There is developing interest in the use of sporting settings as a channel to connect people to health improvement services and an emerging body of research highlights football as being associated with positive motivational and social elements that support the maintenance of a physically active lifestyle. This text provides insights into a range of issues surrounding the role of football as a vehicle for health improvement for different groups.The contributors to this volume share so...

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...

Have you ever wondered what happened to all those ex-Pompey players that you have seen come and go over the years? The Pompey edition of 'Where Are They Now?' may have the answer. It features over 450 stories (and lots of recent photographs) of fame, fortune, bankruptcy, and everything in between. Some names you will remember instantly, others may have slipped from your memory altogether.The characters featured are now scattered round the globe and have provided a pleasing variety ...

Have you ever wondered what happened to all those ex-Chelsea players that you have seen come and go over the years?The Chelsea edition of 'Where Are They Now?' features over 450 stories (and lots of recent photographs) of fame, fortune, bankruptcy, and everything in between.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 char...

Chelsea and England footballer Frank Lampard charts his life story from childhood to young West Ham apprentice to multi-millionaire world footballing celebrity and lynchpin of the national team. Includes a full account of the 2005/06 season and the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.One of the best footballers in Britain today, and the 2005 Footballer of the Year, Lampard has been applauded by fans, managers and fellow players alike. A vital cog in the midfield engine room for Chelse...

Football is about winning; and all of the greatest triumphs in the history of Manchester United are recalled in this highly compelling account of the club which has learned to make winning a glorious tradition.This illustrated edition features all of the most important events in the history of a footballing institution. Nothing is missed from the early days as a railway company works team through the tragedy of The Busby Babes. We relive the triumphs through the era of George Best to Eric ...

An independent history of Crystal Palace Football Club, charting their progress from 1969, and their first ever game in Division One, right up to the unforgettable 1990 F.A. Cup final. This unique work includes:An in-depth account of each and every season;100 original drawings of the memorable characters, from Bert Head to Steve Coppell, John Jackson to Nigel Martyn;Palace's "All-time Team", with an appraisal of all the contenders in each position.Fans of al...

Chelsea FC, as someone once observed, has always done what other clubs have done, but not necessary in the same order. A stone's throw from the King's Road, draped with showbiz connections, and not even based in the borough from which it takes its name, Chelsea is an enigma. Run by the entrepreneurial Mears dynasty, Ken 'electric fence' Bates and now the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, the club has enough entertaining quirks and anecdotes to keep you entertained for age...

‘Seeing Red’ is an exclusive extract from the best-selling ‘Mad For It’, published in association with FourFourTwo magazine. It examines one of the greatest sporting rivalries from the viewpoint of the people that matter; the fans.‘Mad For It’ proves that some football matches are far more than just a game.These short extracts, from the original book published in association with FourFourTwo magazine, provide a fresh and revealing insight into the people that make these mat...

Strong, reliable and known for his ability to work in pinpoint crosses from the left, Kenny was a firm fixture in the cup-winning Arsenal and England defences for most of the 1980s. He won a record-breaking 86 international caps and featured in many of the most exciting England matches of the era. Among many insights from old team-mates and respected managers, Kenny reveals the truth about Maradona's controversial 'Hand of God' goal. Throughout it all, Kenny's positive attitude never came ...

The classic bestseller that changed how the world thinks about football'Quite magnificent – a sort of Freakanomics of football.' Jonathan Wilson, Guardian**'If you're a football fan, I'll save you some time: read this book' Daily Telegraph__________Football truly is the world’s favourite game, followed in over 200 countries by hundreds of millions of people pourin...

Roy Keane was controversial as a player, but was undeniably a great one. He was controversial as a manager, and might yet become a great one. He had already touched the heights and the depths in charge at Sunderland. He then arrived at Ipswich Town, a family club, taking on the role once filled by Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson. The next 20 months became pure theatre for the clubs supporters and the media both local and national. The spotlight was fierce and relentless. This was Roy K...