Book reviews | When Saturday Comes

Cash converters

Gary Andrews bids farewell to some contentious champions and their suitably controversial manager

Even after cantering to the Conference title, Crawley’s manager Steve Evans was still taking potshots at his nearest rivals. “I did expect the players of Luton Town to give my players a guard of honour onto the pitch at the start of a wonderful night, but obviously they were told not to do that,” he complained following their first game after securing the title. This minor spat over a bigger occasion sums up Crawley’s championship triumph neatly.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Professional foul

Employment status is a major factor in non-League success. Andy Ollerenshaw witnessed part-time Altrincham’s relegation

It was relegation decider day for part-time Conference Premier club Altrincham FC. A larger than normal home support poured through the turnstiles to witness the crucial end-of-season encounter with Eastbourne Borough, bringing with them the familiar tensions that saturate these occasions: the nerves, the nail-biting, an atmosphere fuelled by a heady mix of expectation and trepidation. A whole gamut of emotions that would, towards the end of the game, peak in several minutes of high drama.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Caucasus calling

Saul Pope looks at a rising challenge to the traditional elite of Russian football, with plenty of money and some famous faces

Since its creation in 1992 Moscow sides have largely dominated the Russian top flight, winning 14 of 19 league titles and taking the lion’s share of second and third places. Lately, this stranglehold has been broken somewhat by Zenit St Petersburg and Rubin Kazan. However, this season two teams from the North Caucasus – the scene of wars and insurgency for much of the last two decades – aim to upstage them all.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Boom and bust

Dermot Corrigan looks at how foreigners bearing gifts are being viewed with increasing suspicion by struggling clubs in La Liga

The fantastically wealthy foreign club owner was until recently unknown in Spain, where clubs have generally either been member-owned, dominated by local businessmen or, most commonly, a mixture of both. Then, last June, Qatar’s Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani bought Málaga, promised to sign at least five new players immediately, announced plans for a new 65,000-seat stadium and predicted Champions League glory within a few seasons.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews

Keeping a promise

Though lavish spending dominates the headlines, John Duerden thinks structural development is changing the Chinese scene

Talk of a “new dawn” in Chinese football would have fans rolling their eyes, so often have they heard it before. This time, though, the talk of money in the local game doesn’t revolve around bribes or betting, but investment in star players in the top tier and, more importantly, funds found for grassroots and youth football.

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 - Book reviews