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Football and Gangsters: How Organised Crime Controls the Beautiful Game
by Graham JohnsonWho controls football in Britain today? The FA? The clubs? The fans? The shocking reality is that organised crime is moving in more aggressively than a Wayne Rooney tackle and there's little the authorities can do about it.Football and Gangsters is a revealing investigation into how organised crime has begun to take hold behind the scenes of professional football. Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Fowler are just some of the sport's big names to have fallen foul of the game's godfathers and paid the price. Their alarming stories are told here.Criminal organisations have manoeuvred themselves into a position of power in football. Drug dealers launder money by buying clubs; hooligan gangs have muscled their way into the boardroom; and the influence of Asian betting rings continues to grow. Through a series of dangerous undercover investigations, along with interviews with players, club officials, police and the underworld figures responsible, the sensational evidence is laid bare in this book.
One of Your Own: The Life and Death of Myra Hindley
by Carol Ann Lee'Infamous, I have become disowned, but I am one of your own' - Myra Hindley, from her unpublished autobiographyOn 15 November 2002, Myra Hindley, Britain’s most notorious murderess, died in prison, one of the rare women whose crimes were deemed so indefensible that ‘life’ really did mean ‘life’.But who was the woman behind the headlines? How could a seemingly normal girl grow up to commit such terrible acts? Her defenders claim she fell under Ian Brady’s spell, but is this the truth? Was her insistence that she had changed, that she felt deep remorse and had reverted to the Catholicism of her childhood genuine or a calculating bid to win parole?One of Your Own explores these questions and many others, drawing on a wide range of resources, including Hindley’s own unseen writings, hundreds of recently released prison files, fresh interviews and extensive new research. Compellingly well written, this is the first in-depth study of Hindley and the challenging, definitive biography of Britain’s ‘most-hated woman’.
Bring Me the Head of Trevor Brooking: Three Decades of East End Soap Opera at West Ham United
by Ben Sharratt Kirk BlowsWest Ham United last won a major trophy in 1980, but the roller-coaster ride of the past three decades has produced enough twists and turns, heroes and villains and contrasting emotions to grace the script of the most thrilling TV soap opera.Since Trevor Brooking headed home the FA Cup final winner against Arsenal, the Hammers have experienced delight and despair in not so equal measure, with a cast of controversial characters - either adored or abhorred - playing the key roles in a tale of fact rather than fiction.The saving of the club by David Sullivan and David Gold, as West Ham stared into the financial abyss following the ill-fated Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson reign, is the latest chapter in a saga that includes numerous promotions and relegations, great escapes, contentious changes of ownership and management, internal feuds, bust-ups and power struggles, the Carlos Tevez affair and the passing of legends Ron Greenwood, John Lyall and Bobby Moore, as well as several false dawns in the endless quest for success.Including exclusive interviews with key protoganists, Bring Me the Head of Trevor Brooking tells - for the very first time - the inside story behind 60 of the most significant developments at Upton Park in the modern era. Whether examining the contributions of Paolo Di Canio, Harry Redknapp and Frank McAvennie or Gianfranco Zola, Marco Boogers and Iain Dowie, the book celebrates the good, the bad and the ugly of West Ham United.
My Sporting Heroes: His 50 Greatest from Britain and Ireland
by Sir Ian BothamIn My Sporting Heroes, one of the country's great sportsmen, Sir Ian Botham, draws up his template of what he believes makes a true sporting hero.Botham singles out the ten qualities he believes are the basic elements in any true sportsperson - bravery, passion, composure, determination, skill, leadership, instinct, dedication, humour and compassion - then highlights the sportsmen and women who he believes best demonstrate each quality, backing up his selection with personal anecdotes of his time spent with them or watching them in action.Covering a wide variety of sports and discussing admired athletes of both the past and present, from Ian Woosnam, Paul Gascoigne and Jonathan Davies to Joe Calzaghe, Lewis Hamilton and Andy Murray, My Sporting Heroes is a lively celebration of exactly what makes a true sporting legend - from someone who knows a thing or two about it!
Befriend and Betray: Infiltrating the Hells Angels, Bandidos and Other Criminal Brotherhoods
by Alex CaineThe Hells Angels. The Bandidos. Asian triads. Russian mobsters and corrupt cops. Even the KKK. Just part of a day's work for Alex Caine, an undercover agent who has seen it all.After a tour in Vietnam and a stretch in prison on marijuana-possession charges, Caine fell into the cloak-and-dagger world of a contracted agent. Thanks to his quick-wittedness and tough but unthreatening demeanour, Caine could fit into whatever unsavoury situation he found himself. Over 25 years, his assignments ran the gamut from mean bikers to triad toughs. When a job was over, he'd slip away to a new part of the continent or world, where he would assume a new identity and then go back to work on another group of bad guys.Befriend and Betray offers an unflinching look at some familiar police operations and blows the lid off others that law enforcement would much prefer to keep hidden. It provides an unvarnished account of the toll such a life takes, one that often left Caine to wonder who he really was behind the myriad identities he had assumed and whether justice was ever truly served.
