Unfit and Improper Persons: An Idiot’s Guide to Owning a Football Club FROM THE PRICE OF FOOTBALL PODCAST
£13.30£16.10 (-17%)
‘A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues.’ Gary Lineker
‘Witty and wise.’ Clare Balding
‘Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.’ Alan Davies
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Ever dreamed of setting up your own football club?
Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they start a (fictional) football club and discover what’s really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you’ve also got to pass the Premier League and EFL’s ‘fit and proper persons test’. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that’s the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be – is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women’s team the same as the men’s team? (Spoiler alert: hardly anyone else does.) And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation – owning a football club isn’t all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors’ box.
Unfit and Improper Persons is informed, funny and, thanks to exclusive interviews with those who’ve been there, done that, it lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Sport (12 Oct. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 304 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1399407546 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1399407540 |
| Dimensions | 13.5 x 3.18 x 21.6 cm |
by Ballon
Interesting text.
by Matt Riley
Interesting tongue in cheek look at setting up your own football club! Funny and entertaining
by Amazon Customer
Having listened to the Price of Football podcast for a long time, I had high hopes of Unfit and Improper Persons. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a page turner. It’s very easy to read, funny and utterly fascinating. If you have any interest in football at all, you’ll love this. But the message….wow. We should be worried about the people who “run” (or is that ruin) out football clubs. Buy this book.
by Ashley Bradley
Hard to fault Kevin Day in collaboration with football finance expert Kieran Maguire producing a book that hits the back of net.
I’ve been following these guys via their consistently brilliant “Price of Football” podcast for the last few years and they have now delivered an original and sumptuous read. 10/10.
by Heather
Unsurprising to anyone who listens to the podcast but written with the level of brilliance you’d expect , love it
by Matt Riley
Unfit and Improper Persons offers a humorous yet insightful look into football club ownership. Written by football fans and finance experts Kevin Day, Kieran Maguire, and Guy Kilty, this tongue-in-cheek guide pokes fun at the lack of qualifications often seen among new owners. Short, digestible chapters examine the realities of club ownership, from figuring out costs to navigating transfer windows. While humorously written, the book succeeds in revealing football finance and delivering concrete advice on valuation, transfers, revenue, and building a strong team. Packed with statistics, facts, and Premier League drama, it skillfully recounts history to contextualize ownership challenges. The accessible writing makes dense concepts palatable through frequent jokes and helpful charts. Crucial questions are addressed like how to value a club, handle transfers, and assess revenue streams. Examples of good and bad decisions provide important lessons. Though painted as a fool’s errand, the book shows that with the right mix of money, intelligence, patience and advisors, even idiots can achieve the pipe dream of owning a football club and avoid catastrophe.
by Julian petrie
A natural follow on to the twice weekly Podcast in which Kevin supplies the chuckles and Kieran manages to make all matters football finance.
An excellent read and one that perspective football club owners shouldn’t dismiss as serious matters are discussed with a lighthearted and engaging nature.
It’s not as simple as you might think!