Book reviews

The Lost Legacy of a Dundee and Spurs Legend
by James Morgan
Back Page Press, £9.99
Reviewed by Ken Gall
From WSC 286 December 2010

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Your reviewer approached this book with what can be fairly described as some scepticism. After all, can anything be more wearying than another "Where did it all go wrong, George?"/birds 'n' booze/study of a legend of the 1960s and 70s? Happily, however, while there are elements of the above, James Morgan's study of Alan Gilzean offers something else again; combining the career of a great player with an exploration of a personality at odds with our expectations of the great names of the past.

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The Christian Roberts Story
by Christian Roberts and James Leighton
Vertical Editions, £16.99
Reviewed by Gary Andrews
From WSC 287 January 2011

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Christian Roberts burst onto the scene as a fearless 17-year-old at Cardiff City, seemingly set for a glittering career. What followed was an exasperating journey around the west country and Wiltshire while, unknown to fans and even some of his managers, Roberts battled with alcoholism. Eventually he cleaned up at Tony Adams's Sporting Chance clinic, only to see a long-term knee injury force him to retire at the age of 28. The fact that he played half his career drunk makes his performances and natural ability even more impressive and will cause fans of Cardiff, Exeter, Bristol City and Swindon to wonder what might have been.

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How Henry's Hand Exposed FIFA's Failings
by Eugene and Siobhan Gibney
Brandon/Mount Eagle, £10.99
Reviewed by Paul Doyle
From WSC 288 February 2011

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It is tempting to declare that this book is what Metallica were growling about in their song The Thing That Should Not Be. But that would be harsh, as it does appear to have served at least one purpose – the father-and-daughter combo who authored it assert, after 144 pages of disjointed lamentation, that "for us this has been part of the process of healing and acceptance" following Ireland's failure to reach the World Cup after Thierry Henry's handball. For readers, alas, it inflicts new pain.

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Conflicts and Conscience in an English Football Club
by Matthew Bell & Gary Armstrong
Peakpublish, £16.99
Reviewed by Ian Rands
From WSC 292 June 2011

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A book detailing the comings and goings of the Sheffield United boardroom over the last 30 years may not seem to have universal appeal. But while stories of mismanagement and its fallout are familiar to a large number of football fans, this tale warrants further telling due to the extraordinary cast of characters. These include the country's biggest white-collar fraudster, an Iraqi businessman later to undergo gender realignment before subsequent reversal, a chairman subject to an international arrest warrant, a fugitive still on the run from Interpol and a London socialite known as "The Count" with indirect connections to Libyan arms dealers.

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One city, two teams… 
the Old Firm
by Richard Wilson
Canongate, £16.99
Reviewed by Graham McColl
From WSC 301 March 2012

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Robust, solid and relentlessly serious, this foursquare introduction to the Old Firm reflects the grim nature of the ongoing struggle for temporary footballing supremacy in Glasgow that obsesses the followers of both clubs. It is almost flawless factually, although many of its tales will be as familiar to Scottish football supporters as their own front door and there appears to be only one fresh interview with a manager or player who has tasted the rivalry.

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