The team’s inspirational captain, Tony Adams, was sent to prison, a more rigorous fixture schedule, a mid-match brawl that led to the only points deduction to have ever been given to a club – before or since – are just some of the crazy circumstances that the Arsenal team of 90/91 had to overcome. My sometime colleagues from Nutmeg magazine have produced a beautiful, evocative, gritty love-letter to the Scottish game. Daniel’s poetic descriptions and Alan’s alluring photographs capture the attraction of football at all levels, but the book is especially affecting when they visit grounds where the players voices can be heard over the fans on the terracing.

Legends Publishing | Great Football Books Legends Publishing | Great Football Books

Peace’s masterful novel depicting the 44-day tenure of Brian Clough as manager of Leeds United depicts how his paranoia and loneliness (and irrationality) grow with his increasing isolation. Insomnia takes hold and the Clough of the novel struggles to understand why the skills and practices that made him a brilliant football player – prior to career-ending injury – and then a mercurial manager, have apparently deserted him. Supporters can easily become obsessed by tactics and formations. Whether the “diamond” trumps the “ false nine” or whether 4-3-3 is just 4-5-1 with lazier forwards? And for those who (pre-Covid) lived for those never-ending pub arguments with no hope of resolution, this book is their bible. Although it stops short of explaining the theory of the ‘67th-minute’ goal. That’s explored in detail in There’s Only One Danny Garvey.Winning the European Cup in 1982 is, without a doubt, the finest hour in Aston Villa’s illustrious history. There was no invited ‘Super League’ nonsense in those days, to become the Champions of Europe Villa had to be the Champions of England… Real Champions playing other Real Champions. So, to many Villa supporters, 26 May 1982 was the most special, most important, time in their lives. My new novel There’s Only One Danny Garvey is set in 1996. It is a book set in a footballing context, but it isn’t a book about football. Just as The Damned United (listed below) is a book that examines, through a stream-of-consciousness narrative, the obsessions of a man being played out in an often-illogical, unforgiving, alpha male-dominated environment. There’s a lot more than a simple game at stake.

Football Legends 2023 by David Ballheimer | Waterstones Football Legends 2023 by David Ballheimer | Waterstones

Dig deeper and you’ll find books framed against the game’s irrational passions and ambitions that are among the best books written about anything. Don’t believe me? Have a look at my Top 10. It should have been 11, but Ayrshire Junior football teams always get one sent off early for dissent. So, in that spirit, here are the 10 still on the field as the final whistle blows.

Christmas Gifts