Written just two years after england s 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcraft s the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. Arthur hopcraft, world citizen and true football man. He also had four other books published, including an autobiographical. For arthur hopcraft, author of the football man 1968, it was merely the first half of his career. Arthur hopcrafts book, the football man came out in 1968, the year in which 33,785 spectators watched aston villa lose to queens park rangers on the last day of the season.
The football man by arthur hopcraft the 50 best sports. To think that it is 50 years since arthur hopcraft sat down at a typewriter to produce the football man. The football man by arthur hopcraft and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A book every football fan should own, footballs finest masterpiece. Roy clarke was born in newport, monmouthshire, to a mining family.
Hopcrafts book was published in 1968, the year manchester united became champions of. People and passions in football, published in 1968. To call it a collection of interviews would do it a disservice, as hopcraft tries to give a full view of the game from all parties involved. Its a book that is pretty comprehensive when it comes to all things football, and it also tries to understand how football became such an important part of peoples lives in the 20th century. This definitive study of football and society is a snapshot of a defining era in sporting history.
Written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcrafts the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. The football man by arthur hopcraft, michael parkinson waterstones. Simon inglis the football grounds of england and wales three books which i miss on the list. The football man ebook by arthur hopcraft 97818458387.
The football man top selling sports books to start reading now. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. Arthur hopcraft, who died in 2004, was an english scriptwriter, well known for his tv plays such as the nearly man, and for his smallscreen adaptations such as tinker, tailor, soldier, spy. Arthur hopcraft written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcrafts the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. Our top man, hugh mcilvanney, had just moved to the daily express, and arthur told me he wanted to give up reporting. The way we play the game, organize it and reward it reflects the kind of community we are written just two years after england s 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcraft s the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. Notable for its polished style and laconic humour, and packed with rich detail garnered from the interviews that form much of its research base, the book is acknowledged as a valuable source for the study of the game at a critical moment. Written in 1968, fifty years later the philosophy of football is a genre in itself but the original remains unsurpassed as a study of why. It is a snapshot of a pivotal era in sporting history. So begins arthur hopcraft s the football man, probably the best book written on the game despite now being. The greatest football books of all time bleacher report. Originally published in 1968 it covers aspects of the game, a collection of players and managers, thoughts about the future development of the game and so on. The way we play the game, organize it and reward it reflects the kind of community we are written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcraft s the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport.
This definitive, magisterial study of football and society. Please note that you have to put the character for at and a dot. The football man by arthur hopcraft overdrive rakuten. To think that it is 50 years since arthur hopcraft sat.
Before taking up writing for tv, he was a sports journalist for the guardian and the observer, writing the football man. People and passions in soccer has 4 available editions to buy at half price books marketplace. The observer but with a seminal book the football man, published in 1968. The football man by arthur hopcraft would be a challenge to write now, because it relies on access and intimacy.
Written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the nation. A book that not only shows football in the right light, but shows it in the brazilian waymagical and bewitching. Upon leaving school clarke followed his fathers career path and became a miner, as one of the bevin boys. Not so long ago, this book about football in the sixties, happily now reprinted, had all.
Our cheap used books come with free delivery in the uk. Arthur hopcraft was writing about the game in england when he penned those words, but he might well have been talking about the directorate of any of the league of irelands clubs in the same era. Jimmy guthrie soccer rebel, fred eyre kicked into touch and desmond morris the soccer tribe mail to. This definitive, magisterial study of football and society profiles includes interviews with alltime greats like bobby charlton, george best, alf ramsay, stanley matthews, matt busby and nat lofthouse. Hopcrafts the football man remains the best book on the game observer masterpiece among sports books guardian it remains one of my favourite football reads graham taylor. A reporter trying to reach to the heart of what football.
Written as the game entered a pivotal age with the rise of true superstars, like george best and just 2 years after england had won their world cup it offers the modern fan an incredible insight into how football was changing and starting out on the road to its current model. Aug 01, 20 written just two years after england s 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcraft s the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. Arthur hopcraft 30 november 1932 22 november 2004 was an english scriptwriter, well known for his tv plays such as the nearly man, and for his smallscreen. Originally written just two years after englands 1966 triumph in the world cup, the football man is a classic football text.
