The Victorian Football Miscellany is a quirky and fascinating collection of trivia, facts and anecdotes from football’s earliest years. Delve into an absorbing world of ox-bladder balls, baggy-kneed knickerbockers and outstanding moustaches, and read remarkable tales of the first ever cup final, the invention of the shinpad, the evolution of dribbling, the first own goal and a seemingly-invincible penalty-taking elephant. Other entries cover the foundation of the Football Association, the development of the Laws of the Game and the origins of football’s most popular clubs. Packed with stories, profiles and lists, this is an indispensable guide to the colourful and unusual world of 19th century football.

There is something for every fan in The Celtic Miscellany. The world-famous Scottish football club has a widely diverse and amazingly successful history, but this book is not exclusively a history, or a fan's guide, or a collection of biographies, or an encyclopaedia. It is a little bit of all of these things. Within these pages, the reader will learn thousands of quirky and obscure facts about The Boys on a wide range of topics, from the history of the club's famous hoped shirts and paradisiacal home ground, to the European glory nights, famous managers, and match-day facts and stats. More than a book of lists or compilation of trivia, The Celtic Miscellany will bring hours of reading pleasure to fan of The Hoops.

Celtic is an unusual football club, inspiring strong feelings in almost everyone. It is of course virtually impossible to chronicle all that has happened in the history of the club, but this little gem draws together some of the most interesting, quirky and downright odd events that have taken place over their long and auspicious existence. Packed with facts, stats, trivia, stories and legend, the reader will delve deep to find out all about the events and people who have shaped the club into what it is today. Featured here are a plethora of stories on this charismatic football club ranging from how the club was formed, to little-known facts about players and managers. Here you will find player feats, individual records and plenty of amusing quotes. Rivalry with Rangers, favourite managers and cult heroes from yesteryear – a book no true Celtic fan should be without.

Mad, but true, stories from the more eccentric side of the beautiful game.

The long-overlooked story of a number of adventurous Britons who left their homeland before World War I to inspire and shape the growth of modern soccer in continental Europe and South America. Drawn from widely different backgrounds, their motivations and contributions were diverse-helping to form legendary clubs now supported by millions across the globe; bringing revolutionary changes to the way soccer was taught and played; and laying the foundations on which the game would continue to flourish. Full of entertaining accounts and anecdotes from the birth of the global game, Fathers of Football places the lives of these innovators soundly in historical and social context. They all left a deep and lasting impression on soccer in the countries they worked in; yet for too long Britain turned its back on their lessons and achievements. Even today they remain largely unknown-prophets more honored abroad than at home.

Did you know? Former City stalwart Denis Smith had the misfortune of having five broken legs, four broken noses, a cracked ankle, broken collar bone, chipped spine, most of his fingers and toes broken as well as having over 100 stitches at various times in Stoke colours – that’s got to be a record! On 3 February 1945 Stoke City’s Frank Wong Soo was the first player of Chinese extraction to play for England. Stoke have 2 club mascots called Pottermus and Pottermiss. The Stoke City Miscellany – a book on the club like no other, packed with facts, stats, trivia, stories and legend. Now, with the club tasting previously uncharted highs, look back at what has made this club what it is today – the players and characters that have represented City over the years and the events that have shaped the club.If you want to know the record crowd for a home game, the record appearance holder or longest-serving manager, look no further – this is the book you’ve been waiting for. From record goal scorers, to record defeats; from The Victoria Ground to Alan Ball, from Mark Chamberlain to Gordon Banks – it’s all in The Stoke City Miscellany – can you afford not to own a copy?