Sport
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Throwing the Book
Wayne Barnes – one of the most-experienced international referees in history and criminal barrister to boot – uniquely lifts the lid on a lifetime of trying to keep the biggest names in the sport on best behaviour.
There aren’t many people who can say they’ve been the thirty-first man on the pitch during a World Cup humdinger, Grand Slam decider or Premiership and European Cup final; listened to the sobs of a 20-stone prop as he tries to belt out his national anthem; heard the crunch of bones after some of the mightiest hits known to the game; or been yards away from the greatest players of the last twenty years, doing almost impossible things with a rugby ball – especially when you’re a working-class lad from the Forest of Dean, wondering how you ever got there in the first place.
Candid, humble and warmly told, Throwing the Book is a definitive account of what it means to be a rugby referee and a love letter to the sport that has provided Wayne with so much. Covering his childhood days, family life, career highs and lows, side-step into law, as well as what’s next in store for Wayne both on and off the pitch, this book reveals the man behind the referee for the very first time.
Serious when it needs to be, but also rich in good humour and humanity, Throwing the Book is a memoir to remember.
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£14.20Throwing the Book
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Born to be a Footballer: My Autobiography
‘A brilliant insight into Liam’s life in football’ Kevin Moran‘Insightful, often joyous, and hugely entertaining’ Roddy Doyle
‘One of our country’s great footballers, and definitely our most beautiful’ – John Giles
The #2 Irish Bestseller
“Being a footballer was my destiny.”
After being expelled from school for playing football for his country, fifteen-year-old Liam Brady travelled to London to join Arsenal, and soon became an indispensable part of their glorious 1970s team. Rightly considered one of the Republic of Ireland’s best-ever footballers, he went on to enjoy successes with Juventus, Sampdoria and West Ham, as well as managing Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and becoming assistant manager of his national team. Today he is best known for his much-respected TV punditry and searingly intelligent insights into the game he adores.
Full of honest insights, amusing anecdotes and recollections of extraordinary times, with Born to be a Footballer Brady delivers a compelling story of a fifty-year career that is unparalleled in Irish sport.
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£9.10£19.00Born to be a Footballer: My Autobiography
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The Red on Revolution: Be Ready for Anything
Buy The Red on Revolution: Be Ready for Anything First Edition by Mike Chadwick (ISBN: 9781801509077) from Amazon’s Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
£12.20£14.20The Red on Revolution: Be Ready for Anything
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Stuart Broad: Broadly Speaking: THE MUST-READ SPORTS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 2023
Stuart Broad is the ultimate competitor – someone addicted to the pressures of Test cricket, the big occasions and being thrust into the heat of battle.
For over seventeen years, he’s left it all on the field. A multiple Ashes winner and Wold Champion, Broad was integral to some of the greatest England teams of all time. His awards and achievements, however, don’t tell the whole story. He has always been a cricketer of more than mere numbers. Broad’s passionate and spontaneous behaviour has mad him a fan favourite. No other player feeds off the crowd quite like he does.
In his autobiography, Broad shares the moments from the game which have made him and those that almost broke him. What’s clear, however, is his unwavering belief in his own ability to become one of the best ever.
Candid, entertaining, and refreshingly honest, this book reveals the personal side of a true cricketing great.
__________The longevity of his career, and what he has achieved, should never be forgotten. Ben Stokes
He loves the big moments, the pressure situations. That’s a true sign of a champion, I think. He’s been incredible for England for a long, long time. Glen McGrath
Stuart Broad is the ultimate Ashes warrior. Ricky Ponting
One of England’s greatest players of all time. Joe Root
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One of Us: England’s Greatest Rugby Players
In 2013, England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster embarked on an ambitious project to turn Twickenham Stadium into England Rugby’s ‘sixteenth man’. Drawing upon the rich heritage created by all those who have worn the red rose since the birth of international rugby, he introduced a series of innovations around the stadium, which has since become the most advanced rugby ground in Europe. Inside the England dressing room, a roll of honour records the names of all those to have worn the shirt. Each player, when selected to represent their country, receives a unique number that indicates their place in a tradition that began on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, when the world’s first international rugby match took place. The current team are seated around the dressing room according to their position. Behind where each player sits is a list of the ten players per position to have represented England, under the title One of Us. This fascinating book explores the process behind these innovations and details the achievements of those deemed to be England’s greatest players.Read more
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Fringes: Life on the Edge of Professional Rugby
Updated edition of the #1 Amazon Bestseller
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR PRIZE 2020Sports books tend to detail extraordinary achievements, triumphs against the odds or commemorate World Cup winning captains.
This book does not do that.
For many, playing professional sport is the Dream Job. Few manage it, very few make it to the top and for the rest, life is very different. This is their story.
