Bristol Rovers' most famous player is undoubtedly Geoff Bradford. He holds the club record for goals scored (242 in 461 Football League appearances) and remains the only player to win a Full England International cap while with the club. To research this book, the authors have been given access to an archive of information and original photographs from his family. Bristol-born Geoff was a loyal one-club man having turned down the option of a transfer to First Division Live...

Harold Jarman is a Bristol-born sporting legend. A highly talented winger for Bristol Rovers, he made almost 500 League appearances for the club, scoring over a century of goals. Although he has taken on many different roles for clubs in the UK and the United States, his heart has always belonged to Bristol – he returned initially as youth team manager, then caretaker manager (saving the Rovers from relegation) before coaching and managing the youth and reserve te...

Have you ever wondered what happened to all of those players that you have seen come and go over the years? The heroes and villains, the saints and sinners, the stars that you talked about for years after they retired and those who you instantly forgot? WHERE ARE THEY NOW?The old belief was that ex-footballers became publicans or TV pundits. However, we hope that you will be interested, and in some cases amused, to find out that this is no longer the case.The characters fea...

Since the clubs formation in 1878, West Bromwich Albion Football Club has been served by approximately a thousand players and choosing one-hundred of the best from them was not an easy task. However, with the help and knowledge of several avid Baggies supporters, a handful of past and present players, two former managers, three ex-coaches/trainers, two secretaries, two directors and relatives of former players, Matthews has managed to hunt out the players that have performed the best in t...

Lennie - The Autobiography of Lennie Lawrence is the story of one of football's most long-serving and well liked characters. In a career spanning over 30 years "Lennie" is one of football's elite belonging to a unique group of managers including Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Clough and most recently Steve Coppell who have managed over a 1000 league matches in their career. Having never played League football he took his first steps in football management with Plymouth Argyle as Caretaker manage...

With 125 years of competitive action behind them, it's no surprise that Leicester City can fully relate to many of football's highs and lows. From the early days, when they were known as the Fosse, right up to the modern era which saw the club slip unceremoniously into the third tier in 2008, only to bounce straight back as champions twelve months later, City has been the heartbeat of a community that appreciates hard work and good football. Generations of supporters have returned home an...

The story of Peter Knowles is unique. The gifted good-looking Wolves and England under-23 midfielder seemed to have the world at his talented feet. He was tipped to be the English George Best but sensationally quit football after becoming a Jehovahs Witness. He was just a few days short of his 24th birthday. Despite the pleas of his club, the players, friends, fans and family, Knowles would not change his mind and has always said it was the best thing he ever did. In Gods Footballer, ...

Urban neighbours Celtic and Rangers are known throughout British football as The Old Firm, but for Ipswich Town and Norwich City its more a case of The Old Farm. Separated by 40 miles of arable fields and woodland, the Canaries and the Tractor Boys have been doing battle for more than 100 years, just like their counterparts in Glasgow. Eastern England may be a footballing outpost, but its derby games arouse massive local interest. The first East Anglian derby game was in 1902 and by 2010 t...

Before Theo Walcott, was a little-known 17-year-old ever transferred to one of England's top sides for a big fee? Did anyone ever pass the ball with the accuracy of David Beckham? Was there a player with the trickery of Joe Cole? Did any midfielder score as many goals as Frank Lampard?If you are a Wolverhampton Wanderers fan of a certain vintage, your answer to each of those questions would be yes: Peter Broadbent. For those were the qualities that emerged as the unassuming youngster made...

In the history of Stoke City, theres probably never been a better time to celebrate. Not only have the team reached the Premiership for the first time, they also finished second in the Championship. For those who wish to revel in the glory of the club, Tony Matthews has penned a fitting tribute to 100 of Stoke Citys most outstanding performers.After great deliberation and consultation with fans of the club, author Tony Matthews has selected 100 players, which include favourites fro...

1876. Custer was slaughtered at the Little Big Horn, Mark Twain wrote Tom Sawyer, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and Essex County Cricket Club was born. Although Essex produced famous cricketers, it did not produce a famous team. By 1978 the county had won nothing, a fate aggravated by the success of neighbours Middlesex, Surrey and Kent, who seemed to win almost everything. Essex wore the mantle of clowns. And then it changed. Essex started the 1979 season winning, and carried...

The Warrington Wolves Miscellany is the definitive set text for every fan of the world famous Wire. Packed with facts, fun, gossip, nostalgia and conjecture, it looks back over 135 years of glorious history to celebrate the personalities, victories and controversies of the sport's biggest name. Handily pocket-sized to pull out in the middle of those pub arguments over who was the fastest, dirtiest or biggest, this book will not only tell you who scored the most tr...