Book reviews

Newcastle's lacklustre media response to "Toongate" was part of Shepherd and Hall's downfall, argues Matthew Roche

For all the wrong reasons, Toongate may prove to be something of a welcome watershed in relations between major clubs on the one hand and the press and public on the other. More interesting than why Murdoch’s machine targetted Newcastle was the ruthless way in which the operation was carried out. This was not Barnsley, Coventry or Leicester, but a powerful sporting empire. The message was clear: whoever you are, we can bring you down.

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Despite three red cards at Oakwell that nearly resulted in a riot in the stands, Richard Darn feels that referees don't deserve the abuse they get 

In just 40 tragic minutes, Mr Willard, a “top” referee from Worthing, was crossed off 16,500 Christmas card lists in Barnsley. His crime was to cack-handedly preside over a home defeat at the hands of Liverpool. For most of the crowd, a bit of foul-mouthed bellowing sufficed. Others were moved to throw coins and spit. A few carted their beer-inflated carcasses onto the pitch to exact instant revenge.

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After again falling to win promotion, Charles Ross looks at the reasons that Wolves continue to underachieve despite Sir Jack Hayward's financial muscle

"There's been too much sloppiness and too much disregard for money.  They've thought the Golden Tit – me – would go on forever.  When I see some of the players we've bought who haven't performed, haven't had the commitment, overpaid, got their sports cars… they've let the fans down, let me down…"

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QPR were a Premier League club not so long ago, but Dave Thomas outlines the poor decisions that have cost the club dear

According to April’s Sky TV Guide, the clash between Sunderland and QPR on Good Friday is not only important to the home side (“desperate to return to the Premiership after the disappointment of last season’s relegation”) but also to Rangers, who “after replacing Stewart Houston (sic) with Ray Harford … are chasing promotion, too.” With, at the time of writing, half a dozen games left to avoid the ignominy of a second relegation in three years, that’s going to be some chase. Given the amount of money poured into getting Rangers back into the Premiership, it’s surprising that the Fraud Squad haven’t been called in to investigate yet another season of woeful underachievement. After 13 years in the top flight, during which time a points-for-finishing-position table would have seen QPR seventh, Rangers finally paid the price for having a rich kid owner/chairman, Richard Thompson, who could reel off scores and League positions at the drop of a hat, but didn’t understand the difference between running a club in businesslike fashion (good) and running it as a business (not good).

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Clydebank are the latest Scottish club to encounter financial difficulties. Colin McPherson analyses what the future holds

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Small, modestly successful Scottish club, relatively new to the League, finds itself asset stripped, relegated and threatened with a move to another part of the footballing world, without a care for their loyal band of long-suffering supporters.

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