LaticsPete

The A-Z of Weird & Wonderful Football Shirts

Richard Johnson

Conker Editions, 2020

Paperback, 206pp, £15

Those of us who primarily collect programmes or other printed memorabilia are often challenged by issues of storage. The boxes and shelves that accumulate in lofts, bedrooms and studies can take over the very space that we seek to live or work in. That’s before the issues of complaints from partners.  Admiration then for those who pursue the collectables that are football shirts. Wardrobes full, suitcases bursting, and with an ever-increasing frequency in the issue of new strips, the logistics must be a struggle. I’ve got a few myself but, as this book wonderfully illustrates the potential for growth both in terms of the number of collectors and what is to be collected, is immense.

We are all used to clubs producing two, maybe three, new shirts each season. It seems only recently that home and away strips were alternate years but that’s gone by the wayside as clubs and manufacturers have their eyes on the financial prize of replica sales. Add in special commemorative shirts ( e.g. anniversaries, cup matches, overseas tours) and there’s been an explosion that has driven the creation of ever more unique designs, some tweaks on existing ones, others with a keen eye on the outlandish or fashionable. Drawn together here is a fascinating gamut of shirts from the 1980s to the present, some classics, others one-offs, and many that could make you open-mouthed with either admiration or despair.

 This is a world-wide collection of examples. It seems that nowhere is without a claim to having produced a notable piece of kit. Neither has any aspect of modern life apparently been overlooked from design. So, we have, naturally, alcohol, gambling and food well represented, not only in terms of sponsors logos but as the main element of the shirt. La Hoya Lorca of the Spanish third tier set a few balls rolling in 2013 with their shirt completely emblazoned with broccoli florets and have been followed by many others. CD Pinzon have been adorned with strawberries whilst Bedale United of the North Riding League (sponsored by Heck Sausages) currently are dressed as hot dogs. Argentinians Ferro de General Pico decided to pay homage to TV with its Homer Simpson shirt in 2018, and Mexican Xolos de Tijuana, in the season just gone, were utterly Star Wars based.

Events and celebrations are great opportunities to produce something special. Unsurprisingly 1860 Munich bring out Oktoberfest shirts, always related to the local tradition including, in 2015, shorts that replicated lederhosen. Australian Newcastle Jets have marked RAAF Day with an all-over print of fighter planes from the nearby base and Gamba Osaka showcased Expo 2017 on theirs. On a more sombre note, Dundee commemorated the Battle of Loos when eight of their players were killed in 1915 by a centenary shirt based on the Black Watch.

The author gives due tribute to “classic” designs too. Denmark’s shirt, by Hummel, from the 1986 World Cup has been imitated by Wrexham and Spall (as away kit in 1989), the German manufacturer Saller and the Spanish Meyba. The famous Dutch national shirt from the 1988 World Cup was apparently a standard Adidas design catalogued “Ipswich”, but the template was widely used by national associations (USSR and USA) and many club sides.

The book is an excellent production, that sheds light on club stories as well as shirts, and one that stimulates ideas for collectors. As with programmes there are many different themes that can be concentrated on and there’s little doubt that shirts will be a growth area in collecting for quite a while. Now, where’s my 89/90 Oldham shirt with Bovis as sponsors?

1 hour ago, Inspiral_Carpet said:

I hope to meet you one day in the Main Stand Pete and as always, you make valid points.  The answer to Singe was really to highlight that the truth can often be more powerful than hyperbole and there are valid factors for the massive drop in sales.

 

For personal reasons, I’ll be travelling back to Oldham more often in the coming months and as my boys are now young men, one of the best ways I get to spend fun and quality time with them is watching football.  It’s always a bit of a trek for us so we tend to make a weekend of it and had some memorable trips to away games last season.  I never saw us win, witnessed precious few Latics goals but I’m still smiling when remembering days out at Forest Green, Crewe, Leyton Orient etc. and some epic drunken nights as part of the package in Swindon, Birmingham, Manchester and London.

 

Because of my views regarding AL, I chose to boycott home games last year but as it’s highly unlikely we will get admitted to away grounds this season (and after drunkenly agreeing to buy a ST for middle son’s birthday), I’ve bought (a family of) four for 2020/ 21.  I may never get to use them and probably won’t get to all the games but for me, it’s the only way I’ll get to watch Latics live this season as capacity is bound to be significantly restricted.  I’m lucky as I am able to make that choice but I know that many aren’t.
 

