From the earliest FA Cup finals in the 1870s between teams of former public schoolboys to the glittering world of 21st-century Champions League matches contested by squads of millionaires, The Times has been at pitchside to write the history of football as it has happened. It is story of great matches: Hungary's historic victory over England at Wembley in 1953, Manchester United's triumph over Benfica in the 1968 European Cup final, Brazil's thrashing of Italy in the 1970 World Cup final, Liverpool's remarkable recovery to win the Champions League in Istanbul in 2005. It is a story of dazzling individual performances: Stanley Matthews finally winning an FA Cup winners' medal at Wembley in 1953, Bobby Moore giving a masterclass in the art of defending for England against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo's virtuoso performance as Real Madrid won the 2017 Champions League. It is a story of national highs and lows, from Wembley in 1966 when England ruled the world after defeating West Germany to the humiliation of losing to Iceland in the 2016 European Championship. But above all it is a story of great players, great managers and great personalities in a sport that grips the attention of the world like no other.

From the earliest FA Cup finals in the 1870s played between teams of former public schoolboys, to twenty-first-century Champions League matches contested by teams of billionaires - with stops along the way for Leicester City's extraordinary Premier League triumph, the Hand of God, and the 1966 World Cup - this is football history as it happened, straight from the pages of The Times.'The players came off arm in arm. They knew they had finally fashioned something of which to be proud.'

The Cricket World Cup in 2019 was the first to be held in England for 20 years and expectations were high. It did not disappoint. Over six weeks and 48 matches it showcased the best that the one-day game has to offer, with compelling individual performances and spellbinding matches – all culminating in England's unforgettable victory over New Zealand in the final. The Times England's World Cup gives you a chance to relive the drama as it happened with the best of cricket writers.

A History of the Women's FA Cup Final is an exhaustive account of fifty finals, from the first (on a bumpy field inside an athletics stadium) to the fiftieth (at Wembley, televised to millions), complete with match reports and interviews with some of the greatest players ever to grace the pitch. Every women's FA Cup Final goal scorer can be confirmed in one place for the first time, and the achievements of previously unknown record holders can at last be fully recognised. But this is more than just a stats book; it is a tribute to the pioneers of the game, who fought to overturn a fifty-year ban on female players and who paved the way for the incredible game we have today.

'Fascinating and original ... will tell you things even the most ardent United fan will not know' - Jim White, The Telegraph On 26 May 1999, Manchester United sealed their historic Treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, scoring twice in stoppage time to snatch an unthinkable victory from Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The story of what happened on the pitch is well known, enshrined in the annals of football history. But less in known about how this rollercoaster campaign played out behind the scenes. Thanks to unparalleled insight gleaned from hundreds of exclusive interviews, with United players, coaches, opponents, backroom personnel, club staff, journalists and commentators , They Always Score: The Unforgettable, Improbable, Iconic Story of Manchester United's Treble Winners peels back the curtain to give readers the most comprehensive, illuminating and entertaining picture ever painted of one of the all-time great sports teams.

Half a century on from his Wembley hat-trick, England World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst risks controversy as he narrows down football's finest to a select 50. Which of his 1966 teammates have earned their place among the all-time greats? Would he have had Franz Beckenbauer in his XI ahead of Bobby Moore? What are his memories of playing against Pelé and Eusébio? And which England stars of later generations would Sir Geoff have loved to play alongside? With first-hand tales of former teammates and rivals, along with tributes to those he's admired from the terraces, Geoff Hurst's Greats is essential reading for football fans of all ages.

This book is about a poor boy who makes it through sport to the highest levels of academia.