Ten years in the making, this A-Z of credulity-twanging facts and stories includes definitive explanations of everyday phrases such as "keep your shape" and "low center of gravity", a complete guide to becoming a terrace wit, how Alex Stepney broke his jaw by shouting, why the old-fashioned British center-half is like a red squirrel, and hundreds of other fantastic tales from what Pele once memorably dubbed "My bloody job." This collection addresses key hitherto ignored aspects of this game, for example the relationship with country music and its long tradition of football-related songs. Johnny Cash dubbed himself "The Man in Black" in homage to his idol, referee Arthur Ellis, and "I Walk the Line" is arguably the greatest song ever written about the life of an assistant referee.
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Editorial Reviews
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** 'Bitingly satirical and madly surreal, this must be the funniest book of the year . . . Monty Python meets John Motson Leo McKinstry', DAILY TELEGRAPH ** 'Monstrously, almost unreasonably funny. This is an author with an encyclopaedic knowledge of football, with a thorough grounding in modern culture, and with a brilliant sense of humour who - rare among his peers - knows when to stop.' Andrew Baker, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ** 'Harry Peason makes me laugh. In fact his columns and Marina Hyde's are the two main reasons why The Grauniad is my sports sections of choice... Be warned your head will explode if you attempt to read this in one go.' LONDON LITE ** 'Pearson has a knack for turning soccer cliches on their head and taking them in unexpected directions, as well as having a penchant for surreal flights of fancy, such as the little known fact that Bob Dylan's muse was awakened by a spell with Hartlepool United.' FT ** 'Highly entertaining' SUNDAY TRIBUNE
About the Author
Harry Pearson is a journalist who contributes regularly to The Guardian and GQ, and the author of Around the World by Mouse, Racing Pigs and Giant Marrows, and A Tall Man in a Low Land.
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