Good Football Biographies

Augmerson

I recently picked up Robbie Fowler's autobiography (2 quid from a Charity shop, can't go wrong) and I'm not half way into it yet but it's a fairly good read. I've read Roy Keane's autobiography too, and at the time, I thought it was fairly decent. Is there any other books out there that you guys could recommend?

Corvo

Here's a fantastic read with some extremely funny, and some extremely sad parts. Brilliant -

http://www.amazon.com/Garrincha-Triumph-Tragedy-Forgotten-Footballing/dp/0224064339

Gringo180

Tony Adams book "Addicted" is the best I ever read.

losthorizon

I wouldn't call Garrincha forgotten but thanks for drawing attention to that book as I remember reading that he had an awful life. That's something I might get. Much more interesting than the dull, uninteresting lives of the average footballers of today.

Skid X

Paul McGrath: Back from the Brink was one of the best biographies I have ever read.

Hammer Archer

Everyone should read Paul McGrath's autobiography. Real eye opener into what went on behind the scenes in his life and what goes on in the mind of an alcoholic.

Edit: What Skid said ^

LOTTOWINNER

Paul McGrath

Lawrence1895

I doubt, you will find it in English, but Uli Borowka's book is brilliant. He writes about his experiences as an alcoholic.

German title: 'Volle Pulle'

skippy15

Carra is a good read very honest and brutal,
and cascarino is a good read into the old school footballer.
Gerard is decent but very on football and england....read others first
McGrath is good read on the side all about his orphan history and all that- maybe go with that first

jonnyfingers

Read Fergie's one years ago and thought it was great. It may have been updated since with all the success he's had since it was first published.

Brian Clough's was also excellent.

I know it's not football related but the cyclist Tyler Hamilton's book is fantastic. All about doping and cycling, a real eye opener. Read it in 2 days.

mike65

Eamon Dunphy - Only a Game?. The book that took him from just some ex pro to becoming a national treasure (it sez here)

kfallon

Paolo Di Canio's

Andersonisgod

Guillem Balague's biography on Pep Guardiola is a terrific read. Detailed, with no stone left unturned, it's a wonderfully told story of a boy from a small Catalonian town achieving his dream of playing for Barcelona, the obstacles he faced, him not being the traditional footballer, his journey through La Masia, to being the midfield lynchpin of Cruyff's dream team, to club captain, club manager and Catalonian hero. Balague is a fine writer, vibrant descriptions, an ability to take you from the pages to the action using words. A great read.

yohan the great

Tony Cascarino's book is brilliant IMO. I would second whoever said the secret race aswell

Andersonisgod

Andersonisgod wrote: »

Guillem Balague's biography on Pep Guardiola is a terrific read. Detailed, with no stone left unturned, it's a wonderfully told story of a boy from a small Catalonian town achieving his dream of playing for Barcelona, the obstacles he faced, him not being the traditional footballer, his journey through La Masia, to being the midfield lynchpin of Cruyff's dream team, to club captain, club manager and Catalonian hero. Balague is a fine writer, vibrant descriptions, an ability to take you from the pages to the action using words. A great read.

Your posts on Barcelona may be nauseating, but you've definitely got a future in advertising.

kryogen

Paul Mersons is good

Ryan Giggs too but clearly full of lies

Neville and Keane are worth a read

A life too short was excellent too, though very sad.

ActingDanClark

I've read a few of the above, but I gotta recommend Paul Gascoigne's book- excellent!

JohnFalstaff

Not exactly a biography but The Damned Utd by David Peace is a great piece of footballing literature. It covers Brian Clough's brief period in charge of Leeds... although according to some, Johnny Giles included, it should more properly be classed as fiction!

LiamoSail

Gringo180 wrote: »

Tony Adams book "Addicted" is the best I ever read.

Thought it was alright only. It's hard to read at times when he starts talking about learning how to love himself, and his recovery etc

skippy15 wrote: »

Carra is a good read very honest and brutal,

That's what it says on the back, but it isn't really all that controversial. I found the book quiet bland really, just a typical footballer autobiography, where I was expecting something more in the Roy Keane genre

I'd add mark wards book to the list, "right wing to b wing'". A very good read

In a different vein, Paul mesons book is good. No real insight into the game obviously, but a good laugh

Renn

Been on my list for a while, must pick it up soon.

The_Kew_Tour

Ya the ones mentioned are good.

The most surprising one for me was Niall Quinn one.

Vey good and had 2 hilarious stories about Ireland. I was expecting it to be dull as hell.

keano_afc

Addicted and Back from the Brink are great reads. I read Paul Merson's one last year, pretty good insight into the life of a gambler. Perry Groves one is pretty good too.

kfallon

Micky Quinn's is a decent read but I always had it in the back of my head when I was reading it that some of the anecdotes were bullshít!

Kerrydude1981

Ive read Keane's book,thought it was good enough,also read Gazza's and John Aldridge's books both were good enough as well.Gazza had a fair story to tell,dragged on a bit though but a good read.

One book I did read was called Off Centre Circle,I just saw it one day in Eason's and bought it,it was all about the Sunday Morning Junior Soccer League in West Cork!! Written by a fella named Ger McCarthy,it follows his story from playing in the early 90's up to playing over 33's in 2009,playing for Clonakilty AFC

Interesting read for those of you that have played Junior Soccer on Sunday mornings,waking up hungover,play the game and end up in the pub again after for post match analysis,which was very important

kfallon

I actually found the stories other players tell about Gazza in their books more entertaining than Gazza's book itself!