In Fringes, Ben Mercer invites you to witness life at the outer edges of professional rugby. This is a first hand account of what life is like as a journeyman professional athlete. You play, but to the wider public you don’t exist. You earn but you don’t drive a flash car. You sometimes pack out a stadium but sometimes, you play in a deserted park. This is the story for the majority of sports professionals. Only the minority taste the top, only one person gets to lift the cup or win the medal, only 15 get to play for England at any one time. For the rest, that’s not the case.
Ben Mercer is a former professional rugby player who after becoming disillusioned and uninspired plying his trade in the English Second Division, accepted an offer out of the blue to go to France and do something different – help an amateur team turn professional. This is a first hand account of what life is like in the lower reaches of professional sport – where your employment status is as precarious as your health and barely anyone will know your name.
It’s about how it feels to live year to year, with teammates constantly on the move. It’s about how professionalism irreversibly changes the French club Stade Rouennais as they move up the divisions, about the tension between progress and identity in a rugby team. It’s also about how it feels to actually be out there on the field, how it feels to occasionally do something extraordinary and how it feels when this is no longer enough for you to make the sacrifices that you need to make to keep playing.
There’s no ghostwriting, it’s an unmitigated meditation on how it feels and what it means to play rugby for a living, to dedicate yourself to an uncompromising but occasionally beautiful game.
If you’ve wanted to know what life is really like as a professional athlete, on the Fringes, away from the glitz and glamour of the international game then look no further.
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Newport Rugby Greats
Newport RFC played their first game in 1876, and quickly established themselves as one of the leading clubs in the country. They played a dominant role in Welsh and British rugby, providing the national team with some of its greatest stars. The ‘Black and Ambers’ are one of a select group of teams in world rugby to have beaten the All Blacks, Wallabies and the Springboks. Formed in 2003 as a result of the regionalisation of Welsh rugby, Newport Gwent Dragons started life with a third place finish in the 2003/04 Celtic League. Some notable club highlights include reaching the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup in 2007 and 2015, and reaching the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2011. Like Newport RFC, they play at Rodney Parade, one of Welsh Rugby’s spiritual homes. Peter Jones documents Newport’s most iconic players and managers from the team’s early beginnings to the present day. With unprecedented access to the club’s archives, Newport Rugby Greats provides a history of some of the club’s heroes, complete with facts and figures, along with their most memorable games.Read more
£11.00£16.10Newport Rugby Greats
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St Helens Match of My Life: Saints Legends Relive Their Greatest Games
St Helens Match of My Life features the proud tales of some of the greatest rugby league players ever to wear the Red Vee of St Helens. The Saints are known as one of the most successful teams of the Super League era, but the memories also cover the glory days before the game switched to the summer months. Ray French – legendary rugby league player and commentator – talks fondly about the 1966 Challenge Cup Final victory over fierce rivals Wigan Warriors, while Paul Loughlin recalls scoring 14 points in a 15-14 win over Leeds in the John Player Trophy Final – only to see the morning’s newspaper headlines focus on one of his team-mates. Current St Helens captain James Roby was the first player to score a try at the new Wembley. Tommy Martyn remembers going from top of the world to rock bottom in just ten days. Keith Mason explains how his life changed from being a rugby player to attending film premieres with some of the biggest stars in the world. Tommy Makinson, Apollo Perelini, Phil Veivers and Paul Wellens also share their memories.Read more
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Charlie Faulkner: The 1 and Only
Immortalised in Max Boyce’s ‘The Pontypool Front Row’, Charlie Faulkner was a key member of the 1970s Wales team which dominated Northern Hemisphere rugby, winning all four of the Five Nations Championships he played in, with three Triple Crowns and two Grand Slams. The early days, the glory years with Pontypool, Wales and the 1977 Lions, his time as a coach – in this long-awaited autobiography, Faulkner takes us behind the scenes and tells us in his own words how it was, with his trademark humility and humour. In progress when Faulkner died in early 2023 aged 81, the book has been completed by co-author Greg Lewis with input from teammates, friends and family.Read more
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Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
‘Maggie has changed the way the game is played forever’ – The Sunday Times
Maggie Alphonsi is not only a national sporting icon, the face of international women’s rugby and star player of the England side that won the World Cup in 2014. She is also an inspirational and totemic figure who transcends sport.
The compelling story of her life makes her achievements even more extraordinary. Hers is an against-all-the-odds tale, becoming the best player in the world despite having to battle against racism, sexism, and prejudice.
It is a book forged from the raw emotion, passion, and testimony of an iconic player, who rose to the elite of world sport when the world was seemingly stacked against her. It is a moving and revealing story of a woman who was not prepared to be defined by anyone but herself and gives the reader a unique insight into how she met her goals.
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£15.40£19.00Winning the Fight: My Autobiography
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Around the World in 80 Minutes: In Search of Rugby Greatness
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 – SPORT
‘A mesmerising, unforgettable journey around world rugby. ‘
Donald McRae – Twice Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year‘Magnificent. a hugely intelligent and entertaining.’
