Reviews from When Saturday Comes. Follow the link to buy the book from Amazon.
Simon Kuper pays a 50th birthday tribute to Dutch legend Johan Cruyff
This month the Dutch celebrate two birthdays. 30th April, the day that Juliana, the Queen Mother, Iights her candles is traditionally the main national holiday, with market stalls, beer and orange flags.
John Tandy takes a look at Birmingham's ineffectual midfield linchpin
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. No, OK, it was the worst of times. The Birmingham City chairman Ken Wheldon had just about kept the club in existence after years of financial mismanagement, but he’d done it by cutting every corner known to man: we’re talking amputation here, not chemotherapy.
Graham McColl delves into the lowest – and perhaps slowest – point in Celtic's long history
Jock Stein’s first signing for Celtic was Joe McBride, a consummate striker who, in 1966-67, was Scotland’s leading scorer with 35 goals despite missing the second half of the season. In 1980, Billy McNeill gave a debut to a much talked-about goalscorer with the newest of New Wave hairstyles who looked exciting, fresh and eager when first seen warming up on the Celtic Park touchline – Charlie Nicholas.
Mike Ticher reminisces about Chelsea's man who turned down the chance to play Brazil
Alan Hudson played his last game for Chelsea in a 1-0 home defeat by Liverpool in December 1973. That match also led to the departure of Peter Osgood as Dave Sexton’s team self-destructed in a welter of bruised egos, booze-ups and squandered talent.
Tim Springett explains why Southampton supporters are uneasy about their club's recent stock market flotation
Feelings are running high on the south coast. The wanton destruction of Brighton, the chaos at Bournemouth and the sale of Portsmouth for £1 serve to compound a widely-held belief among supporters in the area that they are being taken for a ride by those who purport to have the best interests of their respective clubs at heart. By comparison Southampton looks like a sea of tranquillity. Don’t be fooled.