Five books to crank up your World Cup fever

Death or Glory! The Dark History of the World Cup
Jon Spurling
Were Peru really bribed to lose a game at the 1978 World Cup? Well, if it was their opening game against Scotland, someone obviously forgot to tell the players. Vision Sports.

Rainbows for Goalposts
Richard Jones
Subtitled ‘Searching for the Heart of South African Football’, this gives a detailed analysis of the host nation’s love of the game. Know the Score.

Maradona: Hand of God
Jimmy Burns
Originally penned in 1997, this updated version takes in Diego’s reign as Argentina manager which, with Messi’s assistance, could yet add to the man’s mythological status. Bloomsbury.

Roy of the Rovers: World Cup Special
Joe Colquhoun
Not that he’s available for selection, but the blonde No 9 gets involved with some World Cup-themed stories. Titan.

Three Lions Versus the World
Mark Pougatch
From the BBC man with the best name in football punditry, this one is subtitled ‘England’s World Cup Stories from the Men Who were There’. Finney, Lineker and Hoddle are among those spilling all. Mainstream.

More: Books, Football, Jimmy Burns, Joe Colquhoun, Jon Spurling, Mark Pougatch, Richard Jones, World Cup

Comments

No comments yet – be the first.

To post a comment you'll first need to sign in: Forgotten your password?

Sign in

Email
Password
Remember

Not registered? Sign up – it only takes a minute.

RSS feed of these comments