Guaranteed Laughs from Sporting Tales

Football Corner

There’s nothing like football to bring people together in a spirit of real fun and joy.

And it’s equally impressive to see just what lengths fans will go in pursuit of their beloved game.

Taxi for Kiev book cover

Sports based Pitch Publishing has released four gems, which will inspire and excite the real enthusiast.

Liverpool Football Club followers will need no reminding of the 2019 Champions League Final in Kiev, which saw the Reds beat Real Madrid 2-0 to lift the trophy.

But few fans will have embarked on a journey as described in the beautifully written “Taxi for Kiev”. It’s the story of six strangers who crossed six borders in six days to reach the match.

Author Stephen Deponeo found himself with last minute tickets to the match, but no way of getting there. Then he heard of a taxi planning to make the journey, so he booked himself on and made five new friends in the process.

The 3,500-mile road trip in a confined space certainly tested the passengers mentally and physically and the book has laugh out loud moments as you follow the journey. It’s a candid account which touches on the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature.

Not German, I’m Scouse book cover

Fellow Red Carsten Nippert’s book “Not German, I’m Scouse” is a tribute to a life-long Red’s journey abroad following his team.

As a youngster, Carsten was mesmerised by the anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and yet living in Germany, his only access to his team was via rare television highlights and a scratchy radio reception.

Then when he managed to get to Anfield, Carsten was filled with fear after meeting arch-rival fans from Manchester United and locals with their strange Scouse accent.

As confidence grew, so did Carsten’s thirst for adventure and the book tells tales of outwitting riot police in Athens, The Miracle of Istanbul and the greatest ever party in Madrid.

Football rivalry between Scotland and England is told with affection in Mark Winter’s “Scotland 42, England 1” book.

Scotland 42, England 1 book cover

Mark grew up in the 1960s when Scotland was the nearest you went abroad to watch football. His granddad banished him to silence as he listened every Saturday to the results and check his pools coupon for wins.

When he reached adulthood, Mark decided to visit all 42 league clubs north of the border to see for himself the likes of Third Lanark and Queen’s Park.

With a warm welcome, a pie and a pint waiting at the grounds, Mark takes a look at the differences and similarities of the Scottish clubs.

Finally, Leanord Vignoli’s “In The Shadow of Giants” takes a look at 13 football clubs from 10 of Europe’s biggest cities.

Spending 50 days on the road, the author discovers a celebration of each club’s identity and history. From St Paul’s social activism to Millwall’s struggle with hooliganism, no stone is left unturned and Leanord leaves no stone unturned.

In The Shadows of Giants book cover

Each chapter has a game as a backdrop and there are interviews with fans as Leanord gets to the root of what it is really like to support the underdog, dwarfed by a footballing giant.

Taxi for Kiev RRP: £16.99 – ISBN 9781801501132

Not German, I’m Scouse RRP: £16.99 – ISBN 9781801500555

Scotland 42, England 1 RRP: £14.99 – ISBN 9781801504218

In The Shadows of Giants RRP: £12.99 – ISBN 9781785318870

For more information and to purchase these four books, please visit: www.pitchpublishing.co.uk.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.

Cover images courtesy of Pitch Publishing / Top image by Alexander Fox | PlaNet Fox from Pixabay

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*