Extra Time
50 Further Delights of Modern Football
Will be published approx. on 29. October 2020
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-1-4729-8040-3 (ISBN)
Description
FEATURED IN THE SCOTSMAN'S SPORT BOOKS OF 2020
A collection of lyrical sweet-nothings whispered to late goals, local radio commentators, referees falling over and 47 other reminders of why we love football.
Despite its flaws and excesses, modern football is still sprinkled with simple yet beguiling delights. In his previous book Saturday, 3pm, Daniel Gray captured many of them. Now he is back with a further 50 short essays of prose poetry dedicated to the game's charming, technicolour minutiae.
From club lottos to undeserved wins, and from pitch-invading animals to the roar after a minute's silence, Extra Time is another romantic celebration of football fandom and its shared joys, habits, eccentricities and peculiarities. It is a salute to keepers going forward for corners, match balls landing on stand roofs and goals scored in quick succession.
These chapters offer a gleeful antidote to disillusionment with modern football, VAR and all. They are reminders of why we care and justifications for our devotion. Each warmly evokes this sport's blessed capacity to offer escape and diversion. Let us share the delight once more.
A collection of lyrical sweet-nothings whispered to late goals, local radio commentators, referees falling over and 47 other reminders of why we love football.
Despite its flaws and excesses, modern football is still sprinkled with simple yet beguiling delights. In his previous book Saturday, 3pm, Daniel Gray captured many of them. Now he is back with a further 50 short essays of prose poetry dedicated to the game's charming, technicolour minutiae.
From club lottos to undeserved wins, and from pitch-invading animals to the roar after a minute's silence, Extra Time is another romantic celebration of football fandom and its shared joys, habits, eccentricities and peculiarities. It is a salute to keepers going forward for corners, match balls landing on stand roofs and goals scored in quick succession.
These chapters offer a gleeful antidote to disillusionment with modern football, VAR and all. They are reminders of why we care and justifications for our devotion. Each warmly evokes this sport's blessed capacity to offer escape and diversion. Let us share the delight once more.
Reviews / Votes
Gray is a master of observing and amplifying the things we love about football but wonder if anyone else even notices * The Times * Gray writes like Lowry paints. Superb * BBC Radio * ...superbly illuminates the many joys of football * Late Tackle * Daniel Gray's paean to football comes in the form of 50 beautifully written vignettes which celebrate the game's fun and foibles... Gray sifts through the matchday minutiae to produce delightful snapshots. * The Scotsman *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: 190 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
203 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4729-8040-3 (9781472980403)
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
E-Book
10/2020
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€10.99
Available for download
E-Book
10/2020
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€10.99
Available for download
Person
Daniel Gray is the author of Black Boots and Football Pinks, Saturday, 3pm: 50 Eternal Delights of Modern Football and Scribbles in the Margins: 50 Eternal Delights of Books. He has written five other books on football, politics, history and travel. His recent work has included screenwriting for the BBC, presenting social history on television and radio, and writing across a number of national titles.
Content
Preface: Or, finding more things to love
1 Local radio commentators
2 Club lottos and sellers
3 Indirect free-kicks in the box
4 Main stands
5 Spotting a first-match fan
6 Soft-spot teams
7 Late fitness tests
8 Animals on the pitch
9 Booing a returning opposition player
10 The coin toss and changing ends
11 Getting annoyed at the mount of injury time set
12 100+ points a session
13 Scoring in quick succession
14 The Pools Panel
15 Not being able to sleep after a night match
16 Keepers celebrating a goal
17 Comebacks
18 Squad photographs
19 People patting police horses
20 Seeing retired players get fat
21 Jeering disallowed goals
22 Being in an empty ground
23 Clearing it off the line
24 Ball boys and girls
25 Holding a football
26 The referee falling over
27 Midweek Match of the Day
28 Hearing the players
29 Favourite and unlikely scorelines
30 Late goals
31 Being fickle
32 Goalkeepers going forward
33 A balletic piece of play
34 Cup draws
35 Not knowing the name of the person you sit with
36 Seeing a player in a non-football setting
37 An injury time catch
38 Songs unique to your club
39 Players celebrating a goal in front of you
40 When the ball goes over a stand roof
41 Climbing the stairs into the stand
42 Wins in a row
43 A goal back!
44 Team talks on the pitch
45 The roar after a minute's silence
46 Undeserved wins
47 Players applauding the away end
48 Spotting a ground while on holiday
49 Going with my daughter
50 The final whistle
Acknowledgements
1 Local radio commentators
2 Club lottos and sellers
3 Indirect free-kicks in the box
4 Main stands
5 Spotting a first-match fan
6 Soft-spot teams
7 Late fitness tests
8 Animals on the pitch
9 Booing a returning opposition player
10 The coin toss and changing ends
11 Getting annoyed at the mount of injury time set
12 100+ points a session
13 Scoring in quick succession
14 The Pools Panel
15 Not being able to sleep after a night match
16 Keepers celebrating a goal
17 Comebacks
18 Squad photographs
19 People patting police horses
20 Seeing retired players get fat
21 Jeering disallowed goals
22 Being in an empty ground
23 Clearing it off the line
24 Ball boys and girls
25 Holding a football
26 The referee falling over
27 Midweek Match of the Day
28 Hearing the players
29 Favourite and unlikely scorelines
30 Late goals
31 Being fickle
32 Goalkeepers going forward
33 A balletic piece of play
34 Cup draws
35 Not knowing the name of the person you sit with
36 Seeing a player in a non-football setting
37 An injury time catch
38 Songs unique to your club
39 Players celebrating a goal in front of you
40 When the ball goes over a stand roof
41 Climbing the stairs into the stand
42 Wins in a row
43 A goal back!
44 Team talks on the pitch
45 The roar after a minute's silence
46 Undeserved wins
47 Players applauding the away end
48 Spotting a ground while on holiday
49 Going with my daughter
50 The final whistle
Acknowledgements