Official Sporting Books Thread

[MonTheHoops]

Reading anything at the moment?

Having read Clough's autobiography, Walking on Water, decided to pick up The Damned United.

It chronicles Clough's 44 days in charge of Leeds United after his nemesis Revie left the helm. One of the best books I've read in a very long time.

[LawrenceSummers]

i hear jack o connors is full of scandal........... wouldn't doubt the kerrymen

[LawrenceSummers]

paul mcgraths was about the best since lance leftys, and moss keanes is a good read

[Sound]

Dug out 'Rough Ride' again last night. Still quality and more pertinent now than ever.

[Lamps]

I find you can't beat a good sports book, f*ck the so called classics and NYT bestsellers.

Unfortuately I think I've read most of the best ones. 442 did a list of their top 10 recently and i had read most i think. Stopped reading Gazzas cos i thought it was shit, but have done the usual suspects, Adams, Big Cas, McGrath, Clough.

They put Ginsoaks one in, but the day I read that is the day I pack it all in. Hugh McIlvaney's star died for most people with that.

[ebenezer]

Reading anything at the moment?

Having read Clough's autobiography, Walking on Water, decided to pick up The Damned United.

It chronicles Clough's 44 days in charge of Leeds United after his nemesis Revie left the helm. One of the best books I've read in a very long time.

All Mr.Clough books are good.

He was right too about those dirty Leeds players saying ''Gentlemen, I might as well tell you now, you lot may have won all the domestic honours there are and some of the European ones but, as far as I am concerned, the first thing you can do for me is to chuck all your medals and all your caps and all your pots and all your pans into the biggest fucking dustbin you can find, because you’ve never won any of them fairly. You’ve done it all by bloody cheating.''

Ha, ha. The greatest manager EVER.

[raZor]

Reading Steven Gerrard's at the moment, Michael Owen is a prick (Stevie Gerrard loves him though) he basically wanted to pick the English team during Kevin Keegan's stint, which is what he's doing at the moment.

[Edmund Blackwater]

Rad Fowler's book and it was alright in a 'doesn't pull any punches' type of way.
His hatred of citizen neville is top class.

[Sound]

I couldn't bring myself to read most soccer players' books, especially if they're still playing.

[homer jay]

Rad Fowler's book and it was alright in a 'doesn't pull any punches' type of way.
His hatred of citizen neville is top class.

read it as well, pretty good. he doesn't seem to like beckham either :smile:

[RonnyB]

Last Man Standing by Christy O'Connor is a must read for any GAA fan.

To be honest GAA books are a far better read IMO than any soccer books that I've read. The last book I read was McGrath's and it nearly forced me to drink. The guy had it tough.

[11 league titles]

"The Punch" by John Feinstein is one of the best sporting books i've read..Even if you're not big into NBA/basketball its very good..
he also has another few that are well worth a read

[roasty]

mcgraths book is just simply frightning

[emurf]

Moss Keanes is excellent. Reading Gerrards at the moment just started but it seems good.
Brian Corcorans is good too.

[Eoin]

Captain fantastic

Savage stuff.

;)

[stringmusic]

Book"d by Tom Humphries,worth a reread

[Glenagow]

Hurling: The Revolution years by Denis Walsh is the best sports book I've ever read. Its a cracker. Last Man Standing too. Fever Pitch is a great read.

Paul McGrath's book was scary. Its a miracle he's still alive

[ho chi feen]

I love Futebol by Alex Bellos, although he's let down by some factual mix-ups and inaccuracies, it doesn't take away from the general thrust of his treatment of the history behind Brazil's love of football.

Football Against The Enemy by Simon Kuper is a fantastic read.

Two books on Italian football would be right at the top of my list, The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGuinness (an eminent political writer from the US who fell in love with the game in the lead up to the 1994 World Cup), and, even more so, A Season With Verona by Tim Parks (who is also a noted fiction author and literary critic, as well as professsor of English in Milan and who has also written books on travel in Italy and the De Medicis).

I liked Jimmy Burns' book on Diego Maradona, Hand Of God, which details the great man's slow descent into a hell of drug abuse, paranoia, and fracture relationships.

That's just a few off the top of my head.

Morbo by Phil Ball is a marvellously entertaining account of the big rivalries, and their deeper cultural roots, that so enliven football in Spain.

[mr m]

A good walked spoiled by John Feinstein is the best golf book I've read. He spent a year on the PGA following the pros and also the qualifying tours.
It's at the q school qualifying tournaments where it really comes into it's own. He writes brilliantly and really captures the tension of having a 10 foot putt that could mean the difference of being a professional golfer or going back to being a golf pro in the local course. Great read if you're onto golf.

[POL]

mcgraths book is just simply frightningdid it put the fear of gawd into you?

[EL TORO]

Just started reading 'EL Macca' McManaman's story at Real Madrid. Tis a good read with some genuinely insightful stuff. He's a surprisingly elequent bloke who was a very well liked member of the Galacticos,even though he wasnt one himself.

[kevinbitzz]

Just started reading 'EL Macca' McManaman's story at Real Madrid. Tis a good read with some genuinely insightful stuff. He's a surprisingly elequent bloke who was a very well liked member of the Galacticos,even though he wasnt one himself.

Have read a few of the ex-liverpool plyers books, but that is the only one that i would recommend to people, Just the story of his 4 years in madrid and some good interviews with some of the players that were there at the time, Raul/Carlos etc...

[STEVIEG]

Forza Italia by Paddy Agnew is excellent

[ho chi feen]

Forza Italia by Paddy Agnew is excellent

New updated edition just out lately, waiting for it to come in.

[Chelsea Hotel #2]

Con Houlihan - More than a Game
Only a Game? - Eamonn Dunphy
Moss Keane - Rucks, Mauls and Gaelic Football
Dublin V Kerry - Tom Humphries

All are well worth a read, not least Humphries book on the Dublin and Kerry rivalry in the 70's. Interesting views from some of the Kerry players who felt that their sporting success fucked them up as individuals.

[Superior]

Angry White Pyjamas - Robert Twigger

Brilliant Orange - Simon Kuper

Only a Game?: Diary of a Professional Footballer - Eamon Dunphy