The Title
The Story of the First Division
Published on 7. September 2017
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-4729-3661-5 (ISBN)
Description
Some folk will tell you the FA Premier League is the greatest show on earth. They may even have a point. But to build something so successful, so popular, so inescapable, you've got to have mighty strong foundations.
Prior to 1992, the old First Division was England's premier prize. Its rich tapestry winds back to 1888 and the formation of the Football League. A grand century-long tradition in danger of being lost in the wake of Premier League year zero.
No more! In The Title Scott Murray tells the lively, cherry-picked story of English football through the prism of the First Division. Rich with humour yet underpinned with solid research, this is a glorious meander across our national sport's varied terrain.
With as much about Burnley, Wolves, West Brom and Portsmouth as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, we learn the less well-known stories the sport has to tell, such as the plight of Glossop, the smallest club to ever play top-flight football, and final day drama involving Huddersfield and Cardiff that knocks Michael Thomas into a cocked hat. We bask in the managerial genius of Tom Watson, the bowler-hatted Victorian Mourinho; celebrate the joy of the Busby Babes; discover the shameless showmanship of George Allison; embark on righteous escapades with Hughie Gallacher; and meet some old favourites in Don Revie, Bill Shankly, Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough.
At turns exciting, surprising, witty and bittersweet, The Title is a highly informed, fresh and affectionate love-letter to the English game, and a delight for any football fan.
Prior to 1992, the old First Division was England's premier prize. Its rich tapestry winds back to 1888 and the formation of the Football League. A grand century-long tradition in danger of being lost in the wake of Premier League year zero.
No more! In The Title Scott Murray tells the lively, cherry-picked story of English football through the prism of the First Division. Rich with humour yet underpinned with solid research, this is a glorious meander across our national sport's varied terrain.
With as much about Burnley, Wolves, West Brom and Portsmouth as the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, we learn the less well-known stories the sport has to tell, such as the plight of Glossop, the smallest club to ever play top-flight football, and final day drama involving Huddersfield and Cardiff that knocks Michael Thomas into a cocked hat. We bask in the managerial genius of Tom Watson, the bowler-hatted Victorian Mourinho; celebrate the joy of the Busby Babes; discover the shameless showmanship of George Allison; embark on righteous escapades with Hughie Gallacher; and meet some old favourites in Don Revie, Bill Shankly, Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough.
At turns exciting, surprising, witty and bittersweet, The Title is a highly informed, fresh and affectionate love-letter to the English game, and a delight for any football fan.
Reviews / Votes
It is going to take a place of honour next to my absolute favourite sports books written over the years * thelondoneconomic * Scott Murray is one of Britain's most talented sports writers and in The Title he is at his best. Meticulously researched, affectionate and often very funny, this account of the first century of English football gives the lie once and for all to the idea that the beautiful game began with thePremier League in 1992. * Dan Jones, Evening Standard columnist and bestselling historian * Richly colourful, heartfelt and, most of all, fun. * Jonathan Wilson, author of Inverting the Pyramid * A wonderful history, packed with unlikely anecdotes and trivia. Scott Murray is to football writing what
Huddersfield Town were to the 1920s. * Josh Widdicombe * Marvellous book, a treasure for any fan of the game * Budapest Times * A witty, well-informed history of the old Football League, from its first season in 1888 to the inception of the Premier League in 1992 * Choice * [An] illuminating book on the history of the First Division * Blackpool Gazette * A breezy overview of the top division from the not-quite-invincible Preston of 1888-89 to Howard Wilkinson, the ultimate winner of the Football League. * Review by Jon Driscoll * A lovingly crafted chronicle... Engrossing and informative. * Sunday Mirror *
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Illustrations
1 x 16 page colour section
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 153 mm
Weight
726 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4729-3661-5 (9781472936615)
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
09/2017
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Sport
€9.49
Available for download
Person
Scott Murray is a regular writer for the Guardian where he writes match reports on football and golf, as well as their much-loved daily newsletter, 'The Fiver'. He has written for many other publications including The Blizzard, The Nightwatchman, GQ, Eurosport.co.uk, FourFourTwo and Men's Health. This is his fourth book.