Football Soccer Memoir

The 1923 FA Cup final—aka the White Horse final—was the first football match played at the British Empire Exhibition Stadium. Although best-remembered for non-playing reasons that afternoon marked the historic opening chapter of the stadium’s long and eventful history, of the stadium soon to be known simply as Wembley. Nige Tassell chooses 100 matches—from the well known to the unusual—that have shaped Wembley's legacy and tells a lively and original alternative history of the past 100 years of football, and of Britain.

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them." This famous quote by William Shakespeare reveals the mindset of strong achievers. But how does this apply to the all time soccer greats? Are they born great? Do they come with magical powers? Superior coaching? Crazy life experiences? To answer this question, we looked at the life history and autobiographies of 10 of the best soccer players of all time. These players have outclassed and outplayed their opponents, rose to the top, and have their names etched into soccer folklore.

When a man walks on to a pitch there’s always a chance something magic can happen, that’s what keeps us coming back…’In A Man Walks On to a Pitch, Harry shares a lifetime’s experience of obsessing over football, during which he has seen it all first hand - the good, the bad and the unbelievable. Harry started in an age where players were ordinary blokes who might live on the same street as you and earn a similar wage and now manages in an era of player power.

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.

Andrea Pirlo is one of the finest footballers of his generation - a World Cup and Champions League winning playmaker who has redefined his position at the base of midfield, and one of the most deadly free-kick takers the game has known. This is his story, in his words. It is written with a level of humour and insight which confound his image as a dead-eyed assassin on the field of play.

Both Sides is Nicklas Bendtner's shockingly honest memoir of both the bright and dark sides of his personality and the football industry and what really happens when you give a troubled, overconfident teen millions to spend. It's about growing up in a working class neighbourhood and never denying your roots while living a dramatically changed life. It's about fighting to reach the top in the worlds' toughest league but having no respect for hierarchy. It's about friendship, rivalry, loneliness, failing father figures and the constant quest for an adrenaline kick

"A 10 ans, on aurait payé pour le voir jouer. Les recruteurs se pressaient autour des terrains." Dès ses débuts à l'AS Bondy, le talent de Kylian Mbappé a fait l'unanimité. Son avenir était tout tracé dans les plus grands clubs européens. De nombreux témoignages dévoilent les secrets de sa formation à l'INF Clairefontaine, puis à l'AS Monaco. "Mbappé, Le Petit Prince" raconte aussi son éclosion en Ligue des champions jusqu'à son transfert colossal au PSG durant l'été 2017.

As FIFA's most decorated female football manager and a former player, Sarina Wiegman has led both the Netherlands and England women's national teams to historic victories. She stands out as a true pioneer in the game, and her coaching philosophy has earned her a reputation as one of the most successful coaches in football history. This personal account of Sarina's life journey begins with her early passion for football, and covers her key moments on the pitch as well as her ascension to the top of the coaching world.

In My Life in Football Keegan tells the story of his remarkable rise through the sport, from the Peglers Brass Works reserve team in Doncaster to helping Liverpool become the kings of Europe, winning a Bundesliga title with Hamburg and captaining England. Keegan was recognised around the world as one of the sport's genuine superstars and remains the only Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or twice....

El St. Pauli es la constatación de que otra forma de entender el mundo y el fútbol es posible. Es romanticismo en estado puro y es lo más similar al fútbol de barrio, a aquel fútbol popular que nuestros bisabuelos contemplaban desde las gradas cien años atrás. La forma de ser del FCSP ha hecho que personas de cualquier punto del mundo utilicen la bandera y el escudo en los movimientos sociales en los que participan. El año que viene seguirá en la segunda división alemana, pero sus escudos estarán por toda Europa en primera línea de las protestas.

Italy's ultras are the most organised and violent fans in European football. Many groups have evolved into criminal gangs, involved in ticket-touting, drug-dealing and murder. A cross between the Hells Angels and hooligans, they're often the foot-soldiers of the Mafia and have been instrumental in the rise of the far-right. But the purist ultras say that they are insurgents fighting against a police state and modern football. Only amongst the ultras, they say, can you find belonging, community and a sacred concept of sport.

Geoff Shreeves is a giant of football. From reporting pitchside on the biggest matches to his iconic appearances in EA's FIFA series, Geoff's warmth, humour and expertise have made him a constant fixture of the sport. In this audio edition of Cheers Geoff!, read by the author himself, Geoff...

For everyone in Britain, Motty, like Pele and Maradona, needs no other introduction. As the nation's best-known football commentator, he has had an unparalleled insight into sports broadcasting and the ups and downs of the game. With a career spanning over 40 years and 2,000 matches, including commentating on six World Cup Finals, Motson's time in the commentary box includes some unforgettable anecdotes.

Paul Davis's story takes us on a journey through almost 50 years at the very top in football: a leading player's take on an extraordinary and memorable period in Arsenal's history, during which the club and football changed radically and forever around him.

Welcome to the true story of my life. From a modest upbringing in a town never before exposed to soccer, to the playing fields of competitive NCAA Division I soccer. From the plush grass fields, coaching next to farms in the suburbs, to the concrete courts and metal fences that surrounded them in NYC. I would be left to find my own way in a world where anything could happen and often did. The tragedy, the violence, the assaults, and the murders would all impact me. Soccer would expose me to a world many don't even know exists.

Receiving letters by post or via e-mail has always been important to me. Even now I feel slightly disappointed if the postman passes the door without anything for me, even though I know the chances are it will be a bill, a parking fine, a bank statement or a catalogue offering me clothing or garden furniture. The same applies when my inbox is empty save for someone offering a deal on a used car or urging me to change my energy provider.

Andrés Iniesta is the Barcelona and Spain legend, rated by the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paul Scholes as one of the greatest footballers of all time. This is the thinking fan's footballer, with a thinking fan's football audiobook. Andrés Iniesta was 12 years old when scouts invited him into Barcelona's famous La Masia academy. Shortly after he joined the club, Barca legend Pep Guardiola remarked of him, 'This lad is going to retire us all'.

After covering the American sports scene for 15 years, Chuck Culpepper suffered from a profound case of Common Sportswriter Malaise. He was fed up with self-righteous proclamations, steroid scandals, and the deluge of in-your-face PR that saturated the NFL, the NBA, and MLB. Then in 2006, he moved to London and discovered a new and baffling world - the renowned Premiership soccer league. Culpepper pledged his loyalty to Portsmouth, a gutsy, small-market team at the bottom of the standings. As he puts it, “It was like childhood, with beer.”

The US Women’s National Soccer Team has won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals, set record TV ratings, drawn massive crowds, earned huge revenues for FIFA and US Soccer, and helped to redefine the place of women in sports. But despite their dominance, and their rosters of superstar players, they’ve endured striking inequality: low pay, poor playing conditions, and limited opportunities to play in professional leagues.

Meet Julian Dicks. Wonderful name, wonderful player, and (alongside Paulo Di Canio), undoubtedly the greatest 'cult figure' to play for West Ham United for a generation. Hammer Time is Dicks' hugely entertaining romp through his career with West Ham, shot through with all the great anecdotes of life as a pro back then, and peppered with all the marvellous characters who crossed his path in those halcyon days.