English Football History

Foot-ball: Its History for Five Centuries by M. Shearman and J.E. Vincent, narrated by Gary Middleton, explores the fascinating evolution of football (soccer and rugby) from its medieval origins to the early modern era. This comprehensive historical account delves into the sport’s early rules, traditions, and development across centuries, shedding light on how it grew into the beloved global phenomenon it is today.

James Robert "Bob" Kalsu was an esteemed member of the United States military. A veteran of the Vietnam War, he made the ultimate sacrifice of giving his life for his country. While most used their celebrity status and wealth to avoid going to war, Kalsu, an offensive lineman in the National Football League, chose to commit to active duty. A Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, he served from 1969-1970. Tragically, only eight months after joining the fight, Kalsu was killed in A-Shau Valley, Vietnam.

Looking for the perfect gift for a young soccer star? Whether it’s for a birthday, Christmas, or just because, Soccer Success Playbook is the ideal present for any child aged 8-12 who dreams of improving their skills and becoming a soccer champion! This playbook is packed with 70 essential skills, drills, and winning strategies designed specifically for kids. It’s a comprehensive guide that covers everything from mastering ball control and perfecting passing techniques to advanced tactics and team dynamics.

Chester Pierce broke racial barriers by joining his college football team during segregation in the United States. Despite breaking the law, his team played on.

With extensive reporting and engrossing storytelling, Jim Baker and Bernard Corbett give us the scenes of one of the NFL's most successful and popular franchises.

In 1999, Manchester United completed a unique Treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - but more remarkable than that was how they did it and the stories behind the historic achievement. Matt Dickinson covered the whole story at the time and now in 99 compelling chapters brings it all vividly to life. 1999:The Treble and All That reveals the real stories behind the legend that was sealed with a last-minute scrambled goal from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to win the Champions League.

Balme is unique in having spent longer than anyone else in clubland. Richmond, Norwood, Melbourne, Collingwood, Geelong and Richmond again—over 50 years. He's seen and created limitless change in those decades. So how did Neil Balme go from being the infamous on-field enforcer of the 1970s to the avuncular guru the football world knows and loves today? After 11 premierships, an aura surrounds the man.

Goalkeepers in trousers, proper division names, turf patterns, pixelated scoreboards and, of course, Saturday evening pink newspapers.... They were the gritty stardust that made football sparkle. Here, 50 such wonders are drawn together with evocative charm before they slip from memory forever. Dedicating a chapter to each wonder, Daniel Gray's pieces sound more like love letters than essays.

The Ultimate Unofficial Real Madrid Trivia Book: Test Your Knowledge of Football’s Most Iconic Club! Think you know everything about Real Madrid? From legendary matches to fascinating records, this book dives deep into the incredible history and trivia of the world’s most successful football club. Whether you're a die-hard Madridista or just starting to follow Los Blancos, this book is packed with facts, quizzes, and unusual stories that will surprise and entertain. What You’ll Discover Inside: Epic Matches: Relive some of the most unforgettable moments in Real Madrid’s storied past...

Buster, the football flyboy, was part of the Greatest Generation. Old letters seeded Football Flyboy, letters that are a one-sided conversation of a man who lived for someone more important than himself. The struggles of war and his constant change of location kept him from receiving mail regularly, causing frustration and loneliness. Each letter has been unedited with grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors preserved to demonstrate the letters' authenticity.

Cristiano and Leo is the fascinating account of the lives and rivalry between two of the best footballers to ever play the game, Ronaldo and Messi. The rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi has defined football to a generation of fans - everyone has an opinion on who is the greatest. Do you prefer Ronaldo, whose work ethic and physique have been honed for one purpose - scoring goals? Or Messi, whose superhuman natural talent means he can do the seemingly impossible with a football?

For the Redknapp clan, football is a family concern; it's the family business. Me, Family and the Making of a Footballer is a deeply moving, heartfelt and beautifully personal account of growing up as the second son of Harry Redknapp, and also an enchanting love letter to football.

Introducing "The Midnight Whistle: 50 Epic Bedtime Stories From The World Of Soccer" – the ultimate bedtime companion for soccer enthusiasts! Here's why this book is an absolute must-have for a soccer fan! Immersive Adventures: Dive into 50 captivating tales set in the thrilling world of soccer, where every match is a chance for heroes to rise and legends to be born.

The most popular college football team in the early 20th century belonged to an institution called the Carlisle Indian Industrial School. Its story begins with Lt. Col. Richard Henry Pratt, a fierce abolitionist who believed that Native Americans deserved a place in American society. In 1879, Pratt made a treacherous journey to the Dakota Territory to recruit Carlisle's first students. Years later, three students approached Pratt with the notion of forming a football team.

Before agents and TV mega-rights ushered in multi-millionaire players, footballers’ wages were capped, with even the game's biggest names earning barely more than a plumber or electrician. Footballing legends shared a bond of borderline penury with the crowds they entertained on Saturday afternoons, on pitches that were far away from the pristine lawns of the modern era. Instead of the sports cars driven by today's top players, the stars of yesteryear travelled to matches on public transport and returned to homes as modest as those of their supporters.

In 2014, David Goldblatt published The Game of Our Lives, an exhaustive and critically-acclaimed ‘state of the nation’ account of the UK told through the prism of football. A William Hill Award-winner, the book was described by historian David Kynaston as ‘enlightening, enriching and exceptional’, and Goldblatt was consequently heralded by Dominic Sandbrook in the Sunday Times as possibly the greatest football historian there has ever been.

Inspire the Next Generation of Soccer Stars! Do your kids dream of scoring the winning goal? Are they passionate about soccer and love hearing stories of real-life heroes who never gave up? This book is the perfect fuel for their fire. Inspirational Soccer Stories for Young Readers brings to life the extraordinary journeys of the world’s most iconic soccer legends—told in a way that young listeners can connect with, learn from, and be inspired by.

This definitive book will offer a unique and captivating exploration of football's rich legacy, told through 100 carefully selected objects from the unrivalled collection of the National Football Museum – the world's largest. Delving into the sport's social, cultural, and technological evolution, it will take you inside moments of high drama, euphoric success and crushing heartbreak to peel back the layers of the world's favourite game.

The never-before-told inside story of how the Premier League became the wildest, richest, most popular entertainment business on the planet. How did English football - once known for its stale pies, bad bookkeeping and hooligans - become a commercial powerhouse and the world's premium popular entertainment? This was a business empire built in only 25 years on ambition, experimentation and gambler's luck.

Nations, peoples and neighbourhoods across the globe imagine and invent themselves through playing and following the game. In The Age of Football, David Goldblatt charts football’s global cultural ascent, its economic transformation and deep politicisation, taking in prison football in Uganda and amputee football in Angola, the role of football fans in the Arab Spring, the footballing presidencies of Bolivia’s Evo Morales and Turkey’s Recep Erdogan, China’s declared intention to both host and win the World Cup by 2050 and the FIFA corruption scandal.