Book reviews

Somewhat to their own surprise, Reading fans have been presented with a big new ground. Roger Titford assesses early reactions to the Madejski Stadium

In terms of stadium comfort no English fans can have travelled so far so fast as Reading’s followers. Only 20 days after the final, final farewell to the rusting tin and crumbling concrete of Elm Park, last used for  a testimonial, we welcomed “the clarity of vision and handsomeness of space” (the Times) of the Madejski Stadium. It was like 40 years of ground improvements in a day.

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In the wake of the David Unsworth saga John Williams & Sarah Gilmore examine how football treats women who are married to, or linked with, players

In football’s “good old days”, way before 30,000-quid-a-week contracts and multi-lingual team talks, players’ wives were seen by the canniest managers mainly as a means of keeping their prized young performers indoors, out of the papers and off the bevvy.

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Manchester Utd may be the biggest club in the world and have the most fans, but recent talk of takeovers and turnover is causing some to forget the team's humble beginnings. Andrew Ward explains

When news came through of Rupert Murdoch’s proposed takeover of Manchester United, who did the Sun seek out for a reaction first? Bobby Charlton maybe, or fellow Sixties legends George Best and Denis Law? How about Sir Matt Busby’s son, Sandy, or former manager and Busby Babe Wilf McGuinness? No, none of these would do, the opinion which most mattered was that of Zoe Ball.

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With player power becoming a bigger issue in football, Rutger Slagter explains how the Dutch FA's ruling kept a lid on a potentially huge can of worms, for now

At the end of July, a Dutch FA tribunal presided over the most important case since the Bosman ruling. If the De Boer brothers Frank and Ronald won the right to tear up their contract with Ajax, players around Europe would be able to follow suit. Football in general would be in danger.

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With their team expected to struggle in the Second Division, Oldham Athletic fans are preparing for a season of protest against the board, as Steve Ragg reports

Easter Monday 1994: Oldham Athletic, occupying 16th place in the Premier League, go down 3-2 at Old Trafford, in a dress rehearsal for the following week’s FA Cup semi-final.

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