Unfit and Improper Persons
An Idiot's Guide to Owning a Football Club FROM THE PRICE OF FOOTBALL PODCAST
Published on 12. October 2023
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-1-3994-0754-0 (ISBN)
Description
'A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues.' Gary Lineker
'Witty and wise.' Clare Balding
'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies
---
Ever dreamed of setting up your own football club?
Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they start a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the Premier League and EFL's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: hardly anyone else does.) And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
Unfit and Improper Persons is informed, funny and, thanks to exclusive interviews with those who've been there, done that, it lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance.
'Witty and wise.' Clare Balding
'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies
---
Ever dreamed of setting up your own football club?
Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they start a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the Premier League and EFL's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: hardly anyone else does.) And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
Unfit and Improper Persons is informed, funny and, thanks to exclusive interviews with those who've been there, done that, it lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance.
Reviews / Votes
A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues. * Gary Lineker * Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful. * Alan Davies * Witty and wise. * Clare Balding * I loved this book ... Great authors, terrible football club owners. * Josh Widdicombe * A great read ... and level of detail ... wherever your club is in the pyramid there'll be something of interest for you. * Tony Livesey, BBC Radio 5 Live * This helpful, entertaining and funny book is written by a Palace fan and a Brighton fan so I just want to know who won the fight! * Jo Brand * Kevin Day asks the right questions and Kieran Maguire is impressive with his research... The machinations of football finance are laid bare, and somehow this sheds light on to the actual games themselves. -- Miranda Sawyer * the Guardian * The writers fuse humour and fiction with rigorous analysis ... An entertaining and often intriguing book. * FourFourTwo *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 224 mm
Width: 147 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
416 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-3994-0754-0 (9781399407540)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Kevin Day | Kieran Maguire | Guy Kilty
Unfit and Improper Persons
An Idiot's Guide to Owning a Football Club from the Price of Football Podcast
E-Book
10/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€12.49
Available for download
Kevin Day | Kieran Maguire | Guy Kilty
Unfit and Improper Persons
An Idiot's Guide to Owning a Football Club from the Price of Football Podcast
E-Book
10/2023
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€12.49
Available for download
Persons
Kevin Day is an acclaimed stand-up comedian and one of the country's leading comedy writers. He writes for Have I Got News for You and A League of Their Own and has worked with stars ranging from Dave Allen to Alfie Boe (he'll go through the whole alphabet if you like). He regularly appears on Talksport and BBC5 Live and is currently working on a musical based on the legendary Pawsons Arms pub (honestly). @kevinhunterday
Kieran Maguire is the go-to expert on football finance matters. When not regularly appearing on television and radio commentating on matters related to club finance, he teaches the Football Industries MBA at the University of Liverpool Management School. Forbes describes Maguire as a 'soccer finance expert' and his expertise has earned him nicknames such as the 'Columbo of football finance'. @KieranMaguire
Guy Kilty, known to listeners of The Price of Football as Producer Guy, has enjoyed a journeyman footballer-style professional career, which has seen him produce and present radio and TV shows at the BBC like Breakfast on BBC One and Wake Up To Money on BBC Radio 5 Live. Now he runs the specialist podcast production company Dap Dip. @GuyKilty
The team have 85,000 Twitter followers and a host of contacts in the world of professional football. Their media appearances include The Athletic, The Anfield Wrap, Radio 5 Live, TalkSport, BBC World Service, The Times, The Telegraph, the Guardian, BBC Sport, Four Four Two, Goal, and Liverpool Echo.
Kieran Maguire is the go-to expert on football finance matters. When not regularly appearing on television and radio commentating on matters related to club finance, he teaches the Football Industries MBA at the University of Liverpool Management School. Forbes describes Maguire as a 'soccer finance expert' and his expertise has earned him nicknames such as the 'Columbo of football finance'. @KieranMaguire
Guy Kilty, known to listeners of The Price of Football as Producer Guy, has enjoyed a journeyman footballer-style professional career, which has seen him produce and present radio and TV shows at the BBC like Breakfast on BBC One and Wake Up To Money on BBC Radio 5 Live. Now he runs the specialist podcast production company Dap Dip. @GuyKilty
The team have 85,000 Twitter followers and a host of contacts in the world of professional football. Their media appearances include The Athletic, The Anfield Wrap, Radio 5 Live, TalkSport, BBC World Service, The Times, The Telegraph, the Guardian, BBC Sport, Four Four Two, Goal, and Liverpool Echo.
Content
Introduction
1. Founding a new football club
2. Rules
3. A woman's game
4. Youth policy
5. Building blocks
6. Further afield
7. A proud member of the 92
8. One of the biggest leagues in the world
9. The Premier League
10. Europe
11. A global team
12. Post-match analysis
References
Acknowledgements
Index
1. Founding a new football club
2. Rules
3. A woman's game
4. Youth policy
5. Building blocks
6. Further afield
7. A proud member of the 92
8. One of the biggest leagues in the world
9. The Premier League
10. Europe
11. A global team
12. Post-match analysis
References
Acknowledgements
Index