Book reviews

Chester City fans celebrated the arrival of Terry Smith, who took over the club last year. They are not celebrating now, says Mark Howell

Terry Smith, the 40-year-old former coach of Manchester Spartans American Football team, took control of Chester City in July 1999. Asked to explain his interest, Smith cited his children’s love of Chester Zoo and the fact that “Americans love history, and Chester is steep­ed in history”. Supporters celebrated nonetheless. They had raised over £100,000 to­­­wards Smith’s takeover and were set to own over 30 per cent of the club, which had been in administration for almost a year.

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Money can't buy you happiness, as this year's play-off losers can confirm. Paul Middleton reports on Wigan Athletic's failed bid to join the Firts Division

This season, despite its desperate ending at Wembley, stands out as the greatest in Wigan Athletic’s short history. It saw the club’s highest league placing, the biggest crowd at a home match, highest average attendance – up almost two thirds on last season – all in a new stadium in front of a millionaire chairman. Yet for the fans it has still been a season of frustration.

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Money does not always bring success, as Hartlepool found out in the play-offs. Ed Parkinson reports

Reasonably sane supporters of Hartlepool and Darlington probably approached most seasons in the last century with a common set of priorities – stay in the league, stay solvent and finish above the local rival. The first two have proved difficult for both clubs at times but over­all supremacy in the third area is a matter of heated debate.

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Martin O’Neill has worked wonders at Leicester but, as John Williams explains, his mentor’s title-winning achievements are out of reach 

Earlier this season Leicester City, playing at home in the Worthington Cup and stinking out even Filbert Street’s Shanks and McEwan Stand (sponsor’s motto: “For all your waste needs”), found themselves two goals down to a Fulham side late in the match. The visitors had run the game and at most clubs this might already have been given up and put down as just a bad night. Not here. A whirling Martin O’Neill signalled a final throw, a new City partnership up front.

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There is not ingrained reason to pick one team or the other in Nottingham, says Al Needham. And now it's County's turn again

As anyone from Derby or Leicester will tell you, Nottingham is not a “football hotbed”. The relationship between the city’s two clubs is more like a resentful older brother (County) and his more successful, patronising sibling (Forest). When the half- time results are announced at the City Ground, a County lead is cheered – Forest really want to see County rise to their level. If Forest are behind at half-time, the fans at Meadow Lane laugh and jeer – they really, really want Forest to fall to theirs.

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