Stuart Barnes, Sunday Times‘Really enjoyed it.’
Will Carling‘An absolutely marvellous book. Recommended heartily.’
Jonathan Drennan, Sydney Morning HeraldCONTRASTING CHARACTERS, COLLIDING CULTURES, THE SAME OVAL-SHAPED BALL. A JOURNEY TO FIND THE RUGBY’S MOST REMARKABLE PEOPLE, TEAMS AND PLACES.
What makes rugby special? Which individuals and teams have defined the modern game? Around the World in 80 Minutes charts the ‘golden era’ of global rugby union between 1973 and 2023 and goes in search of the sport’s most influential trailblazers.
Robert Kitson, the Guardian’s long-time rugby union correspondent, assesses the game’s current health, tracks down the battered gladiators of yesteryear and asks some pertinent questions. Does rugby retain its old rugged charm? What does its future look like? And what, ultimately, constitutes rugby ‘greatness’?
Observant, amusing and thought-provoking, the journey takes in some of the game’s more prominent names – including David Campese, Brian O’Driscoll, Maggie Alphonsi, Sean Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jones and Sir Clive Woodward – to reflect on rugby’s intangible shared joy.
Millions of fans continue to find rugby maddeningly irresistible and endlessly compelling. This book is for them, and for anyone else wondering where the appeal lies.
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Scrum Queens: The Story of Women’s Rugby (Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2023)
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023**
The first ever book telling the story of women’s rugby, from its origins to today.
‘Donnelly has created a masterpiece’ – Sara Orchard, BBC
‘A vitally important book, bringing to life the rich history of women’s rugby’ – Maggie Alphonsi, Former England Player
‘A much-needed treasure trove of women’s rugby history – insightful, informative and inspiring’ – Sarah Mockford, Rugby World Editor
Comprehensively researched and detailed, Scrum Queens charts the fascinating journey of women’s rugby as well as celebrating the success and heroics of the sport’s top players and teams, from widespread social disapproval to the modern era of Olympic recognition and professionalism.
The book includes:
- All of the major moments in the history of the women’s game from widespread societal disapproval to groundbreaking games during the war, the first World Cup in 1991 and the first appearance at the 2016 Olympics.
- Stories of the pioneers who fought to get the game played in its earliest days, like New Zealand’s Nita Webbe and France’s Henry Fléchon, and the modern-day drivers like England’s Carol Isherwood.
- Specific team successes in the sport such as New Zealand’s dominance, their long-time rivalry with England and the emergence of teams such as Ireland and Fiji.
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Robertson (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect Them All!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!This is the story of Andy Robertson, flying full-back for Liverpool Football Club and captain of the Scotland national team. Follow his incredible journey from being on the brink of starting a university degree before breaking into the first-team of Queens Park, to going on to become a Premier League and Champions League winner with Liverpool. Discover how Robertson’s high energy pressing, progressive passing and darting overlaps created Klopp’s perfect system to help guarantee Liverpool domestic and European success.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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Ødegaard (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No.1 football series): Collect them all!
As the son of a former footballer, Martin Ødegaard spent his early years at local Norwegian sports club Drammen Strong and, at the age of 10, joined the youth division at Strømsgodset where he trained with older players. By the age of 15, Ødegaard was playing in the UEFA Champions League and even represented Norway in a friendly against the UAE, making history as Norway’s youngest ever national team player. In 2015, Ødegaard caught the eye of Real Madrid where he trained with both the first team and the reserves. In 2021, Ødegaard moved to Arsenal where he quickly became an essential part of the team and was named captain ahead of the 2022-23 season.Discover how this midfielder from Norway balanced full-time education with a burgeoning football career to hone his skills. From training and playing with opponents many years older and representing his country aged just 15, to holding the captaincy for both Norway’s national team and Arsenal.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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My Life, My Football
Ballon d’Or winner. Champions League winner. Serie A winner. Captain of Ukraine at their first-ever World Cup. Andriy Shevchenko conquered the football world. His career featured some of the sport’s greatest characters – from Valerij Lobanovsky, who shaped his early years at Dynamo Kyiv, to Carlo Ancelotti, Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo and Kaka as part of a world-class Milan team. But Shevchenko’s story transcends football. Growing up 150km from the Chernobyl disaster, witnessing the decline of the Soviet Union and its descent into lawlessness, the struggles of his beloved Ukraine to gain independence in 1991 – and then the agony of the Russian invasion of his homeland in 2022. This is a football and human story like no other.Read more
£11.20£12.30My Life, My Football
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Vinícius Júnior (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!Hailing from a poor family, Vini Jr saw football very much as a hobby rather than a career opportunity. But there was no denying that the young boy from São Gonçalo had bags of talent. Moving quickly through the ranks at Flamengo, he immediately caught the eye of the most successful European football club ever and soon joined Real Madrid. Discover how this winger honed his superior close control dribbling ability, added trickery, flair and flamboyance to his playing style and scored the winning goal in a UEFA Champions League final at only 21 years of age!
