When Footballers Were Skint: A Journey in Search of the Soul of Football

· Biteback Publishing
5.0
1 review
Ebook
336
Pages
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More

About this ebook

Shortlisted for The Telegraph Sports Book Awards 2019

Long before perma-tanned football agents and TV mega-rights ushered in the age of the multimillionaire player, footballers' wages were capped – even the game's biggest names earned barely more than a plumber or electrician.

Footballing legends such as Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews shared a bond of borderline penury with the huge crowds they entertained on Saturday afternoons, on pitches that were a world away from the pristine lawns of the game's modern era. Instead of the gleaming sports cars driven by today's top players, the stars of yesteryear travelled to matches on public transport and returned to homes every bit as modest as those of their supporters. Players and fans would even sometimes be next-door neighbours in a street of working-class terraced houses.

Based on the first-hand accounts of players from a fast disappearing generation, When Footballers Were Skint delves into the game's rich heritage and relates the fascinating story of a truly great sporting era.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
1 review

About the author

Jon Henderson has reported on sporting events from around the world as a journalist for Reuters and national newspapers, including The Observer and Guardian. He is the author of three other books, all published by the Yellow Jersey Press imprint of Penguin Random House: Best of British: Hendo’s Sporting Heroes, The Last Champion: The Life of Fred Perry, and The Wizard: The Life of Stanley Matthews.

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.