A look at the history of soccer's development in the Netherlands and how it reflects the history of the nation itself.If any one thing, Brilliant Orange is about Dutch space and a people whose unique conception of it has led to the most enduring arts, the weirdest architecture, and a bizarrely cerebral form of soccer?Total Football?that led in 1974 to a World Cup finals match with arch-rival Germany, and more recently to a devastating loss against Spain in ...

This follow-up to Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Soccer is "an enchanting love letter to English football" ( The Daily Telegraph).In this playful, witty, and highly original look at English soccer, David Winner, author of the acclaimed Brilliant Orange, journeys to the heart of an essential English pastime and sheds new light on the true nature of a rapidly changing game that was never really meant to be beautiful....

Rio Ferdinand is one of the finest footballers of his generation - a born winner and one of the game's greatest stoppers. Full of outstanding stories and forthright opinions, #2Sides sees Rio reflect on his unique rise to the top of the game:- Cutting his teeth in the West Ham youth teams and becoming captain of Leeds United at the age of 22- His record-breaking transfer to Manchester United that made him one of the most revered centre-backs in world football...