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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The Wit of Cricket: Second Innings
THIS BUMPER COLLECTION OF THE FUNNIEST ANECDOTES, JOKES AND STORIES FROM CRICKET’S BEST-LOVED PERSONALITIES PROVES THAT CRICKET IS STILL A FUNNY GAME – EVEN WHEN RAIN STOPS PLAY! With a new introduction by Jonathan Agnew.
In this updated and expanded edition of the popular THE WIT OF CRICKET you can read many more hilarious anecdotes about legendary cricketers such as Richie Benaud, Ian Botham, Donald Bradman, Geoff Boycott, Andrew Flintoff, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
There also dozens of humorous gaffes and giggles from the commentary box by Jonathan Agnew, Henry Blofeld, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Dan Norcross and others – not to mention sledging, short-sighted umpires, streakers, and the phantom sock snipper in the England dressing-room!
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£8.70£10.40The Wit of Cricket: Second Innings
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The Death of You: Life After Elite Sport
Arguably the greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, with twenty-eight Olympic medals to his name, was asked if he would like his children to follow in his footsteps. His answer, ‘Honestly, in a perfect world, I’d say no. Just because I don’t want them to live in my footsteps. And I also know everything about it – I know the ins and the outs, the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, you know, as a parent, it just – it frightens me.’ The truth is that the vast majority of the public don’t understand this alarming answer from Phelps. The question as to why so many elite sportspeople fall off the edge of a cliff in life when they retire is often answered in either a too complicated or too simplistic way to give people a meaningful answer. This book changes that. Using brutally honest interviews with sport stars Matthew Hoggard, Paul Walsh, Gail Emms, Tom May, Johnny Nelson and Clare Shine, Luke Sutton breaks down why this happens for a reader in a way that hasn’t been done yet. Anyone fascinated by sport or elite performance in general will be enthralled by this book. There is so much to take from it.Read more
£11.60£14.20The Death of You: Life After Elite Sport
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Lioness – My Journey to Glory: Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM EUROS CHAMPION AND BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR BETH MEAD
WINNER OF THE SUNDAY TIMESSPORTS BOOK AWARDS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 2023
With foreword by Ian Wright & afterword by Jermain Defoe
Beth Mead is one of the world’s most talented footballers – Golden Boot winner and Player of the Tournament at the UEFA Euro 2022, England Player of the Year 2021-22, Arsenal Player of the Season 2021-22, and runner-up for the 2022 Ballon d’Or. But long before this, Beth was just an ordinary kid from Hinderwell, North Yorkshire who wanted to play football.
From being placed in the local boys’ team as a child because her mum wanted her to run off her boundless energy, to joining Middlesbrough FC’s Centre of Excellence and making her professional debut at Sunderland, Beth and women’s football have come a long way.
Now, Beth shares the challenges that shaped her, what she faced on the journey to the top, and the life events that made her stronger – from being dropped from the England squad and receiving devastating family news, to finding her best form under the guidance of Jonas Eidevall and Sarina Wiegman. Filled with positive lessons and an exclusive account of England’s triumphant Euros campaign, Beth offers readers of all ages a heartfelt, behind-the-scenes look into her remarkable journey to glory.
Empowering, inspirational and honest, this is Beth’s story.
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Carl Frampton: My Autobiography
Belfast’s Carl ‘The Jackal’ Frampton MBE is no ordinary boxer. One of only three fighters from the British Isles to be named the Ring magazine Fighter of the Year, he has headlined sellout world championship bouts on both sides of the Atlantic, winning multiple world titles in the process. His dedicated army of fans have traversed the globe to be ringside throughout it all. But Frampton’s popularity far exceeds the traditional adulation for a sporting icon; he is regarded as a symbol of hope and unity by both sides of the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. In this captivating autobiography, Frampton reveals the most personal aspects of being a fighter: the fears and doubts, the exhilaration and devastation, the friendships and animosities. He also recounts for the first time his high-profile, acrimonious split with Barry McGuigan in devastating and revealing detail. Frampton speaks openly and passionately, not only about boxing, but about his country, how far it has come and the problems it faces. This is a uniquely intimate account of a true modern-day sporting great and a local hero like no other.Read more
£19.00£20.90Carl Frampton: My Autobiography
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Newbon, Bloody Hell: A Life in Sports Broadcasting
Over the past fifty years, Gary Newbon has established himself as an icon of sports broadcasting. He interviewed Sir Alex Ferguson after Manchester United clinched a historic treble in 1999. He was in the ring when Gerald McClellan collapsed after suffering life-changing injuries in his fight with Nigel Benn. Nigel Mansell was his neighbour. This is the tale of a man who has spent his life in close proximity to legends; he interviewed them, befriended them and shared their defining moments until he became part of the DNA of Britain’s sporting history. Many of his interviews are still used in TV shows today.
