English Soccer

Manchester, 1974, and seven-year-old Nicky Welsh is about to set foot in Old Trafford for the first time. This is the beginning of a five-decade love affair with football and a passion for Manchester United that will define Nicky’s life for ever. My United Road tells the true story of the fan who made it onto the pitch - almost. Signed for Manchester United from school as an apprentice, then a professional, surrounded by legends in the making, Nicky found himself on the cusp of a brilliant football career...which never happened.

Red Card to Racism is not only a welcome addition to the ongoing debate surrounding ending prejudice within football but also a timely and necessary addition to the wider discussion of the need within our evermore global multicultural society for all people, whatever their beliefs, gender, identity, sexuality or ethnic background, to be treated with equity, humanity and respect.

Archie Macpherson's compelling biography reappraises Jock Stein's career and looks closely at the personality of the man whose shrewdness and cunning stamped him eventually with greatness. Stein hugely influenced the history of football between his debut as a professional player in Lanarkshire in 1942 and his death at the side of the pitch in 1985. He redesigned the landscape of the Scottish game as the great innovator and successfully exported his values outside the country when European football was in the grip of the ice-age of defensive football.

Kate Conner has incinerated hordes of demons, slow-danced with the devil, and has even saved the world from certain doom. But now she’s facing her toughest opponent yet: Her teenage daughter, Allie. Allie wants to be a demon hunter just like her mom, and she refuses to take “no” for an answer. That all comes to a head, however, when they must face the truth about Allie’s true nature. Because this teen queen is fifty percent demon hunter, fifty percent demon, and one hundred percent trouble. Uh-oh.

Soccer star Lauren Vorski's body still tingles for Pete Kendrick, but he's not just any ex—he's her ex-coach, and he axed her from the World Cup. Now, she's gunning for Olympic glory to prove him wrong. Too bad their scorching affair keeps messing with her focus.

Aspiring investigative reporter Des Cleary had dreams of a better world—one more accepting of people like him—when he broke the story of Orion Broderick’s relationship. A story that kicked Orion out of the soccer halls of fame and sent him careening into obscurity. Racked with shame, Des abandoned his own career for good.

Erika Parker-Ward is living the dream—her professional soccer career is on the rise, and she's got her sights set on making the World Cup team for the US. But all of that could be over in a blink now that Erika's been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her plan? Keep the diagnosis hush hush by paying for private medical care, but the cost is threatening to bury her alive.

Soccer's Sensational Scam, a comedy adventure where technology, soccer, and betting collide. This audiobook can be enjoyed even by those who reach for the remote at the first utterance of the "F" word or "S" word, or any other sign of soccer action whatsoever.

Are you searching for a book that will inspire and empower the young women in your life? Look no further than "The Most Inspirational Women's Soccer Stories Of All Time". This collection of over 30 captivating stories is the perfect way to celebrate the power of women in sports and fuel their passion for soccer.

From childhood to his zenith as a player, Ablett's story is an audiobook about a player without equal. Drafted in 2001, Gary Ablett’s incredible career has spanned two great clubs, two Grand Finals and two Brownlow medals among many other accolades. In his audiobook, Gary takes listeners through the trials and triumphs of his life: his close bonds with his family; his famous father Gary Ablett Senior’s influence on his life; joining Geelong Football Club along with his brother Nathan; becoming a star player and the pressure that brings from the media; and more.

When a career-ending injury saw former Ireland and Millwall striker Richie Sadlier retire from football at age 24, his life spiralled out of control. Without structure or a sense of purpose, fuelled by a dependency on alcohol, he spent years running from the dark memories and feelings that had haunted him since childhood. Until one day he hit rock bottom and decided to confront his demons.

From being the most dominant club in Scottish football history, Rangers FC was sold to Craig Whyte in 2011...for £1. Although touted as Rangers’ saviour, he was soon hung out to dry as the fall guy for Rangers’ misery as the unthinkable happened. The club was plunged into liquidation and the club suffered the indignity of demotion to the lowest echelon of Scottish football. The demise of Rangers saw Whyte’s reputation eviscerated on the pages of every newspaper, his name vilified on radio shows, TV programmes and blogs. In 2012, he was arrested and accused of fraud.

Thou Shall Not Pass (the title comes from a command England captain Terry Butcher would shout before every match) celebrates the football position where brutal characters are loved for their hard-hitting tackles and bruising mentality and yet laughed at for their apparent lack of skill. As well as covering the long and illustrious history of the centre-half, the book will take the listener into the muddy penalty area frequented by our protagonists, into their domain.

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.