Some will criticise and a few may call me a scab.  At the end of the day though, this is about family for me.  Latics will be here long after AL has departed and while I would really love to see him starved out, I think his actions show that he’s prepared to haemorrhage money rather than cut his losses.

 

Anyway, I want to spend time with family and hopefully, have a few more weekends in Manchester.  It wasn’t an easy decision but I can live with it and am looking forward to the first game that we are allowed to attend.

Good for you. 
The club is, I hope, beginning its next 125 years and maybe, just maybe, this season will start a climb upwards. That would be one of the best commemorations of the historical landmark we have. 
Not sure when we’ll be back with the mill owners and cotton magnates that inhabit the Main Stand but let’s have that meet up. Could be a while - I’ve just learnedly that my six month delay for a new hip is at an end . The op delayed from March is on in just over two weeks. Chuffed and at least to begin with I won’t be missing any matches!

1 hour ago, Inspiral_Carpet said:

Seen on Twitter that you’re having a mare of a day mate.  Hope your train troubles get resolved.

 

It should be totally obvious though the reason why ST sales are way down at Latics compared to the majority of other Clubs.

 

Anyone buying a ST for any team is taking a massive leap of faith at the moment.  All things being equal, you would see similar take up throughout the leagues.

 

Stockport are owned by a local businessman who is looking to invest.  Carlisle are owned by a consortium of local businessmen.  I don’t know the ins and outs but I’d guess that fans at those clubs are prepared to “help out” in buying STs that may not get used this Season.

 

Compare that to Latics (and a few others) where the owners are very unpopular.  Most of us want the AL regime out of our Club.  So why would ST sales be anything like previous or comparable to better run Clubs?

 

I agree that the ST sales are a disaster for AL but the reason why is totally “understandable” and requires no spin.

 

 

 

I’ve bought a ST and, you’re right, it is an act of faith. It’s also one that I feel gives the club a better chance of survival than boycotting. Personal choice and belief. The lack of sales shows the 600 are a minority and, as you say, that doesn’t need explaining. 
I would be pleased if AL left soon and if the boycott helped bring that about then fair play. I presume that everyone who is following that line of action is also refusing to buy ifollow passés as money from these also goes to the club. So only non boycott boys ( and girls) will be able to watch the performances...

48 minutes ago, youngen said:

Honestly never understand fans interest in club finances

You are joking? 

Jack Byrne not in Irish squad

Another ex-Latic to York.

https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/18659716.york-city-bring-former-wolverhampton-wanderers-striker-jake-cassidy-free-stevenage/

Harry Bunn signs for York

Joe Mills still earning a decent living 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53708021?at_custom3=Match+of+the+Day&at_custom4=23B40540-D986-11EA-899F-BECC923C408C&at_custom2=facebook_page&at_medium=custom7&at_custom1=[post+type]&at_campaign=64

53 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

He's actually quite a good talent spotter...

According to Jonny Smith it was BO that identified him to Latics 

2 hours ago, oafc1955 said:

Is he married?....if he is he’s dragging her all over the place

Crystal clear that she’d like Waterford

12 hours ago, Dave_Og said:

They do things properly..... 

and can readily afford to.

England’s Greatest Defender

Alfie Potts Harmer

RedDoor  2019

Paperback 291pp  £12.99

Stanley Matthews regarded Neil Franklin as the “greatest centre half” yet Franklin will probably never be mentioned as much as Billy Wright when talking about English defenders of the 1940s and 50s. Yet Franklin was a superstar of his time, set a record for consecutive England appearances, and was transferred for a world record fee for a defender. He was also at the centre of an international move that sent shockwaves through the game.

Born and brought up in the Potteries it was almost inevitable that he signed for Stoke City as a youngster and made his debut for the Reserves as a 16-year-old in 1938. Obviously, the war disrupted his early career but, in the RAF, he played for six professional clubs due to his postings and progressed so well that he was selected for an FA XI in 1944. Lining up with players such as Len Shackleton, Stan Mortensen and George Hardwick was a clear pointer of his undoubted talent at just 22. A call up for England followed, the first of 12 wartime and victory internationals – though none were rewarded with caps.

