English Soccer

Stuart Pearce became the face of England's bid to win the 1996 European Championships when his maniacal explosion of joy and relief at scoring a penalty in the quarter-final shootout against Spain captured the mood of a nation. England did not win the tournament, but, against a backdrop of the 'Three Lions' song that played from every pub, every bar, every car radio and every open window in that summer, it cemented the renaissance of the game in this country.

As an energetic six-year-old, Beth Mead was taken to a weekly local football session by her mum. Finding a passion for the game, Beth often found herself as the only girl on the team. Despite being laughed at for this, she let her natural talent do the talking. At 16, Mead was signed to Sunderland where she made a name for herself as a top goalscorer. Putting off offers from Arsenal until she completed her university degree, Mead continued juggling work, study and football until she graduated. She then signed to Arsenal and earned a place as a Lioness, representing the England national team.

Born into a footballing family, Leah Williamson followed in the footsteps of her mother who cut her hair short so she could play with the boys. Williamson began playing at Scot Youth, a boys' team in Bletchley, quickly becoming their star striker. Williamson went on to join Rushden & Diamonds Centre of Excellence, before joining Arsenal at the age of nine, where she has remained, making her senior team debut in 2014 at the age of 17. Representing England since 2010, Williamson has played at an international level since the age of 13, and was made permanent captain of the Lionesses in 2022.

If you want something done, ask a busy person. Kate Conner could kill whoever first said that. As if the full-time mom, part-time demon hunter didn’t have enough to do, she’s now been given a third job—as headmistress at a special academy for up-and-coming slayers. Kate’s first charge? Her own teenage daughter Allie, who thanks to her unique heritage, has more power than either she or Kate understands. And definitely more than either knows how to use.

In Soccer in American Culture: The Beautiful Game’s Struggle for Status, G. Edward White seeks to answer two questions. The first is why the sport of soccer failed to take root in the United States when it spread from England around much of the rest of the world in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The second is why the sport has had a significant renaissance in America since the last decade of the 20th century, to the point where it is now the fourth largest participatory sport in the United States and is thriving at the high school, college, and professional levels.

From one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists, an exquisitely crafted coming-of-age novel set in the high-stakes world of English soccer - for fans of Nick Hornby and The Art of Fielding.

In this hilarious reboot of Pride and Prejudice, Megan McKnight is a soccer star with Olympic dreams. When her Southern belle mother secretly enters her as a debutante for the 2016 deb season in their hometown of Dallas, she's furious - and has no idea what she's in for.

At thirteen years old, Valeria "Magic" Salomón is already the best soccer player her town has ever seen. She has talent in spades and an abuelo whose tough-love coaching and lessons about “strength and honor” have made her the star of the Overlords, the top boys’ team in the state. But everything changes at the State Cup semi-final when Valeria gets her first period while Wearing. White. Shorts. After her team is unexpectedly eliminated, she goes from their secret weapon to their scapegoat.

They say that if you want to live a long and happy life, don’t support Newcastle United. So join me, as I lead you on a journey through another hall of shame, littered with players who were paid far too much, and who gave the fans far too little in return. If you need an antidote to the many times Newcastle United have ever let you down and made you think "We'll laugh about this seven-to-three defeat in a few years", then this audiobook will go a long way to healing those wounds.

Celebrate the 2023 Women's World Cup and the unstoppable rise of England's legendary Lionesses! Discover the incredible moments and players that have changed the women's game.

Lainey Lukas has sacrificed everything - sleep, family, carbs, a life - to earn her spot as the top player and captain of the Seattle Falcons women's soccer team. She's determined to lead her team to a national championship and finally earn the sport the respect it deserves, and nothing will throw her off her game. When Lainey's hero Gabe Havelak, star of the Seattle Surge, crashes her team's first press conference - making the Falcons look like a joke to the local media and humiliating Lainey in the process - she's hell-bent on revenge.

When Karma and her fellow Suburban Moms take on troublemakers, things spin out of control and somebody dies. Accidentally. It starts when a speeding car hits Karma's daughter, and the cops can't find the driver. The Moms find and punish the culprit before the police get a chance. Is this justice or vigilantism? Then teenagers expose themselves to little girls on the playground. They definitely need to be taught a lesson...Trouble escalates when an obnoxious neighbor turns out to be a wife-beater, and the moms go full-on vigilante.

For legions of soccer fans, the players on the US Women's National Soccer Team are the game's standard-bearers. Together their accomplishments include four World Cup titles and four Olympic gold medals. Within five years of their inaugural match in 1985, the team was the best women's soccer team on the planet. But its rise was neither easy nor harmonious. They faced discrimination and unequal treatment, most notably from their governing bodies, FIFA and U.S. Soccer.

Did Wayne Fereday ruin your life? Was Silvio Maric directly responsible for your high dentist bills due to the constant gnashing and grinding of your molars? Did Billy Askew's hair give you nightmares, or did the merest mention of Alain Boumsong's name have the same effect as the aftermath of a Vindaloo? Then this is the book you've been waiting for.

In this compelling new book, relying on original reporting from the most dangerous corners of Rio to the halls of power in Washington, DC, Dave Zirin examines how sports and politics are colliding in remarkable fashion in Brazil, opening up an international conversation on the culture, economics, and politics of sports.

Lionel Messi loved soccer from an early age, often playing with his family members with encouragement from his grandmother. Now, he is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time! He is also one of the most decorated footballers in the world--having won 44 collective trophies, including seven Ballon d'Or awards, 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year, 2019 and 2022 Best FIFA Men's Player, and more. From making his first team debut at just sixteen years old in 2003 to breaking numerous longstanding records in 2012, to helping Argentina win the 2022 World Cup, Messi continues to wow fans.

Football star "Tank" Armstrong has one goal: win another championship. But when the new kid, Marco Santiago, claims to be a football player, Tank and his teammates find it hard to believe. Linebacker Biff Taylor invites Marco to practice on the football field to embarrass him and eventually Tank joins in.

Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team. She’s also a hothead with a punchy past who floored her last coach on live TV. Despite his misgivings, Matt agrees to be both her agent and her coach. Professional common sense says she’s off-limits. But what can he say about the raw attraction between them?

Tracie Martin is the queen of the Wags and this is going to be her year. The fight may be on for England to regain its rightful place in the history books. But Tracie knows that the true battle of the World Cup will be fought in Gucci and in the pages of her favorite tabloids. Only with Tracie's knack for ending up in the papers for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself getting more column inches than the England captain as she becomes the only person who can save England's dreams of World Cup triumph. But can she warn off the evil crime syndicate threatening to destroy everything?

Gang leader Billy Evans has ruled his turf in London for more years than he cares to remember. So long in fact, that even he realizes that things have become a little too easy. So when an old adversary reappears on the scene, Billy sees a golden opportunity to not only reassert his authority, but to have some much needed fun. Yet all is not as it appears, for this new enemy is far more powerful than any Billy has ever had to deal with before, and he's about to discover that he's finally pushed his luck too far.