In his highly anticipated memoir, Newbon tells all. Encompassing a plethora of anecdotes that reveal the depth and wit of figures such as Brian Clough, Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King and many others, this book considers how these people felt and thought during the pivotal sporting moments of the past half-century. From the Hand of God goal to the Munich massacre, Gary Newbon was there for it all. This, for the first time, is his story.
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£16.70£19.00Newbon, Bloody Hell: A Life in Sports Broadcasting
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The Boy on the Shed:A remarkable sporting memoir with a foreword by Alan Shearer: Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year
Sports Book Awards Autobiography of the Year
Shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award
The Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year
The Times Sports Book of the Year
Telegraph Football Book of the Year‘Ferris’s wonderful memoir represents a twin triumph. He has endured every kind of setback in life but has invariably reinvented himself; and his writing is a pure pleasure.’ The Sunday Times
‘Enough depth and humanity to make your average football autobiography look like a Ladybird book.’ Telegraph
‘A masterpiece of the genre’ Brian McNally
‘Football memoirs rarely produce great literature but Ferris’s The Boy on the Shed is a glistening exception.’ Guardian
‘Fascinating and stylishly told.’ David Walsh, The Sunday Times
The Boy on the Shed is a story of love and fate. At 16, Paul Ferris becomes Newcastle United’s youngest-ever first-teamer. Like many a tricky winger from Northern Ireland, he is hailed as ‘the new George Best’.
As a player and later a physio and member of the Magpies’ managerial team, Paul’s career acquaints him not only with Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish and Bobby Robson, Ruud Gullit, Paul Gascoigne and Alan Shearer but also with injury, insecurity and disappointment.
Yet this autobiography is more than a tale of the vagaries of sporting fortune. It begins during ‘The Troubles’ in a working-class Catholic family in the Protestant town of Lisburn, near Belfast. After a childhood scarred by his mother’s illness and sectarian hatred, Paul meets the love of his life, his future wife Geraldine.
Talented and carefree on the pitch, shy and anxious off it, he earns a tilt at stardom. His first spell at Newcastle turns sour, as does his return as a physio, although obtaining a Masters degree shows him what he could achieve away from football.
When Paul qualifies as a barrister, a career in Law beckons. Instead, a craving to prove himself in the game draws him back to St James’ Park as part of Shearer’s management triumvirate – with unfortunate consequences.
Written with brutal candour, dark humour and consummate style, The Boy on the Shed is a riveting and moving account of a life less ordinary.
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Rafa: My Story
The Sunday Times bestselling autobiography from the greatest tennis player of his generation
‘A winner’ Independent
‘A terrific sporting memoir, full of memorable anecdotes’ New Statesman
‘As exciting as Rafa himself’ Woman’s Own
No tennis player since Andre Agassi has captivated the world like Rafael Nadal. He’s a rarity in today’s sporting arena – a true sportsman who chooses to let his raw talent, dedication and humility define him. With a remarkable 16 grand slam victories under his belt, and with friend and rival Roger Federer’s record haul of 20 in his sights, Nadal is an extraordinary competitor whose ferocity on court is made even more remarkable by his grace off it.
This book takes us to the heart of Nadal’s childhood, his growth as a player, and his incredible career. It includes memorable highs and lows, from victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final – a match that John McEnroe called the ‘greatest game of tennis ever played’ – to the injury problems that have frequently threatened his dominance of the sport, to becoming the youngest player of the open era to complete a career Grand Slam in 2010.
It transports us from Nadal’s lifelong home on the island of Majorca to the locker room of Centre Court as he describes in detail the pressures of competing in the greatest tournament in the world. It offers a glimpse behind the racquet to learn what really makes this intensely private person – who has never before talked about his home life – tick. And it provides us with a story that is personal, revealing and every bit as exciting as Nadal himself.
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£0.90Rafa: My Story
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Born to be a Footballer: My Autobiography
‘A brilliant insight into Liam’s life in football’ Kevin Moran‘Insightful, often joyous, and hugely entertaining’ Roddy Doyle
‘One of our country’s great footballers, and definitely our most beautiful’ – John Giles
The #2 Irish Bestseller
“Being a footballer was my destiny.”
After being expelled from school for playing football for his country, fifteen-year-old Liam Brady travelled to London to join Arsenal, and soon became an indispensable part of their glorious 1970s team. Rightly considered one of the Republic of Ireland’s best-ever footballers, he went on to enjoy successes with Juventus, Sampdoria and West Ham, as well as managing Celtic and Brighton and Hove, and becoming assistant manager of his national team. Today he is best known for his much-respected TV punditry and searingly intelligent insights into the game he adores.
