Published in December 2024, Issue Fifty Five and its five sections contains 20 articles including the story of CK Gyamfi becoming the first black professional in Germany; how Achille Lauro used football to win political power; a match-fixing scandal in Bolivia; how Northern Ireland beat Italy to qualify for the 1958 World Cup.
PIONEERS
All the Tricks – Fiifi Anaman
Before he became a great coach, CK Gyamfi became the first black professional in Germany
The Populist – John Irving
Long before Silvio Berlusconi, Achille Lauro used football to win political power
Fog of War – John Williams
How Northern Ireland beat Italy to qualify for the 1958 World Cup
Work and Play – Dave Proudlove
The origins of football lay in the factories, mines and shipyards of industrial England
The Great Mother – Andrew Wilks
The Greek exodus from Turkey a century ago left behind a venerable club – Beyoğluspor
The Big Boss – John Alegeh
Stephen Keshi’s final years as a player brought success but also allegations of manipulative behaviour
COMMUNITIES
Supermodernity and Non-spaces – Harry Thorne
How stadium architecture reflects football’s move away from the local to capitalist obsession
Echoes in Eternity – Ben Gilbert
David Peace discusses his new football novel and why Munich still resonates
Secrets and Lies – Nathan Joyes
A match-fixing scandal in Bolivia proved nothing other than how hard it is to prove match-fixing
Going to the Match – Przemek Niciejewski
A photo essay celebrating the sense of community felt by fans as they travel to games
ABROAD
These Petted Boys – Joyce Woolridge
The shambolic failure of the Football Association XI that toured Australia in 1951
The Wall Game – Ben Bagley
Lutz Eigendorf was an East German player who defected in 1983. Was he then murdered?
Hero of Two Worlds – Vladimir Novak
Jovan Aćimović looks back on his time at Crvena Zvezda and Saarbrücken
The War that didn’t Stop – Jonny Coffey
The true story of the Biafran War Pelé’s tour to Nigeria with Santos
The Great Doctor – Simone Pierotti
James Richardson Spensley was instrumental in the growth of football in Italy
Tehran 74 – Itay Goder
In 1974, amid mounting political tension, Israel took on Iran in the final of the Asian Games
“We shall beat them” – Duncan Mackay
Australia’s shambolic defeat to North Korea in a qualifier for the 1966 World Cup
The Forgotten Euros – Jon Spurling
How the first eight-team European Championship, in Italy in 1980, set the tone for a decade
THEORY
Special Force – John Nassoori
How the lessons of the Anders Breivik terror attack are being applied in football
FICTION
The Kings in Yellow – James Joseph Fitzharris
Marybank FC’s trip into Ayrshire for a Juniors game takes a distinctly weird turn
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