Franklin had established himself as a classy defender and, unusually for the time, a ball playing one too. Comparisons with Bobby Moore are regarded as yardstick of style although the latter was to emerge with, understandably, much greater recognition in English football history. There were tensions in the Stoke camp however, and transfer requests were denied to Neil. At a time when the maximum wage was £12 and players’ registrations could be held indefinitely by clubs, frustration built and 27 consecutive England appearances between 1946 and 1950 had attracted interest from many sources. The most notable, and the one that Franklin will forever be identified with, was from Colombia. Money was awash at some of their clubs as they tried to compete with other South American countries, and it proved an overwhelming attraction for Neil and other British players.

In 1950 he (and another Stoke player, George Mountford) flew there and signed for Independiente Santa Fe. At the time Colombia was not a member of FIFA and so there were no restrictions on playing for one of its teams. The country was, however, far from stable and, in effect, there was a civil war underway. It turned out to be a move that Franklin and his pregnant wife soon realised was not to their liking. Whilst the press at home raged about the “Bogota Bandits” that had gone to Colombia (Charlie Mitten of Manchester United was another), Neil played jut six matches for his new club before bringing his family back to England.

He expected some punishment and was handed a four-month ban (reduced from an initial sine die). Stoke still held his registration but, immediately his ban ended, Franklin was transferred in January 1951 to Hull City for a record defender fee of £22,500. Although in Division 2, Hull had big ambitions with Raich Carter as player-manager. Franklin’s signing put thousands on the gate but his time there was a frustrating one. Overlooked by England a time when their invincibility was shattered by the Hungarians, he began to get injuries, Carter was sacked, and Hull never got promoted.

He left in 1956, joining Crewe and then Stockport where he began coaching and moved into non-league management and pub ownership. It was almost a caricatured career end for an ex-pro, but Franklin’s career was far from the mundane. Film coverage of his playing days is rare but the esteem in which he was held by other internationals is a reliable indicator of his class and position in football’s greats. Overlooked now but, for many he was certainly “England’s greatest defender”.

Trailing Clouds Of Glory

Nick Burnell

Y Lolfa  2019  £9.99

Paperback 240pp

The Euros of 2016 are the peak of Welsh international progress. A semi-final place was undoubtedly an achievement that was rightly lauded and one that drew comparison with previous forays towards the sharp ends of tournaments. The widespread impression given by the media was that there was just one: the World Cup of 1958 when Wales lost 1-0 to Brazil in the quarter finals. Consistently overlooked, however, were, as the subtitle of this book notes, “Welsh football’s forgotten heroes of 1976”.  For four consecutive Home Championships, Wales had finished holding the wooden spoon amongst the British nations, yet reached the last eight of the European Championships, rekindling a passion for the round ball  game at a time of Welsh rugby greatness.

Why was this seemingly forgotten by the commentators in 2016? Nick Burnell, in this excellent story of the 1976 squad, suggests that the main reason was that it was only the last four teams that took part in a competition in one location (Yugoslavia).  The tournament until then comprised of group qualifying matches, with the winner of each group going into a knockout quarter final.  Before the fragmentation of the Soviet bloc states there were, of course, less nations but some were able to draw on much greater numbers of players than presently. The competitive edge was definitely there as England found out by finishing second in their group to Czechoslovakia and so eliminated. Scotland were third in their group, and N Ireland second in theirs.

Wales topped their group impressively, winning five and drawing one of matches against Austria, Hungary and Luxembourg. The last eight match with Yugoslavia will be remembered for a contentious second leg at Ninian Park. Two goals down it was always going to be a tough task and not made easier by decisions from East German ref Rudi Glockner. Apparently miffed by not being met at the airport and the absence of his nation’s flag at the match, Glockner  left his mark with controversial decisions that probably contributed not only to the exit of Wales but to crowd trouble that resulted in international sanctions.

The unanswered question before reading this book is “How did Wales turn themselves from perennial no hopers to this status?”. The author skilfully draws together media comment from the time, interviews and quotes from the players, and his own insight. An analysis of the FA of Wales, the regional rivalry in the principality, and the blending together of players from all four Divisions by surprise manager Mike Smith, builds a compelling story that ensures credit is given to this period in the nation’s football.

