5 Football Books To Read Before You Die

In no particular the order – we have hand-picked five of the greatest football books to read before the Grim Reaper pays a  visit…

1.) The Secret Footballer (Unknown)

The Secret Footballer is the pseudonym of an alleged Premier League footballer who contributes articles to The Guardian newspaper. The footballer shares inside stories about what it’s really like being a footballer in the modern day game and doesn’t paint the prettiest picture of most footballers.

It’s exactly not in-your-face controversial, but the whole “who is it” factor makes it worth it alone. The secret footballer is less of a secret nowadays as some fans claim to know who it was – although it’s not been completely confirmed yet. Read it yourself and have a go at being a detective. Brilliant read.

2.) Alex Ferguson – My Autobiography 

It’s impossible to not have heard of this book. When Fergie drew the final curtain after 27 successful years in British football – he left in a blaze of glory. We mentioned the book above isn’t controversial enough – you certainly don’t have to worry about that with this one! The complete polar opposite here.

This was of course the book that confirmed the fall-out with fellow Manchester United legend Roy Keane. The book is take-no-prisoners and worth every penny – no matter which team you support.

3.) Football Against The Enemy -Simon Kuper

With an interest in social tribalism, Kuper travelled the world to witness and document the effect the beautiful game has on people, politics and culture. The book  has a particular interest in the intense rivalry between The Netherlands and Germany with captivating stories such as when politics and football amalgamated during the The Berlin Wall and the unbelievable events of added persecution which occurred after. A lot has changed since then but this is a football classic.

4.) My Father And Other Working Class Heroes – Gary Imlach

This book is not just about football; it is about a son’s love, adoration and adorning respect for his father and his peers, who peaked at a time when footballers were paid only a couple shillings more than the man in the street, yet maintained levels of professionalism that today’s multi-millionaires social media-gangsters can’t pull off anymore.

This one’s for the romantic football fan.

5.) Fever Pitch – Nick Hornby

This is pretty much the book that got the party started. It gave birth to a particular type of football book – the kind which reaches out to empathise with what every football fan has ever gone through during our time as a football supporter. You’ll find yourself nodding along as Hornby brings to life the cult of football in this passionate, honest and addictive read. Fever Pitch is his tribute to a lifelong obsession – an autobiography but free of all the stuffy, boring cliches. Five stars.

Did we miss out any football books to read before we kick the bucket? Share the love below.

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