Author Description

This book covers the amazing story of British and Irish football teams, both in the build up to, and during, the 1958 World Cup Finals. Chronologically, the narrative commences with the draw for the qualifying rounds of the tournament. It then follows the five countries on their journey from there. The journey to qualification takes in some great matches, plenty of controversy, a crucial last minute goal, various problems with air travel, a riot, religion and Arab Israeli politics. From there, events move forward to the draw for the World Cup Finals. This is considerably overshadowed by the Munich Air Crash, which occurred two days before the draw, an event that has an effect on all five countries. For the four countries that get to the finals, their stories, once they are there, are all remarkable in their own way. They involve battles in adversity, more controversy, the shadow of the Cold War and television scheduling, the likes of which would never be seen today. There are also a lot of personal stories and many vivid characters throughout the book. Finally, there is a look forward to the 2016 European Championships. For the first time since 1958, there are four British and Irish sides in the finals. What has changed, what has stayed the same?