Smith had never played professional football, was a former PE teacher, and an Englishman who became Director of Coaching for the FAW in 1968. Dave Bowen was part-time manager and he and Smith were favourites for a new full-time position. Bowen was offered the job but turned it down because he wasn’t the unanimous choice.  The appointment of Smith began a quiet revolution in the style of the national team as well as the introduction and development of several new players. It became the era of Terry Yorath, Leighton James, John Mahoney, Arfon Griffiths, Dai Davies, Brian Flynn, and John Toshack.  And with it was a spirit that had previously been associated with the Welsh rugby squad, a competitiveness and team strength that epitomised “hwyl”.

A story that’s well told, well researched and a proper acknowledgement of the success of Wales 1976.

Absolutely no

Scotland: Club, Country & Collectables

David Stuart & Robert Marshall

Pitch Publishing 2019

Hardback 208pp  £19.99

When four of the first six club entries in a book about Scottish football are English, then it’s clear that this is an unconventional look at the game north of the border.  The result is a wide ranging, intelligent and fascinating review of the ups and (many) downs of Scotland the football nation. Matches, tournaments, individuals and all the ephemera and collectables associated with them are encompassed in this well written and illustrated volume.

This isn’t a comprehensive guide to Scottish football, but it is an entertaining, informative and, at times, personal and subjective panorama of the Caledonian game. Don’t expect to see every club written about but the contributions made by players and managers from Airdrie to Tottenham are chronicled, always with nostalgic illustration. Charlie Cooke on the cover of Soccer Star, Willie Carr in the Coventry programme, or Robert Orrock (one cap in 1913 as a Falkirk player) on a Churchman’s cigarette card, indicate the span that there is. Most of the images come from the authors’ own collections, wide-ranging and replete with both historical and more recent material. The narrative too covers the decades: Willie Paul of Partick Thistle scored four times in his third international but was never picked again, apparently not unusual at the time, and Joe Craig, exThistle playing for Celtic, came on for 14 minutes against Sweden in 1977, scored and, again, was never chosen afterwards.

The book’s second half is an “alternative A to Z”. O is Oceanian opponents, B is Beer and Spirit Labels, and Y is You’ll Never Swap Alone. A wonderful collection of memories, memorabilia, and nuggets of information. Edinburgh brewers Robert Deuchar produced a “Hampden Roar” ale label and Rutherglen Scotch Whisky the “Flower of Scotland” miniatures with labels of legends like George Younger. Graeme Souness got his 50^th cap in a 0-0 draw against Australia in Melbourne, a country that’s appeared at four consecutive World Cup Finals, 2006-18, with Scotland absent each time. If you’ve ever looked at some items in your collection and wonder “Why ?”, then you’ll identify with the notion that Craig Brown’s tie and a vinyl 45 recorded live at Gartcosh Social Club to celebrate Scotland’s win at Wembley in 1977 may not be that outlandish.

The presence of the authors at the scenes of Scotland’s more recent ventures on the world scene is used to bring to life tournaments like World Cup 98. The travails of travel and tickets from the days of transit vans heading to Wembley through to Easyjet and packages to away matches are well told. In earlier times the challenges didn’t exist as Scotland’s first 143 internationals were against other British Isles teams. The first official “foreign” opposition was in 1929 in Norway, a match won 7-3 in front of 4,000.

A fascinating, intelligent and pleasing book, full of interest for collectors of all sorts, and for football supporters Scottish or not.

Me And My Big Mouth

Graham Denton

Pitch Publishing 2019

Softback 320pp £12.99

Brian Clough was rarely lacking in self-confidence and seldom ignored an opportunity to share his opinions with others. At a time when a weekly TV listings magazine was to be found in most households then a column in TV Times in 1973 was a high-profile outlet for the highest profile manager in the game. From September of that year until the end of 1974 Clough wrote a weekly set of thoughts, judgements and ideas ranging over football as a whole or particular aspects that were in the news. At times dogmatic and doctrinaire, often constructive and insightful, they became talking points in themselves, fuelling even more debate about the man and his “big mouth”.

