Book reviews

Rangers goalkeeper Andy Goram – from cult hero to alleged terrorist and extremist. Alex Anderson looks for reason and logic 

For Rangers fans who would like their club to ditch its sectarian image, the second last weekend in February contained an extreme high followed by extreme low. Saturday: a Scottish Catholic helps us annihilate Dundee and the fact is only reported on the back pages, in purely football terms. Sunday: an ex-Ranger cannot face Celtic because of front-page headlines associating him with organised murderers.

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Ken Gall explains why fans are fuming at the press response to the recently proposed merger of the two Dundee clubs 

When Peter Marr – nightclub owner and chairman of Dundee FC – raised the possibility of his club mer­ging with neighbours Dundee United, there was, un­sur­prisingly, uproar among the fans of both clubs. Slightly more surprisingly, there was also a flurry of fav­ourable comment in the Scottish press.

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Some people were just born to manage England, albeit with the right name and at the right time, says Harry Pearson

Walter, Alf, Don, Joe, Ron, Bobby, Graham, Terry, Glenn, Howard, Kev­in.When studying this list of of the forenames of England’s managers it quickly becomes apparent that since the mid-Seventies the FA have got things hopelessly wrong. The departure of Don Revie and the brief interregnum of Joe Mercer should clearly have been followed by a more modern sounding manager, one whose name reeked not of linament and toad-in-the-hole, but of frothy coffee and formica, a Tony, perhaps, an Alan or even a Brian. Instead the FA went backwards and opted for Ron Greenwood.

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Manchester City fans have high hopes for the Millennium Stadium. Ashley Shaw wonders why

At one stage Maine Road possessed the tallest floodlights in English football, but with the advent of super stadia the place has come to resemble a relic – a reminder of the club’s glory days.

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Despite a successful season, not everyone is impressed with Sunderland. Joe Boyle looks at how the club has reacted to accusations of racism in the stands

Perhaps Sunderland have had it a bit too good  rec­ently: top of the league by miles, a cup semi-final, a media-friendly boss, a superb, packed stadium and a favourable press.

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