O/T:- sporting books

[cher1]

Inspired by the release of Sid's book (hope sales are going well Sid), what books - on any sport and fiction or fact - have you enjoyed reading?

I'll start with:

Steak Diana Ross (obviously) by Dave McVay

Forever young by Oliver Kay

Open by Andre Agassi

Addicted by Tony Adams

Flat Out Flat Broke by Perry McCarthy

Loads more I could include, but would love to see what others recommend

[Frigiliana Pie 1]

Left Foot Forward by Garry Nelson is a good read, though now getting on for 30 years ago. The author was on loan at Notts very briefly. I think he made 2 appearances as substitute, but only a few minutes each time.

[laddo]

Read a fair few sporting books over the years here are some do my favourites

Favourite ex player book is the ultra honest and always entertaining

Full Time: The Secret Life Of Tony Cascarino

Favourite American Football book (although it's all about the tailgating unsurprisingly and touring around the United States , very jealous) is

Tailgate to Heaven : Adam Goldstein

Favourite football book avoiding the obvious Fever Pitch is the interesting and different

A Season in Verona : Tim Parks

Favourite Wrestling /Sports Entertainment book is the superb

Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks By Mick Foley

And a relatively unknown one but a fantastic read about New Orleans post Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of a pub football team (plus I know the author having met at the said titled Irish pub in NOLA some years after Katrina)

Finn McCool's Football Club... by Stephen Rea

Loads more but all of the above are quality reads.

[Thordardaughter]

Inspired by the release of Sid's book (hope sales are going well Sid), what books - on any sport and fiction or fact - have you enjoyed reading?

I'll start with:

Steak Diana Ross (obviously) by Dave McVay

Forever young by Oliver Kay

Open by Andre Agassi

Addicted by Tony Adams

Flat Out Flat Broke by Perry McCarthy

Loads more I could include, but would love to see what others recommend

Proud by Gareth Thomas is very good but could do without the odd insult about the English.

[Jeekay56]

Steak Diana Ross II: Further Diaries of a Football Nobody.

[queenslandpie]

Left Foot Forward by Garry Nelson is a good read, though now getting on for 30 years ago. The author was on loan at Notts very briefly. I think he made 2 appearances as substitute, but only a few minutes each time.

Also very much enjoyed this read. Not sure if I am allowed to mention Walking on Water by Cloughie :)

[magpie_mania]

Don Masson, Uncle Colin, Paul Mace, I enjoy any book about Notts.

[i961pie]

Ginger Mc Cains (Red Rums trainer) and John Charles autobiography are both good reads.

[ncfcog]

Currently reading a book I first read about 18 years ago. Wife picked it up for me in a charity shop and it's just as good now as it was back then if a little bit dated. "Manslaughter United" by Chris Hulme. "A season with a prison football team."

[Bushwacka]

Football -
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro by Joe McGinnis
A season with Verona by Tim Parks
Amongst the thugs by Bill Buford

Cricket - Penguins stopped play by Harry Thompson

[magpie_mania]

'Farewell but not goodbye' - Bobby Robson

'Far post' - Les Bradd

'Shep' - Autobiography of David Shepherd (Umpire)

Anyone read any of the books by Roger Rann about football in Arnold?

'Kings of the Recs' and 'When Marys were Kings' are really good.

[jackal2]

Any of the various editions of The Football Grounds of Britain by Simon Inglis.

[crazyfists]

Dog rounds

[laddo]

Football -
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro by Joe McGinnis
A season with Verona by Tim Parks
Amongst the thugs by Bill Buford

Cricket - Penguins stopped play by Harry Thompson

Glad someone mentioned 'Amongst The Thugs' I've read two dozen books on football hooligans / violence as the style and quality varies hugely, that one is one of the best I've read.

[cher1]

Glad someone mentioned 'Amongst The Thugs' I've read two dozen books on football hooligans / violence as the style and quality varies hugely, that one is one of the best I've read.

I can't stomach books about football hooliganism. I read one which included a horrific passage detailing a rape. The whole book was just violence, then more violence, which was bad enough, but the rape description was so vivid and so brutal I've never forgotten it.

[laddo]

What was the book called? Never read anything like that or even close in any football hooliganism book ever.

Wow! One to avoid.

[Elite_Pie]

I can't stomach books about football hooliganism. I read one which included a horrific passage detailing a rape. The whole book was just violence, then more violence, which was bad enough, but the rape description was so vivid and so brutal I've never forgotten it.

I doubt it's the same one because it couldn't be called a sporting book, but that reminds me of an engrossing novel I read by Irvine Welsh called 'Marabou Stork Nightmares'. It's extremely graphic and includes a gang rape, but also provides a fascinating insight into the weird attraction of football hooliganism based on the Edinburgh Hibs and Hearts rivalry.

Most of the sporting books I've read are about horse racing, and I'd say the best was 'Obsessed' by Richard Dunwoody. A brutally honest account of his rise to the top and his desire to stay there, with no sugar coating at all.

[cher1]

What was the book called? Never read anything like that or even close in any football hooliganism book ever.

Wow! One to avoid.

I forget the name of the book, but the description of the assault was really vivid, it was the author observing what was happening at a match in Europe. And no-one stopped it. Utterly horrific.

Aside from that, I really can't do with reading about relentless violence, either within football or in any other genre.

[Woodypie]

My daughter gave me a book called There is only one Danny Garvey, just started it and it is a good read. Failed **** super star returns to small club he started with.

[laddo]

I forget the name of the book, but the description of the assault was really vivid, it was the author observing what was happening at a match in Europe. And no-one stopped it. Utterly horrific.

Aside from that, I really can't do with reading about relentless violence, either within football or in any other genre.

Well don't pick up and read the book then.

I haven't come across too many books that are about football violence that don't advertise it on the front and back covers.

As I said earlier some are very poorly written , basic and glorify it, others are well written and go far deeper than who ran away from who and give a great social snapshot of that period of time using football and it's associated violence in Britain as the vehicle.

[cher1]

Well don't pick up and read the book then.

I haven't come across too many books that are about football violence that don't advertise it on the front and back covers.

As I said earlier some are very poorly written , basic and glorify it, others are well written and go far deeper than who ran away from who and give a great social snapshot of that period of time using football and it's associated violence in Britain as the vehicle.

You really could start an argument in a room in your own.

It's good to read many genres of books, hence trying a couple about hooliganism. That's how I know they aren't for me. But as they say, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover...