From the publisher:
‘This is the most compelling survey of London football and its strife-torn history … objective yet delightfully revealing. Sheer enjoyment from first to last.’ – Patrick Barclay, Football Writers’ Association
The definitive history of London’s football rivalries – brilliantly told by sports journalist and broadcaster Steve Tongue.
Born in Walthamstow and brought up at Leyton Orient, Steve saw his first football match in 1957. Since then, he has chronicled the drama, passion and eccentricities of the capital’s clubs across the decades.
In this riveting book you will find:
- Royal rescue – the club saved by a donation from royalty
- Hat-trick heroics – a centre-forward who scored four hat-tricks in three weeks, all against the same derby rival
- From wing-half to legend – the former wing-half who became his club’s greatest player: as a goalkeeper
- New discoveries – West Ham’s highest attendance at Upton Park, not officially acknowledged by the club
- War-time injustice – a team robbed of a title because the table was based on goal average, not points
- Ten-goal wicketkeeper – a Middlesex cricketer who netted ten goals in a single game, six of them headers
- Political links – the deputy prime minister who backed one of London’s least fashionable clubs
- Cup chaos – the manager who broke the lid of the FA Cup en route to a civic reception
- London kings – the teams crowned top London club every season since league football began
London Turf Wars is the story of football in England’s most vibrant soccer city. It’s a must-read for all lovers of page-turning football history.
The author:
Born in Walthamstow and brought up at Leyton Orient, Steve Tongue saw his first match in 1957. After a spell on the Waltham Forest Guardian, he became football correspondent of LBC Radio. Spells with the London Daily News, Sunday Correspondent, BBC Radio, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday followed. He's covered nine World Cups, nine Euro Championships and two Olympic Games; previous books are World Football and David Beckham, Fifty Defining Fixtures.
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