Clough was manager of Derby County and making frequent appearances on ITV’s “on The Ball” programme when, in September 1973 his first “Clough Sounds Off” column was published. The next 15 months not only saw the failure of England to qualify for the World Cup finals at the same time as Scotland did so, but Clough as a manager moving to Division 3 Brighton and then to reigning League champions Leeds United. Turbulent times and constantly reflected in his column and tv appearances. Whether it is about the selection of players for the national team, the relationship between television and football, or his views on a

What Graham Denton has ably done in this book is not just reproduce many of Clough’s pieces but to develop a narrative of the context in which they were written. In this way there is a look at some of the most pressing issues and events in football in the early 70s. Clough’s columns set up a review of the background to them or what happened a bit further down the line. Prior to the Scotland v England game in May 1974 he writes about whether the home team are good enough to be the standard bearer for British football in the imminent World Cup. The book then studies those World Cup finals with Scotland’s performance gaining especial scrutiny. When it came to TV coverage of football then Clough didn’t exclude himself from the debate. He was worried that television was trying to make the game looked too perfect and that it should be shaken up with more controversy (hardly unsurprising from the man) yet was unhappy with criticism of referees. The author then widens out the topic into examining the changing relationship between the medium and the game and what were the concerns and opportunities of the time. A long way from the camera saturation that we have today.

Clough was definitely the man the media went to for a story or a quote. A man who was unashamed of his self-described “big mouth” and who backed up his opinions with success as a manager. And in his apparent failures at Brighton and Leeds there was still copy on a weekly basis before he bounced back with Nottingham Forest. As a book that ably illustrates the thought of “Old Big Head” and chronicles football in the 1970s, then this delivers well.

Magical Magyars

David Bailey

Pitch Publishing

2019

Hardback, 302pp, £19.99

The early 1950s were a period when political ideologies split Europe, when a continent devastated by war was trying to recover, part under the influence of the USA, Britain and France and part through the existence of Soviet control on economies, societies, and sport. At a time when propaganda victories were fought for in nearly every aspect of life, then sporting achievements were not only crowed about but helped lessen frustration about shortages and the like amongst the general population. The rise to pre-eminence in football of Hungary led to fascination with and praise for this small nation and its Mighty, Magical Magyars.

Currently placed about 52^nd in the FIFA rankings, Hungary no longer trouble the sharp end of tournaments even if they qualify. Yet they were once the best football team in the world. Between 1950 and the World Cup Final of 1954 the team went an unbeaten 31 internationals including, of course the two results against England that stood football on its head in this country.  In November 1953 they outclassed Matthews, Wright, Mortensen and Ramsey so much that Matthews said that the 6-3 score didn’t reflect the visitors’ superiority. The FA were eager for a return fixture and got its way the following May in Budapest.   The “Golden Team” rampaged to a 7-1 win.

It wasn’t only England that felt the power and class of the Hungarians. In 1952 in the Olympics in Helsinki, they walked away with Gold, beating six other nations during their stay and the World Cup two years later looked theirs for the taking.

How had the Magyars reached such standards? David Bailey tells of the influence that an English coach, Jimmy Hogan, had in the 1920s and earlier but it was two Hungarians, Gusztav Sebes and Bela Guttmann, who transformed the football fortunes of their own country. There’s a complex tale of relationships, rivalries and politics that dominated club and national football and Bailey guides the reader through them in a detailed yet very readable manner. The liberation and then occupation of Hungary by the Soviet Union revamped the game, clubs fell out of favour or were enhanced by the regime, and the national team was spared few resources in becoming a major force. Honved (formerly Kispest) was the army team, and many players became “soldiers” gaining access to better training facilities and new kit. The police force took control of Ujpest, MTK became Budapest Textiles, owned by the textile workers union, and Ferencvaros became the team of the caterers’ union.

The ordinary people of Hungary took great pride in the footballing success at a time when economic problems were massive and everyday freedoms hardly existed under the eyes and ears of the security police, the AVO.

 It was also a time of individually brilliant players. Ferenc Puskas, apparently arrogant and always looking to look after his own interests, scored 84 goals in 85 internationals. Sandor Kocsis bettered this with 75 in 68 matches. Melded into a team of all the parts alongside those such as Bozsik, Grosics, and Hidegkuti, this was a formidable unit and clear favourites for the 1954 World Cup. It sent shockwaves throughout the country when it was beaten in the final by West Germany and stimulated more frustration with the political situation. When, in 1956, this reached a peak and overflowed into real revolt against the Soviet masters the consequences were violent and bloody.

On the day that the Soviet Army entered Budapest the Honved team left for Vienna to play a European Cup match. It was when they were away that the real end of the Magical Magyars occurred. The lure of economic prosperity and political freedom was too much for many of the players. Puskas did not return for 25 years. Kocsis, Kubala and Czibor moved to Barcelona and all knew that going back to their homeland could mean imprisonment.

