Best Football Book

Published on Tuesday 30 September 2008 20:10

FUTEBOL, Alex Bellos: This isn't actually a book about football as such. It's a book about Brazil, but naturally enough the beautiful game dominates life there. A series of seemingly unconnected vignettes and interviews portray the Brazilians who play on the beach, in the rainforest, on muddy river banks and in unlikely foreign outposts, building into a fascinating picture of a country obsessed with football.

A SEASON WITH VERONA, Tim Parks: Having lived in Verona for some years and followed the local team at arm's length, Parks goes hardcore. He travels the length and breadth of the country with the nutters of the supporters' club and uncovers the beauty of Italy and its people. For the dedicated linguist, this book has an added bonus: a complete catalogue of the foulest imaginable Italian swear words, straight from the terraces.

HUNTING GROUNDS, Gary Sutherland: The author sets off to take in a match at every senior ground in the Scottish leagues, only using public transport. He describes the football if it's worth mentioning and the pies if they are worth eating but the stars of the book are the people he meets on his journey around the backwaters. Inevitably he finds SPL football no match for the intimacy, thrills and downright lunacy of lower-league football.

MY FATHER AND OTHER WORKING CLASS HEROES, Gary Imlach: Imlach's father was a Scottish international and FA cup winner of the 1950s – a very different era in which to be a professional footballer. With his research and family memories, he presents a social as well as personal history of a very down-to-earth family man in a job that would nowadays have made him very wealthy indeed. At the time, he had to work as a joiner during the close-season to make ends meet.

BLACK DIAMONDS AND THE BLUE BRAZIL, Ron Ferguson: This history of Cowdenbeath – the industrial powerhouse; the birthplace of numerous intellectuals; the breeding ground of radical politics; and the home of a football club destined to survive – is set against a backdrop of the ill-fated 1992-93 season. Cowdenbeath had celebrated promotion to the old First Division in May; by June a major fire had destroyed the stand and the successful manager had been removed. The ball was well and truly on the slates.