Full of honest insights, amusing anecdotes and recollections of extraordinary times, with Born to be a Footballer Brady delivers a compelling story of a fifty-year career that is unparalleled in Irish sport.
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£17.59£20.00Born to be a Footballer: My Autobiography
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Match Annual 2024: The Number One Football Annual for Fans Everywhere
From the makers of MATCH!, the country’s most popular football magazine! Topping Christmas lists across the UK, MATCH! Annual 2024 is a must-have for footy fans.
Inside this year’s edition, you’ll find the ultimate guide to the games ahead, from the UEFA Champions League Final to Euro 2024! Check out the Premier League’s most exciting young talent and discover the all-time legends with the most goals and assists combined!
Also, there’s a wicked Women’s World Cup 2023 scrapbook, tons of brain-busting quizzes, WSL stats special, the chance to colour-in Haaland, footy statue LOLs, an EFL club selector, hilarious cartoons, in-depth profiles on epic entertainers like Bellingham and Saka, and loads more!
Don’t miss it!
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Messi Rules (Football Superstars)
Is Lionel Messi your number 1 footballer? In this NEWLY REVISED edition, we bring you fully up to date with Messi’s story so far and feature his stats and achievements since he left Barcelona for PSG after 18 glorious seasons, including his epic Copa América win with Argentina in 2021.
Did you know that the living legend Leo has played more than 950 matches, scored more than 750 goals, won 34 club titles including 10 La Liga titles and picked up 76 awards!
Discover how Leo went from being the smallest player on the field (as a young boy he was so tiny all the other players called him ‘Titch’) to being widely known as the ‘Greatest of All Time’ with his incredible runs, ball control and lots and lots of goals!
Football Superstars is a series aimed at building a love of reading from a young age, with fun cartoons, inspirational stories, a simple narrative style and a cast of characters chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments.
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£5.90£6.60Messi Rules (Football Superstars)
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Ronaldo (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No. 1 football series): Collect them all!
The Number 1 football series – over 1 million copies sold. Now includes the incredible return to Manchester United as an Old Trafford legend! ‘As he walked up to take his spot-kick, Cristiano knew that Real would win the trophy if he scored. He had the chance to be the hero yet again.’ Cristiano Ronaldo overcame poverty and childhood illness to become one of the best football players ever. Escaping the hot streets of Madeira, Ronaldo first proved himself as a wonder-kid at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, before becoming a legend for Real Madrid and Portugal. This is the story of how the gifted boy became a man, a team-player and a legend.Read more
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Messi (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No. 1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold. Now with an updated cover and new chapter that includes Messi’s mega move to Paris Saint-Germain.The only player in history to win SEVEN Ballon d’Or trophies.
Lionel Messi is a legend – Barcelona’s star player and the world’s best footballer. But when was young, he was so small that his friends called him ‘Little Leo’ and coaches worried he wasn’t big enough. Yet through bravery, talent and hard work, he proved them wrong. Messi tells the magical story of how the tiniest boy in South America grew up to become the greatest player on earth.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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Unforgettable: Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award
**Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year Award 2023**
**Winner of the Rugby Book of the Year Award 2023**
**Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022**
**A perfect gift for Father’s Day**‘Powerful, moving’ – The Guardian
‘A deeply affecting read […] among the most important ever’ – Daily Mail
‘So powerful. This book might just change the way you think about sport forever’ – Sir Clive Woodward
‘As brave as they come’ – Gareth Thomas
‘Moving and profound’ – The Times
‘Heartbreaking’ – Owen Slot, The Times
‘I’m in my early forties. There are days when I don’t remember the names of my wife and four kids . . .’
RUGBY, DEMENTIA AND THE FIGHT OF MY LIFE
In 2003, England won the Rugby World Cup. Steve Thompson was in England’s front row, at the heart of the match, and at the heart of the scrum – one of sport’s most violent battlegrounds.
But triumph came at a cost. Today, he remembers nothing about playing in that final. In his words, watching the tape back is like watching a ghost.
The years of hurt, and the culture of sucking up punishment and coming back for more, have taken a terrible toll. Steve has been diagnosed with early onset dementia, and serious progressive brain damage. Steve and his wife Steph had a happy family life planned, with decades ahead of them. Now he needs to capture these elusive memories for the sake of his children, before they disappear forever.
With stories contributed by his world-cup winning teammates and his former manager, Sir Clive Woodward, Unforgettable is raw, powerful storytelling. This tale of hope and courage stands as testament to the ultimate strength of the human mind – and to a man no longer pushing himself to the limit for competition, but for his own place in the world.