Hungary’s dominance was relatively short lived, but the team will always have a romance attached to the. Coming from behind the Iron Curtain they were a fascination for the rest of the world, a thrilling team that emerged from a society of which little was known. The author captures the excitement and achievements exceedingly well and sets them against a dark background of political interference and intrigue.

Darren Kelly appointed manager At Scarborough Athletic. 
 

https://www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk/sport/football/darren-kelly-confirmed-new-scarborough-athletic-manager-1324023?amp

Hat trick for Rhys Murphy

12 hours ago, L1onheartNew said:

AAH provided assist for Donovan to equalise for Brisbane v Perth in the 94th minute.

The Hurdy Gurdy Man banging in the goals now?

An A-Z of Football Collectibles

Carl Wilkes

Pitch Publishing 2019

Hardback 304pp £25.00

Let’s start by defining what this book is about. It’s trade cards and stickers. So, it’s not really an a-z look at all forms of football collectibles but once that’s accepted then be prepared for a superb addition to any collector’s library. It’s predominantly an in-depth history, but also a guide to collecting and prices, buying and selling, and there’s even a short guide to storage. With such an encompassing content it provides something to everyone from the died in the wool card collector, to the more general football memorabilia enthusiast, and to someone starting out. An overused cliché perhaps, but “treasure trove” really does accurately describe it.

Trade cards, those that are given away by a product, whether it be cigarettes, sweets, tea, magazines or other items, started using footballers on them from the 1880s. Bearing in mind that the book covers over 1,000 brands then there’s plenty of scope for anyone to create or extend collections in many directions.  There are those who collect by club, or player, or brand or even by end of runs (so the first and last card in a series) so someone reading this book may well be stimulated to follow other lines than they currently do.

Certainly the details and attention to each producer of cards should be able to give enough information to identify, search out or approximately value any card or series. The first up in the book (everything is alphabetical) is A&BC Gum. Not American & British as is often thought but the surnames of the directors, and a company that issued cards from 1954 for 21 years. From its original b&w “All Sport” series, of which 60 were footballers, to its final “Football Hobby Cards” , A&BC produced a myriad of styles of card and sticker, and the wrappers that some of the cards came in are now often worth more than the insert. Of course, another major and famous card producer was John Baines of Bradford, who claimed the title of first football card maker. Between 1890 and 1920 it’s reckoned that 13 million cards were sold by the Baines family firms. Their shield design is well known but other shapes were used. Often made with blank backs for advertisers to use, Baines’ also promoted their other cards there instead. Produced when football clubs were proliferating, they are a history lesson in documenting the beginnings of many current teams as well as the short lives of others.

The book is, however, replete with the outputs of lots of less well-known card producers, both from this country and elsewhere. Lincolnshire Boot Stores issued cards of local clubs as early as 1900, the exotically named Saint Petersburg Cigarettes (disappointingly from Portsmouth) were active around the same time whilst Germany’s Union Zigarettenfabrik produced over 500 coloured football cards in 1938 as “Konig Fussball”. Tea companies are represented by, amongst others, Ty-Phoo, chocolate by Simon Chocolates of Spain or Poppleton of York, Tennent the Glasgow brewer made football beer mats, breakfast was represented by Quaker Oats and, of course, there are many comics and magazines. From Rover to Topical Times to The Wizard and, from Edwardian times, Ideas Magazine, a vast number of cards came via periodical and newspaper publishers.

Presentationally it is also striking. Several illustrations of cards and stickers on each page, clear white space and good graphics make it easy to enjoy visually as well as in content terms. It is a volume that’s impossible to devour at one sitting, but it is a joy to keep returning to. Christmas is coming, and this would be a great gift (for yourself).

Surridge called up for u21 squad

50 Years of Shoot!

Carlton Books, 2019

Hardback £18.99

The start of the 1969/70 season, one that saw Everton win the Div 1 title for the seventh time, witnessed the birth of one of the longest running football magazines ever – Shoot!. There can hardly be any football fan who hasn’t, over the succeeding 50 years, read a copy, and many probably either kept back copies or cut out photos for scrapbooks or the wall.  And who didn’t keep the magazine’s “League Ladders” pinned up, religiously moving the team tabs up and down after each set of matches?

