this means: trivia, filler, too much about The Mighty Cambridge United, not enough about [insert your club], and very occasionally an insightful remark.

Expect all the trademark humour of their hugely successful live shows, plus:

Max Rushden and Barry Glendenning’s ‘Blind Date’
Mark Langdon’s ‘World of Meat’
Jonathan Liew’s ‘You Are the PGMOL-Appointed Match Official’
Ben Fisher’s ‘Car Parks of British Football’
A thrilling new board game, ‘Snakes & Blatters’
Philippe Auclair’s shocking FIFA exposé
An exclusive David Squires cartoon
And much, much more!

Edited by Jonathan Wilson, the book will feature the full pod line-up of:
Barry Glendenning — Max Rushden — David Squires — Barney Ronay — Jonathan Liew — John Brewin — Scott Murray — Elis James — Paul Watson – Philippe Auclair – Troy Townsend – Ben Fisher — Jordan Jarrett-Bryan — Sid Lowe — Nicky Bandini — Lars Sivertsen — Robyn Cowen.

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“A great background spanning almost a hundred years on the men who made everything that followed possible. A must-read for any Manchester United fan.” –Gary Neville, former Manchester United captain

“At a time when money is king in football, this is an important insight into just how humble the beginnings of Manchester United were. These are human football stories but they also provide a slice of Manchester’s social history.” –John Murray, BBC Football Correspondent

The Men Who Made Manchester United brings you the definitive history of Manchester United before Sir Matt Busby’s post-war halcyon days.

Inside are tales that will make you squirm, laugh and cry, including:

• The transfer fee of two freezers of ice cream
• The tragic death of a young footballer and his forgotten family
• The fight for the right to unionise
• Edwardian Cockney Reds
• Severed fingers and the pelting stones of the angry residents of Budapest

As Victorian Britain was gripped by ‘the football craze’, eight men laid the foundations at one of the world’s greatest clubs. These pioneers ranged from miners to brewery owners, fitness fanatics to portly beer drinkers. From Stretford, Ancoats, Birmingham, Bolton, Darlington, Chirk and Crewe, some were rebels, others were leaders. All were grafters.

This is the story behind the club’s name and colours, the building of Old Trafford, the founding of the PFA and the creation of the Academy. It’s filled with tales that will fascinate and entertain, making it the perfect gift for Manchester United fans!

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Put your Liverpool knowledge to the test with the ultimate quiz book for Reds fans.

Do you think you know it all about Liverpool? Could you name the starting line-up in 2005 Champions League final? The most decorated player in the club’s history? Do you know which sides Liverpool have beaten most, and vice versa? Or which game drew the Reds’ biggest-ever crowd?

Whatever your area of interest or depth of knowledge, this expertly assembled quiz will have some testing questions for you. From the club’s earliest days to the glory years of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, the renaissance under Jurgen Klopp and beyond, Think You Know It All? Liverpool will challenge your knowledge of the iconic team’s players, managers, records and more.

Featuring an entertaining mix of questions and puzzles, this is the perfect test for new and veteran LFC fans alike. Proving you know it all about your club has never been such fun – or so tricky.

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One of the great untold football miracles of all time.

Hard Shoulder, M62 Eastbound, June 1982…

Britain is on the verge of taking the Falkland Islands back from the Argentine invaders, Margaret Thatcher is three years into her tenure at 10 Downing Street and for the first time since the 1930s, three million people are unemployed – with the nation reeling from recession.

One of those searching for a job is standing at the side of the motorway which links the north of England’s east and west coasts with his thumb out. Newly-retired former Everton, Manchester City and England striker Joe Royle is trying to hitch a lift to Boundary Park for what he thinks is an interview for the post of manager at backwater Oldham Athletic. Behind him, smoke pours from his broken-down car’s engine. After a passing lorry takes him the rest of the way, Royle is told that the job is his – and that he will have to sell a player or the club will go bust. Later that day, bailiffs drop in and eye up his office furniture. That night he is in his own garage, stencilling the initials of players’ names on training kit as the reality of the task in hand hits home.

What happened next is one of the great, untold football miracles of all time as unfancied Oldham emerged from the shadows of their illustrious Manchester neighbours and embarked on a thrilling, white knuckle ride to the summit of the English game.

This is a story that has not been told before. It is a time when the impossible was possible, long before the vast millions in broadcast money arrived and the creation of the Premier League changed football in England forever. A time when an astute manager and wily chairman could scour the big clubs for castoffs and achieve the unachievable. It is something that will never be repeated and, in these times of huge salaries and commercial excess, is a tale of harder and yet often-happier times when small clubs could dream big.

In the 30th anniversary year of Royle’s remarkable revolution, it is the perfect time for This Is How It Feels to hit the book shelves.

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