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Saka (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect them all!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!Bukayo Saka has the world at his feet. Since breaking through the ranks at Arsenal, the young forward has gone from strength to strength, helping his team lift the FA cup for a record 14th time. His versatile style of play means he can help his team all over the pitch. Discover how the boy born in Ealing, went on to represent England at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final, achieved his dream of representing his country at such a young age and overcame adversity to become the ultimate football hero.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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Iconic Women in Sport: A Celebration of 38 Inspirational Sporting Icons
An illustrated compendium of kickass women in sport, from around the world and throughout history, including legends like Billie Jean King and modern-day superstars like Simone Biles and Dina Asher-Smith. The perfect book to inspire any sports fan.
Meet your new superheroes
Discover the fascinating stories behind 38 iconic and internationally renowned women in sport, all of them record-breakers, trailblazers and game-changers. Whether from the world of soccer, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, boxing or skiing, every one of these women has been a ground-breaker in her field. It’s time these individuals took centre stage and had their achievements celebrated the world over.
Be empowered and inspired by their extraordinary stories, their awesome achievements and their wonder-words of wisdom with this pocketbook of remarkable women from across the globe and throughout history. Among others, you will learn about the incredible lives and achievements of:
– Simone Biles
– Serena Williams
– Dina Asher-Smith
– Rachael Heyhoe Flint
– Jessica Ennis-Hill
– Nicola Adams
– Danica Patrick
– Paula Radcliffe
– Michelle Kwan
– Megan Rapinoe
– Ellen MacArthur
– Ibtihaj Muhammad
– Ronda RouseyEach inspiring profile also features a bespoke illustration.
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My Name’5 DODDIE: The Autobiography
The extraordinary, life-affirming autobiography of DODDIE WEIR OBERugby legend and MND campaigner Doddie Weir has always lived life to the full. On the pitch, Doddie’s irresistible talent took him to the heart of every team he graced, and brought him 61 caps for his national side. He won fans all over the world with his sportsmanship, humour and boundless energy – especially when on the charge ‘like a mad giraffe’.
Then, in June 2017, Doddie made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with MND. With no cure and almost no treatment of any sort available, Doddie set out to do what he could to change that, tackling the issue head on with his trademark positivity and good humour. Since then, his MY NAME’5 DODDIE Foundation has raised and pledged millions towards research into this dreadful condition and his tireless campaigning has transcended the world of sport.
MY NAME’5 DODDIE is a humbling, courageous and very funny celebration of a remarkable man. And with a brand new update, this is an absolute must-read – rugby fan or not.
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£6.60£9.50My Name’5 DODDIE: The Autobiography
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Neymar (Ultimate Football Heroes – the No. 1 football series): Collect Them All!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!‘As Neymar Jr made the long walk to the penalty spot, he knew this was his chance, the one that he had dreamed of since the age of three. If he scored, Brazil would be Olympic Champions for the first time ever.’
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is the boy who carries the hopes of Brazil on his shoulders. Although he now faces a new challenge at Paris Saint-Germain, it was his years playing for Barcelona, in a fearsome attacking trident alongside Messi and Suarez, that made him a legend across the world. This is the heart-warming true story of Neymar’s road to glory.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life-stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to super-star professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.Read more
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How Not to be a Cricketer
‘Brilliant’ Paul Newman, Daily Mail
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEARIn How Not to be a Cricketer, former England international and TV personality Phil Tufnell highlights the many potential pitfalls of a professional cricket career, and provides a hilarious insight into how to avoid them and what happens when, like him, you don’t.
I was the model cricketer – if anyone wanted to know how not to be one. My career included more ups and downs than the big dipper at Margate and more bumps than the dodgems next door. And yet somehow I climbed off the ride unblemished. I survived to walk away on my own terms. For someone who never quite fitted the mould, I was actually pretty good at not being a cricketer.
In his superb new book, Phil Tufnell looks back over his life and career to provide brilliant advice and insights, often learned the hard way, from his own experiences as a cricketer. If you want to learn how to make a good first impression, maybe don’t have your hair cut in a Mohican. And when, after a drunken night on an England Under-19 tour to Barbados, the players were told ‘You cannot be caught coming in at a ridiculous hour and still be drunk in the morning’ most took his wise words on board; Tuffers vowed not to get caught.
Packed with brilliant stories and revealing anecdotes about some of the great players of his time, such as Mike Atherton, Mike Gatting, Graham Gooch and Nasser Hussain, How Not to be a Cricketer is the perfect read for anyone who wants to know more about the potential pitfalls of the game, and how to avoid them.
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£6.60£9.50How Not to be a Cricketer
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Rice (Ultimate Football Heroes – The No.1 football series): Collect Them All!
The No.1 football series – over 1 million copies sold!When Declan Rice was released by Chelsea’s youth academy at the age of 14, he was devastated. But he wasn’t going to let that get in the way of his Premier League dreams. He worked harder than ever, and by the time he was 20, he was the captain and star of top-flight West Ham. Discover how the two-footed, high energy, combative midfielder established himself as an irreplaceable member of the England national team and Arsenal’s new record signing.
