Dear reader, welcome to my new series of football book reviews. Thank you so much to everyone who recommended football books to me on social media.
I am focussing in particular on books detailing the fan experience. You know I enjoy* going on the road with Blackpool and, not being able to do that at the moment owing to lockdown, I figure that going on adventures on the page is the next best thing.
*perhaps ‘enjoy’ is too strong a word for this season’s experiences…
This week I have mainly been travelling across Italy with Tim Parks in A Season With Verona. The book charts Tim’s travels following Hellas Verona for every game of the 2000/01 season.
The opening chapter transports the reader on a 500+ mile coach journey to Bari, which frankly left me thinking maybe Portsmouth away wasn’t such a bad trip after all! Onboard the fans were chanting and not allowing fellow passengers to sleep – which of course happens over here, too. I did, however, chuckle at the image of the Italian fans drinking limoncello on the coach! Parks later contrasts the fans’ matchday experience with that of the players.
Parks perfectly sums up one side-effect of getting to know players as human beings. This was something I noticed from my time working as Match Secretary at Chasetown:
The detail of the away trips, the characters (who all have nicknames) and the inventive if offensive chants really help to set the scene. I was particularly amused by the taunting of the Vicenza fans, who are known as ‘cat eaters.’
There are strong cultural references throughout the book, as we learn what was in the news in Italy at the time, from racism to the forthcoming election. Many neat parallels are drawn between the news and the football. This is a cleverly-written book written by an obvious intellectual. I felt there was perhaps a little too much Italian scattered through the opening chapter, which I found difficult to follow, but it does help to set the scene and this settles down as the book progresses.
Parks often references the advantages of being in the heart of a crowd watching a match versus watching on television and sums this up beautifully.
Reading this book evoked many memories from years gone by – including when friends brought a new partner to the match for the first time and how we would judge them by how comfortably they slotted into the football family.
The below quote resonates very strongly with me. Someone once said to me: “I love Blackpool Football Club. But I couldn’t live it the way you do.”
There’s even a cheeky reference or two in this book to Blackpool, where the author lived as a child.
On finishing the book, I feel like I have a good feel for what being a football fan was like in Italy at that time. The racism, violence and corruption was shocking but that was real life and I wonder just how much things have changed in Italy over the last 20 years – and how widespread these things are in football worldwide.
NEXT UP: She Stood There Laughing by Stephen Foster
Please do keep your football book recommendations coming! I propose to read and review one a week. You will see above I have already picked my book for next week. Why not read along too so you can comment on my review next week. We can be a virtual football book club!
Don’t forget you can also read about my awaydays with Blackpool from the 2019/20 season right here.
You will see I have redesigned this website and I hope you find it easier to navigate. Constructive feedback on the new look will be welcomed, as I am constantly working to make visiting this site a better experience for you, dear reader.
If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my blog by entering your email address in the sidebar on the right (if you’re on a desktop device) or below (if you’re on a mobile device). You’ll receive an email notification every time I post, so you won’t miss another word.
Please do like, comment and share if you enjoy what you read. It’s nice to know you’re out there.
My mum (Liverpool fan) and dad (United fan – brought me and my sister up right) met at university. Dad asked Mum what she’d done at the weekend, she’d said she’d been to the match, he was so impressed that he asked her out … and they’ll be celebrating their 52nd wedding anniversary later this year! Never get together with anyone who doesn’t like football 😉 .
Ah that’s a lovely story! I tried going out with someone who didn’t like football and it really didn’t work. I think I’ve met a good match with Lee. He’s as football mad as me!
That’s good to hear!
Great choice, Jane. I read this when it came out; in early 2003, but I suspect the fan experience in Italy has changed even less than here.
Tim went to every game, something that impressed me considering he had to seemingly skive off work so many times to get to away games, but I guess they have less midweek fixtures than us.
I remember the horror as neighbours Chievo, a Flleetwood to Verona’s Blackpool (?,) get promoted.
Italian top teams take a lot less fans to away games than Blackpool do, so I guess the ones who do travel are hardcore.
I don’t read many books, am a slow reader, but I do recommend the writings of “Abraham Anstruther” who wrote for Northampton’s fanzine in the ’90s. I’m going to stick one of his pieces in a blog soon; he really captured what it meant to follow a lower league team.
I like the blog layout, and the use of quotes is very effective.
It’s a great read, isn’t it?
Abraham Anstruther does ring a vague bell. I look forward to your blog as always. You’re doing a great job keeping the content flowing.
Thanks for your feedback. I love those Kindle quotes. It saves me having to write them down all the time! My next book is hard copy though. Might have to get the highlighter out for that one…