Book reviews

Liverpool were supposed to be world-beaters in the early Eighties. But, given the chance to prove it, all they came up with was excuses, says Cris Freddi

The move to Tokyo saved the World Club Cup – or at least that’s how Europe saw it. Now that they no longer had to travel to South America to have lumps kicked out of them by Estudiantes and Nacional, Euro­pean clubs felt it was safe to dip their toes in again. A one-off match on neutral territory – English clubs in particular had been getting good at those. So how do you explain the first half here? Try the early goal per­haps. Liverpool weren’t especially good at recovering from those. Here they were caught flat-footed at the back by a flick from Zico that caught out Hansen and sent Nunes in to score.

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Tom Davies  recalls the moment when Enfield FC fans had enough with the running and direction of the club and that the way forward was to form their own new club Enfield Town FC

What to do if you’ve reached the end of your tether with your chairman, your club has been made homeless and its fans are powerless? If you’re supporters of Enfield FC you say “sod this, let’s start our own club”. Later this month the newly formed Enfield Town FC will make their debut in the Essex Senior League.

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A lucky escape for Norwich as Giovanni di Stefano, an associate and confidant to the likes of Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic, was clearly not the sort of buyer they were looking for. Graham Dunbar reports

You can’t fault Giovanni di Stéfano for his frankness. The man with the name that sug­gests he played in the European Cup against Mel­chester Rovers in the late 1970s has of­fered Norwich City fans their traditional slice of midsummer drama.

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Colin Mansley explains how the club stewards and Chester City fans are united in their opposition to American owner Terry Smith

As Rushden & Diamonds, their place in the League assured, embarked on a lap of honour round the Deva Stadium on May 5, an alternative attraction was staged in front of the main stand. The matchday stewards removed their fluorescent jackets, piled them into a heap on the pitch and, to rapturous applause, unfurled “Smith Out” banners. This was just the culmination of months of protest against Terry Smith, the American who acquired the club from administration two years ago.

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Two fans debate over whether Sol Campbell's controversial move from Tottenham to north London rivals Arsenal was a betrayal

Yes ~
The reaction of Spurs fans to Sol Campbell’s decision to join Arsenal has been taken as more evidence of our taste for whingeing. But I’d argue we have a point, and one that should concern all football fans. I’m not condoning the pond life who strung an effigy of Campbell up outside White Hart Lane. But while it’s important to get the reaction in proportion, it’s also vital to see why anger is a justifiable res­ponse to football’s own Shaun Woodward.

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