Denis Law: My Life in Football


Book Description

When Denis Law signed for Manchester United from Torino for a British record fee of £115,000 in 1962, even at the age of 22 he had already established himself as one of the world's great forwards. No wonder his arrival at United sparked a revival in the club's fortunes, as they won the FA Cup in his first campaign. In his second season, 1963-64, he scored 46 goals - a club record that stands to this day - and became European Footballer of the Year. He then helped United to league titles in two of the next three terms, delivering 39 and 25 goals respectively. Now, having reached 70 years old, Denis looks back on his remarkable career and reflects on both the highs and the lows from his time on the pitch and beyond, as captured in lavishly reproduced photographs, many of them in full colour. Denis Law: My Life in Footballis a book no true fan of football can afford to be without.




The King


Book Description

Denis Law was a goal-scoring genius who attacked the game with an enthusiasm that held his legions of loyal subjects in devoted awe. The undisputed king of Old Trafford in the 1960s, he became one of the most loved and respected footballers of all time.




Too Good to Go Down


Book Description

When Manchester United were relegated in 1974, just six years after winning the European Cup, it was front page news. How could such a thing happen to the biggest club in Britain? Such a scenario would be even more unthinkable today than Leicester City winning the league. The story is one of the most dramatic in football history and yet, still, largely unexplored. Based on a BT Sport film being developed alongside the book, TOO GOOD TO GO DOWN examines the demise of Manchester United, from the moment Bobby Charlton described the club not winning Division One in 1968 as the best thing that could have happened, through the turbulent reigns of Sir Matt Busbys successors, to the crushing blow of relegation which, ironically, came at a time when the clubs young team were just about to bloom and win over a whole new generation. With brand new, in-depth and exclusive interviews with Tommy Doherty, Sammy McIlroy, Alex Stepney, Stuart Pearson, Lou Macari, Pat Crerand, Willie Morgan, Gordon Hill, Martin Edwards and Paddy Barclay, the most controversial story in the history of footballs biggest institution is fi nally told in full detail.




Loyal Sons


Book Description

Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. When sports writing legend Grantland Rice penned those words to describe Notre Dame's victory over Army on October 18, 1924, he helped set into motion a wave that - coupled with the subsequent photograph of Don Miller, Elmer Layden, Jim Crowley and Harry Stuhldreher - created one of the most recognizable images in American sports history. LOYAL SONS provides snapshots of American life in the 1920s and chronicles the grand dreams, hard work, serendipitous timing, motivation and spirit that resulted in an undefeated season and Notre Dame's first consensus national championship. Ride along as Coach Knute Rockne's team dazzles opponents and draws record crowds from New York to Chicago and finally at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Four Horsemen, the Seven Mules, and the Shock Troops lead a team bound by perseverance, camaraderie and loyalty. They fueled the rapid rise of Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish became a source of intense pride for immigrants, Catholics and those new to the game of football across the United States.




Sir Matt Busby


Book Description

The Man Who Made A Football Club Sir Matt Busby, who took Manchester United to unprecedented glory before seeing the club through profound tragedy, created the global entity that spreads from Old Trafford today. A player with Manchester City and Liverpool before the Second World War, Busby remained at the forefront of football through four decades and made an extraordinary contribution to the game in terms of both style and substance. In this definitive biography, Patrick Barclay looks back at Busby’s phenomenal life and career, including the rise of the Busby Babes in the 1950s, the Munich disaster that claimed 23 lives and the Wembley victory ten years on that made United the first English team to win the European Cup. Denis Law, Pat Crerand and such other members of that great side as Alex Stepney, David Sadler and John Aston are among the host of voices testifying to the qualities that set Sir Matt apart. This is the story of one of the greatest figures in football history, and of the making of a legacy that will last for ever.




Stillness and Speed


Book Description

In Stillness and Speed, one of football's most enigmatic stars finally opens up about his life and career, revealing the things that motivate and inspire him. Viewed by many as one of the most influential figures in Premier League history, and scorer of the goal that Arsenal fans voted the best in the club's history, Dennis Bergkamp is a true giant of the game. As a youngster, Bergkamp learned from the Dutch master Johan Cruyff. By the time the pupil was ready to graduate from Ajax and move abroad, he was ready to spread the word, but in Italy he found few willing listeners. It was only when he moved to Arsenal and linked up with Arsene Wenger that he met someone else who shared his vision for football's possibilities. Bergkamp became central to everything the club did: now he had become the teacher, their creative genius, and the one who inspired some of the wayward old guard to new heights, helping them to seven major trophies. Few footballers' books make you think anew, but in Stillness and Speed Bergkamp presents a new vision for the game and how it might be played. He was a player like no other; his story is told like no other. It is a book that will inspire football fans everywhere, whatever their allegiance.




I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die


Book Description

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.




Duncan Edwards: The Greatest


Book Description

One of the greatest players of all time, Duncan Edwards's story is one of tragic heroism. From a working class Dudley upbringing, Edwards rose to great heights at Manchester United. In only five years, he helped United to win two League Championships and to reach the semi-finals of the European Cup. Edwards made his England debut in a game against Scotland at the age of 18 years and 183 days, becoming the youngest player for England since WW2 - a record which stood until Michael Owen's debut over forty years later. He went on to play 18 games for his country, including all four of the qualifying matched for the 1958 World Cup, in which he was expected to be a key player. Sir Bobby Charlton described him as 'the only player that made me feel inferior' and Terry Venables claimed that, had he lived, it would have been Edwards, not Bobby Moore, who would have lifted the World Cup as captain in 1966. Page-turning and poignant, author James Leighton tells a story of a magnificent sportsman and great man - the perfect antidote to the headline-grabbing footballers of today.




The Fabulous Baker Boys


Book Description




Ken Taylor - Drawn to Sport


Book Description