Reviews from When Saturday Comes. Follow the link to buy the book from Amazon.
As Sunderland bid farewell to Roker Park Tom Lynn explains how their move to a new site came about
“We meet this day to bring Martin Thwaites to his final resting place, a place he loved to come to for many years, to watch the team he loved and the game he loved . . .” Roker Park, 18th March 1994.
Having expressed his fears about Derby's new home, Tony Davis returned to check on the progress so far
A crowd of 200 has gathered in foul weather on the edge of an industrial estate on the outskirts of Derby to watch an unveiling. The photographers snap away as the cord is pulled back, local councillors applaud and Rammy the Ram waves his mittens in the air. It’s the foundation stone for Derby County’s new stadium. Rising up in the distance are the framework of two stands, hastily erected to give the visitors something to look at. Owner Lionel Pickering, uncomfortable in the public glare, makes a terse speech matched by club captain Igor Stimac, suspended for that afternoon’s match, “This is to be an exciting time . . . it’s a new ground . . . let’s go and beat Middlesbrough.”
Cris Freddi pays tribute to former England international centre forward Tommy Lawton, who died in November
Five foot eleven has got to be a misprint. Reading about the famous ability in the air, you expect something like Niall Quinn but heavier (he looks that big in photos and film clips) and instead you have to adjust to the idea of a white Les Ferdinand, which isn’t exactly the stuff of folklore.
Leyton Orient are in their secon season in the hands of Barry Hearn and the PR hype continues to flow. Tom Davies looks at the substance behind the talk
It was a bizarre experience: in conversation in a Doncaster pub last month before our game at Belle Vue, a Rovers fan announced his opinion that Leyton Orient were one of the “sleeping giants” of the lower divisions. The Os! Imagine! But 18 months on from Barry Hearn’s takeover of the club that is how some people seem to perceive us – a dynamic, well supported, lean, mean ’90s football club.
Superstars, who needs them? Ian Plenderleith reports on Tomas Brolin's not so successful time in Switzerland
It’s a story as old as a Viking legend. Poor, struggling football club surviving on meagre gates suddenly signs big name international striker. Big name turns up amid huge fanfare, yards of extra newspaper print and hyped-up expectation among the fans. Big name runs out onto the pitch overweight and unfit, and after failing to score a goal in a handful of appearances disappears out the back door unnoticed and unmourned.