The football man by arthur hopcraft published in the late 1960s, the football man looks at the way that, even then, football was quickly changing. Pdf the football man people and passions in soccer by arthur. May 23, 2011 arthur hopcraft s book, the football man came out in 1968, the year in which 33,785 spectators watched aston villa lose to queens park rangers on the last day of the season. The football man by michael parkinson, arthur hopcraft. At school he excelled at sports, representing wales in a schoolboy baseball international, and winning a local table tennis championship. The football man by arthur hopcraft would be a challenge to write now, because it. The way we play the game, organize it and reward it reflects the kind of community we are written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcrafts the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. The football man by arthur hopcraft, 9780671699611, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The inspiration for this book, he states, comes from the football man by arthur hopcraft.
Faced with the loss of our two best football writers, i offered to increase. A reporter trying to reach to the heart of what football is. The football man by arthur hopcraft written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcrafts the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. This definitive, magisterial study of football and society profiles includes interviews with alltime greats like bobby charlton, george best, alf ramsay, stanley matthews, matt. Among the wealth of words and images created by arthur hopcraft, who has died aged 71, two achievements stand out. The football man people and passions in soccer by arthur. Book recommendations for people who like the football man. There is more eccentricity in deliberately disregarding it than in devoting a life to it. The football man was by no means the first british football book that could be.
Arthur hopcrafts the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. Arthur hopcraft 30 november 1932 22 november 2004 was an english scriptwriter, well known for his tv plays such as the nearly man, and for his smallscreen adaptations such as tinker tailor soldier spy. Arthur hopcraft is the author of the football man 4. The football man ebook por arthur hopcraft 97818458387. Jan 11, 2012 a book that not only shows football in the right light, but shows it in the brazilian waymagical and bewitching. The football man by arthur hopcraft used very good. This book came to my notice as a result of an article about former england football manager graham taylor. In his free time he played for a local amateur football team, albion rovers. Very much a book of its time it is very well written and interesting throughout. The football man people and passions in soccer by arthur hopcraft pdf free. Arthur hopcraft, writer, scriptwriter and journalist.
This definitive, magisterial study of football and society profiles includes interviews with alltime greats like bobby charlton, george best. So begins the football man, arthur hopcrafts exploration of the character of football and its effects on peoples lives. So begins arthur hopcrafts the football man, probably the. Documenting the beautiful game footballs 10 best reads. Written just two years after englands 66 triumph when the national game was at its zenith, arthur hopcraft s the football man is repeatedly quoted as the best book ever written about the sport. May 07, 2020 the football man people and passions in soccer by arthur hopcraft pdf free.
This definitive, magisterial study of football and society profiles includes interviews with alltime greats like bobby charlton, george best, alf ramsay, stanley matthews, matt busby and nat. Arthur hopcrafts wonderful study of the game he adored remains, despite its age, one of the finest pieces of writing on the game ever produced. Football can make a man even more ridiculous than drink can. Mentioned by michael calvin in his most recent book as his inspiration and by the second captains podcast in gushing tones, i finally found a copy of this book.
Nov 15, 2015 the 50 best sports books ever written. The football man top selling sports books to start. Despite this growing body of work, as hopcraft was fully aware, the field was hardly overcrowded. The football man by arthur hopcraft, michael parkinson. Nov 25, 2004 our top man, hugh mcilvanney, had just moved to the daily express, and arthur told me he wanted to give up reporting. Buy the football man by arthur hopcraft, michael parkinson from waterstones today. This article examines the origins, content and overall significance of arthur hopcraft s the football man. Written just 2 years after englands only triumph on the world stage, the 1968published book draws portraits of the player, the manager, the fan, the director, the referee etc. This definitive, magisterial study of football and society profiles includes interviews with alltime greats like bobby charlton, george best, alf. This article examines the origins, content and overall significance of arthur hopcrafts the football man. Nov 26, 2004 for arthur hopcraft, author of the football man 1968, it was merely the first half of his career. Originally written just two years after englands 1966 triumph in the world cup, the football manis a classic football text.