Some of them were hilarious!

rightyabe

I read Gazzas, Roy Keanes and Fergies.

Seen that fella on Gillette soccer Saturday has a book out on football must get it, the Hartlepool supporter fella.

Kerrydude1981

rightyabe wrote: »

I read Gazzas, Roy Keanes and Fergies.

Seen that fella on Gillette soccer Saturday has a book out on football must get it, the Hartlepool supporter fella.

Jeff Stelling,didnt know he has a book out


I plan on getting that book Dunphy wrote when he was at Millwall.

One book I would have love to read if he released one would be the Denis Irwin story

Augmerson

JohnFalstaff wrote: »

Not exactly a biography but The Damned Utd by David Peace is a great piece of footballing literature. It covers Brian Clough's brief period in charge of Leeds... although according to some, Johnny Giles included, it should more properly be classed as fiction!

I have the film on dvd, and while it was entertaining, to find out afterwards that some of the stuff about Clough was either inaccurate or just embelishment is a let down. His family weren't too happy about some of the stuff in it. It's hard to say with a man like Clough though, but I highly doubt the scene with him smoking and drinking and a nervous wreck in the backroom as Leeds take on Derby ever happened. Clough would be out on the sidelines enjoying that kind of encounter I feel.

jester77

Perry Groves

FatherTed

Bobby Charlton's My United Years is good too, especially the trauma with the Munich crash.

Other non-bio favourites of mine:
The Game of Their Lives - quick read about how a bunch of amateurs from the US beat Matthews, Finney etc in the 1950 WC.
The Miracle of Castel di Sangro - great story on a small club's rise to Serie B in Italy
Fever Pitch - About an Arsenal fan following their 88-89 league triumph

3hn2givr7mx1sc

I thought Mickey Thomas' book was good.

Zaph

Not sure if they're still available, but Left Foot Forward and Left Foot in the Grave by Garry Nelson are well worth a read. Not exactly biographies, but accounts of what a season playing and later managing in the lower leagues is like for the average journeyman professional.

neacy69

I've read

Gazza - Great read. Such a story to tell and the latest versions have some added chapters about cheryl and why he bothered going to china...(all cos of money)
Roy Keane - Great read
Paul McGrath - Same as everyone else. Top knotch reading
Paul Merson - Read it on holidays..Very good pool read as you can pick it up and read a few pages and put it back down easy enough

I'll pick a few of the other books listed here...

G.K.

Saha wrote his himself, not with a ghostwriter, I think. Will want to pick that up.

Lawrence1895

I remember the one, Pele wrote. It's ages ago though, but I remember him writing about him growing up in a slum like area.

ollie1

I am reading "I Am Zlatan" at the moment its very good so far.

Augmerson

ollie1 wrote: »

I am reading "I Am Zlatan" at the moment its very good so far.

Jag ar Zlatan? I thought that it was only available in Ikealand language?

George Best " Blessed"


Fantastic book, probably the best football biography I read.

McGraths is a close second.

tim_holsters

Read quite a few football biographies and most of them are pretty lame.

The stand out one's being McGrath's Cascarino's Tony Adams and Dunphy's and Jimmy Burns one on Maradona. I can't really think of any others that have risen above the dross apart from maybe Garry Nelson's.

The Damned United is a mighty fine book but it is certainly not a biography.

Just remembered Out Of His Skin The John Barnes Phenomenon by .... I can't remember but it's a great book. Not your ordinary biography by any means and if you're a Liverpool fan it's an absolute must read.

Forgot Giles recent one that's a good read too. Going off topic but reading any book by David Winner Jonathan Wilson or Simon Kuper is never a waste of your spare time.

Jimmy Iovine

G.K. wrote: »

Saha wrote his himself, not with a ghostwriter, I think. Will want to pick that up.

Still haven't got around to buying it. It's supposed to be fantastic.

yabadabado

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

Still haven't got around to buying it. It's supposed to be fantastic.

I finished it a while back.one of the better footballs.
One's I would recommend are(wont include any already mentioned)

Di Canio's
Robin Friday
Strange kind of glory
Collymore's
Football versus the enemy
Tor
Castel di sangro
Glory Game
The secret footballer
denis Law

I have read a tonne of football books ,if I think of anymore will post up.

As was mentioned earlier Tyler Hamiltons book on his career is brilliant.Even if you hate cycling it would be hard not to enjoy his book.

ActingDanClark

"dont give up the day job " by des mc keown.
i never heard of him either! very interesting book about a professional career with celtic that never took off,so he ends up playing part time while holding down a job

Boots234

My favorites were Cascarino's book and the book on Castel di Sangro, great reads

roashter

A Season with Verona -Tim Parks, very good read

Boots234

That Verona book is fantastic too. I knew there was another book but couldn't think of it! Been having a keen interest in Verona since then

Augmerson

Just came across Paul McGrath's autobiography in the same place as before AND there was Neil Lennon's there also, but I just picked up Paul's for now. Coming towards the end of Fowler's now, it's been good, interesting read.