For nearly thirty years it was a weekly, bringing a frequent and regular diet of interviews, news, gossip and pieces by star players. Before the internet and when football on the tv was a rarity it was this colourful piece of print that helped satisfy the thirst for anything about the game.  It couldn’t be described as a home of in depth writing nor of long pieces of analysis, but each page was lively and, certainly for younger readers, packed with both trivia and opinions that seemed to engage. It was the place where you could learn that Eric Gates thought that Glenn Hoddle was too erratic to be in the England team and that Osvaldo Ardiles’ favourite food was Roast Beef and Italian (though presumably not on the same plate).

One of Shoot!’s staples was pieces written by star players. Beginning with Bobby Moore, others like George Best, Malcolm Macdonald and Phil Thompson. Kevin Keegan, in one of his columns, was an early advocate of switching from the goal-average to the goal-difference system we now use. Gary Lineker, fresh from his transfer to Barcelona from Everton, tipped his old club to win the 86/7 title. He was right too. Meanwhile Eric Cantona described “everyone connected with French football is a liar and a cheat”. Shoot! Loved the big statements, they were great headlines!

Its frequency made it able to comment on and preview the big games that were on. Whether it was important League fixtures, Cup matches, or internationals then Shoot! had an angle. Franz Beckenbauer is interviewed before the Nations Cup matches with England in 1971 – “we are a better team”, and Mo Johnston and Ian Durrant before a Celtic v Rangers clash.

Some of the coverage can inevitably be seen as a product of the time it was written: “The Black Explosion” when “at least half the clubs in the First Division have a black player on the staff”. “Stars War” looks at potential British targets for foreign clubs: Bryan Robson at £3m, Gordon Strachan, £2m, and Gary Shaw, £1m, are some of the possibilities.  This book, a compilation of the magazine’s output, captures the excitement, controversies and trivia of those former times. It’s an entertaining piece of nostalgia and worth dipping into time and again.

Forgotten Nations

Chris Deeley

Pitch Publishing  2019

Softback  224pp £12.99

The match between Padania and Szekely Land had not, I admit, registered on my football radar. I’ll happily look at match stats from any non-league competition you want to put in front of me, but these teams I could tell you nothing about. Mea culpa probably as this game determined 3/4^th places in CONIFA World Football Cup in 2018.

Explanations are needed straight away. Last year the Confederation of Independent Football Associations, made up of “international” teams unable to join FIFA, held their third world tournament in the Greater London area. There are ten criteria for joining CONIFA, although a potential member only has to meet one to join. Hence there is a large disparity in the origins and composition of the teams in it. Padania as a region is based in Italy’s Po Valley and is the creation of the Lega Nord, the right-wing Italian political party. The Szekely Land team is based on ethnic Hungarians located in Romania. It, of course, is not to be confused with the Hungarian minority teams from Slovakia, Serbia, or Ukraine. Currently there are 58 members of CONIFA, geographically spread across the globe.

The 16 who made it to the 2018 World Football Cup each had interesting journeys to get there, in some cases literally in others in terms of creation and organisation. The very nature of the CONIFA criteria make it possible for teams that can be said to have an agreed geographic location to play teams of exiles, or from somewhat hypothetical boundaries. No matter who there’s always an element of political controversy attached. The very fact that they aren’t teams from countries recognised by FIFA, nor by the UN as a self-governing territory, begs the question “Why are they in that situation?”.  The Chagos Islands, in the Pacific, is a territory from which all Chagossians were removed by the UK in order for it to be leased to the USA as a military base. Northern Cyprus is just that, the area in the north of the island that’s only recognised by Turkey as a nation state. Cascadia stretches from British Columbia in Canada to all or bits of nine US states. It’s a concept that is increasingly being adopted by white survivalist groups. So, it’s all a political minefield but one that seems to operate relatively harmoniously on the football field.

The author describes the backgrounds to the origin of several of the teams, who comprise their players, their supporters at the tournament, and does so in a clear, if individual, manner. Sometimes it feels as if he’s writing for a non-football reader, however there’s a wealth of information that will hold the attention of football supporters.   Bubbling along underneath the mainstream of FIFA, UEFA et al, CONIFA is an interesting and brave concept. Maybe its criteria are too wide and the potential for political causes to hijack it is there, but currently the positives of Padania meeting up with Szekilians outweigh that. By the way, the former won 5-4 on penalties.

Classic Scottish hard man. He and Frizz were a tough double act.