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* SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS * Robin Smith was one of England's most popular cricketers of the 1990s. The Judge, as he was known to all, took on some of the most dangerous fast bowlers of all time with a skill and fearlessness that ensured hero status. His savage square cut drew roars of approval from fans all around the world, especially those of his beloved England and Hampshire. But when he was prematurely dumped from the England set-up at the age of 32, he had to face his toughest opponent of all - himself. Smith suffered a debilitating loss of identity, especially when he retired from professional cricket in 2003, and struggled to deal with the contradictions in hi...
The story of the coolest international football team in history - the 1980s Danish national team - told for the first time in English. The Denmark side of the 1980s was one of the last truly iconic international football teams. Although they did not win a trophy, they claimed something much more important and enduring: glory, and in industrial quantities. They were a bewitching fusion of futuristic attacking football, effortless Scandinavian cool and laid-back living. They played like angels and lived like you and I, and they were everyone's second team in the mid-1980s. The story of Danish Dynamite, as the team became known, is the story of a team of rock stars in a polyester Hummel kit. Ha...
The improbable story of a soccer player who scammed his way into a lengthy career…without ever playing in a game. Born in Rio Pardo, Brazil, Carlos Henrique Raposo had dreams of becoming a professional soccer (futbol) player. After a youth career at Botafogo and Flamengo, he had his sights set on the future. Whether given the nickname “Kaiser” due to his resemblance of superstar Franz Beckenbauer or a bottle of Kaiser beer, he used his new-found name to begin a career where he “wanted to be a footballer, but did not want to play football.” Thus began a decade-plus career that spanned across Brazil (Botafogo, Flamengo, Bangu, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama, and America), Mexico (Puebla),...
The Spirit of Cricket is a compelling collection of the great moments in cricket history that epitomise the best of the game. Spanning both the globe and the centuries and featuring cricketers from all the major playing nations, this is the perfect read for cricket lovers everywhere.
Classic World Cup clashes brought to life and re-evaluated by two of the writers of the popular Guardian minute-by-minute football blog. Watching each match in real time and reacting to the twists and turns of the action, Murray and Smyth bring you the real stories of the matches as they happened, not the highlights package or rose-tinted version. From the crowd swarming over the pitch moments before the Brazil-Uruguay classic of 1950 kicked off, to the dubious refereeing decisions that decided England's single triumph at Wembley, this is the history of the World Cup as you've never seen it before. As well as 30 classic moments from other matches, the games given a full report include: 1950 Uruguay v Brazil 1962 Chile v Italy 1966 England v Argentina England v West Germany 1970 England v West Germany Italy v West Germany Brazil v Italy 1974 West Germany v Holland 1978 Scotland v Holland 1982 Brazil v Italy West Germany v France 1986 England v Argentina France v Brazil 1990 England vs Cameroon England v West Germany 1994 Romania v Argentina 1998 Argentina v England 2006 Italy v Germany 2010 Spain v Holland
Jumpers For Goalposts is a fascinating reflection on the history of British soccer, which examines why the charm, innocence, and good humor has disappeared from today's game, compared to the golden days of yesteryear. Smyth considers everything from the huge wage bills, to players' lack of loyalty to their clubs, and their escapades off the pitch. He concludes that the true beauty of football is when it's at its simplest. Including anecdotes from players, past and present, and other sporting insiders, Jumpers For Goalposts is an exhaustive study of whether football has lost its charm—and, perhaps more importantly, whether it can ever get it back.
1980s Rio de Janeiro. There’s only one king in this city and he’s got the mullet, swagger and fake ID to prove it. Introducing Carlos Henrique Raposo, known to all as KAISER. This guy’s got more front than Copacabana beach. He’s the most loveable of rogues with the most common of dreams: to become a professional footballer. And he isn’t about to let trivial details like talent and achievement stand in his way. . . not when he has so many other ways to get what he wants. In one of the most remarkable football stories ever told, Kaiser graduates from abandoned slumdog to star striker, dressing-room fixer, superstar party host and inexhaustible lover. And all without kicking a ball. He’s not just the king... he’s the Kaiser.
Classic World Cup clashes brought to life and re-evaluated by two of the writers of the popular Guardian minute-by-minute football blog. Watching each match in real time and reacting to the twists and turns of the action, Murray and Smyth bring you the real stories of the matches as they happened, not the highlights package or rose-tinted version. From the crowd swarming over the pitch moments before the Brazil-Uruguay classic of 1950 kicked off, to the dubious refereeing decisions that decided England's single triumph at Wembley, this is the history of the World Cup as you've never seen it before. As well as 30 classic moments from other matches, the games given a full report include: 1950 Uruguay v Brazil 1962 Chile v Italy 1966 England v Argentina England v West Germany 1970 England v West Germany Italy v West Germany Brazil v Italy 1974 West Germany v Holland 1978 Scotland v Holland 1982 Brazil v Italy West Germany v France 1986 England v Argentina France v Brazil 1990 England vs Cameroon England v West Germany 1994 Romania v Argentina 1998 Argentina v England 2006 Italy v Germany 2010 Spain v Holland