Ultimate Football Heroes is a series of biographies telling the life stories of the biggest and best footballers in the world and their incredible journeys from childhood fan to superstar professional player. Written in fast-paced, action-packed style these books are perfect for all the family to collect and share.
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Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
Having spent 10 years scaling the lower echelons of the sport, the time has come for one of Britain’s least successful athletes to reveal all about how he got involved in all this nonsense in the first place. Marvel as he reveals: His sporting history – how being last pick at school football in the 1970s set him on course for a lifetime of being rubbish at team games.How he took up triathlons in the first place (for a bet, and the cow who made it with him never paid up).How he overcame a crippling lack of talent and a chorus of complete indifference from his family to complete 10 Ironmans, all outside the top 500 finishers.The many triathlon adventures he has experienced over the past 10 years (cow pats, Ironmans, incontinence, driving bans, broken bones, public nudity, spending entire redundancy payments on a new bike, Belgian portaloos, German knocking shops, sunburnt bum cheeks, channel swimming, fights with chavs, obsessions with weather and the nutritional value of jaffa cakes, 3 hour marathons, chronic dehydration and so on).The many and varied idiots he’s got to know as a result of taking up the sport (aka his mates).The typical training (hell) he goes through to take part in a race given he has absolutely no ability whatsoever.How triathlons ultimately caused him to sell his Mercedes, give away his expensive suit, chuck in his job in the City and become, as his father put it, a “god-damned hippy” (A cycle path designer who owns a camper van).Read more
£6.80£10.40Accidental Ironman: How Triathlon Ruined My Life
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Twickenham: The Home of England Rugby
Twickenham Stadium is the home of Rugby Union and the England national rugby team. It is the largest stadium in the world to be devoted purely to this sport, the second largest stadium in the UK, and the third largest in Europe. In this official publication, Phil McGowan takes us on an illustrated tour of the long and illustrious history of this magnificent stadium, featuring some of the legendary players that have trodden the hallowed ground of Twickers, the matches that have taken place, and the history that is woven into the fabric of the ground. Lavishly illustrated with images and memorabilia from the World Rugby Museum’s archive in full colour, this is a tribute not only to the history of the stadium, but to Rugby Union itself.Read more
£15.10£19.00Twickenham: The Home of England Rugby
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This is My Sea: The Number 1 Irish Bestseller
‘Prose written with the pen of a poet’ – Desmond Morris, author of The Naked Ape‘Full of wisdom and poetry and epic emotion, This is My Sea explores grief, memory and loss through vivid words and striking imagery. It echoes lost summers and the beauty of life, like a shell held to the ear’ – Ed O’Loughlin, author of The Last Good Funeral of the Year
Over the course of seven difficult years Miriam Mulcahy lost her mother, father and sister, each grief threatening to drown her. But instead of going under she discovered the lessons of the sea, letting the water teach her how to get through anything in life: one breath builds on another, another stroke, another kick and you will get home.
THIS IS MY SEA takes our greatest fear, death, and wraps it up in language so fine and beautiful that the reader is carried along and comforted by how completely lost Miriam was and how she found solace in all the things that sustained her: books, music, art, friends, love, swimming, and of course the sea.
For fans of The Salt Path by Raynor Winn and I Found my Tribe by Ruth Fitzmaurice.
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£12.20£14.20This is My Sea: The Number 1 Irish Bestseller
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Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary
John Daniell is a rubgy mercenary. A brutal word for an often brutal game.
In 1996, when Rugby Union turned professional, John emigrated to France where he played for a decade in top competitions. His team ricocheted between fear and ecstasy, as they battled to save the club from relegation and their careers from the scrap heap.
Now he lifts the lid on the dark world of the journeyman player, where losing a home game is considered a crime, coaches and club owners will do anything to win, and agents ruthlessly manipulate players.
His compelling confessions are both shocking and funny, taking you behind the scenes, onto the field and into the very heart of the scrum.
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£11.80£15.20Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary
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The Iron Duke: Bobby Windsor – The Life and Times of a Working-Class Rugby Hero
Lions legend Bobby Windsor has enjoyed triumphs beyond the dreams of most international players but has also suffered personal tragedy. His rugby career as the best hooker in the British Isles during the second golden era of Welsh rugby in the 1970s is a turbulent tale of blood and thunder on the pitch. There are riotous incidents off the pitch, including unscheduled fights with professional boxers, revelations about illegal payments during the so-called amateur era and what Windsor did to upset the Establishment and become blackballed by one of the most famous clubs in the world.
Windsor’s irrepressible sense of humour comes shining through on every page, except when he gives chapter and verse on the personal crisis that drove him to plan suicide.
The Iron Duke is the no-holds-barred, warts-and-all story of a working-class Welsh folk hero who rose from humble beginnings to become a permanent member of the greatest Lions team in the history of rugby union.
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