Seeing Red: Twelve Tumultuous Years in Welsh Rugby
by Alun Carter Nicholas BishopAlun Carter experienced the highs and lows of the Wales national rugby squad throughout his 12 years working for the WRU. During this time, he saw a number of high-profile coaches come and go, and in Seeing Red he delivers a brutally honest account of what it was like to work with each of them. From the inspirational successes of the Graham Henry and Mike Ruddock eras to the disappointments and failures of the Steve Hansen and Gareth Jenkins regimes, the reader is given an insider's version of what really went on.Carter does not shy away from controversy, and he pulls no punches in his assessment of the rift between Graham Henry and Sir Clive Woodward, the personal and political situation that led to Mike Ruddock losing his job, and the difficulty of handling the group dynamics within the national squad. The former analyst also provides an informed appraisal of the remarkable 2005 and 2008 Grand Slam victories.Winner of best rugby book at the 2009 British Sports Book Awards, Seeing Red provides a warts-and-all account of more than a decade of Welsh rugby and is packed with revelations, exclusive contributions and untold stories that will intrigue and delight all fans of the sport.
Curt: The Alan Curtis Story
by Alan Curtis Stuart Sprake Tim JohnsonWelsh footballer Alan Curtis is synonymous with Swansea City, having played for the club during three different spells, but he also played for Leeds United, Southampton and Cardiff City, and won thirty-five caps for his country during an action-packed playing career that spanned two decades. Alan experienced the highs of the game at the top level with Swansea during their meteoric rise through all four divisions to reach the top flight, but this success came after he'd experienced the low of the Swans having to apply for re-election to the Football League in 1975.In this eventful autobiography, Alan recounts the topsy-turvy turns his career has taken, including a disappointing spell at Leeds United in 1979-80. He was the club's most expensive signing ever at the time, but a nasty clash with Peter Shilton left him sidelined for nine months. Determined to prove his critics wrong and overcome his injury, he played some of the best football of his career upon returning to Swansea, before moving to Southampton in 1983 to help the club challenge the Merseyside dominance of the time.Since his playing career wound down in 1987, Alan has remained in the game as a coach with both Swansea City and Wales, giving back to the game the wisdom and experience he garnered during his years as a player. In Curt, Alan reflects upon his colourful career, highlights just how much the beautiful game has changed since his playing days and explains why he's living proof that nice guys don't always finish second.
Follow, Follow: Classic Rangers Old Firm Clashes
by Iain DuffFor more than 120 years, Rangers and Celtic have vied for supremacy in one of the world's sporting hotbeds. The rivalry between the two teams is among the fiercest anywhere in sport, making an Old Firm derby much more than a football game. Controversy is rarely far away when the Glasgow giants meet, but amid the fallout that invariably follows their contests, the actual game is often forgotten.In Follow, Follow, Iain Duff recounts the greatest footballing moments of Rangers' illustrious history in Old Firm clashes, from their very first competitive win over Celtic, in the 1893 Glasgow Cup final, through to the 1-0 victory at Ibrox that was a vital factor in Rangers' 2009-10 SPL title win.The intervening years saw famous Old Firm contributions from legendary Ibrox names such as Gillick, Meiklejohn, McPhail, Baxter, Johnston, McCoist, Cooper, Laudrup, Ferguson and Novo, all of which are revisited here, along with the goals, the flare-ups and the controversies that make these derby days simply unforgettable for every Rangers fan.
The Captains' Tales: Battle for the Ashes
by David FultonNo one feels the heat of an Ashes battle more than the captains of England and Australia. The weight of national expectation, and more than 120 years of history, is on their shoulders from the moment they walk out to toss a coin and start a Test match that is like no other.The Captains' Tales offers a unique insight into the minds of a generation of captains from two great nations, who share with the reader what it feels like to call the shots in Test cricket's greatest cauldron. From Mike Brearley's cajoling of Ian Botham during the famous summer of 1981 to Ricky Ponting's revenge mission of 2006-07, each Ashes captain from the last quarter-century reveals what made him tick, his vision of where he wanted to take his team and how he handled key characters within the dressing-room. The author, former Kent captain David Fulton, delves behind the scenes for clues about how these sporting generals constructed their battle plans and uses his own experience to determine their strengths and weaknesses as leaders of men. The Captains' Tales will strike a chord not just with cricket lovers but with sporting captains of all abilities and readers who seek a greater insight into the broader issues of management and leadership.
Please Don't Go: Big John's Journey Back to Life
by John HartsonIn July 2009, former Celtic and Wales soccer star John Hartson was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which had also spread to his lungs and brain. But before his treatment even began, John came to the brink of death after contracting pneumonia, ceasing to breathe and undergoing emergency brain surgery. Against all the odds, he pulled through, and in Please Don't Go he documents his incredible fight for life.Profoundly moving, John's own story is interwoven with the poignant recollections of his pregnant wife, Sarah, as well as with extracts from his sister Victoria's personal diary. This remarkable book covers the five-week period during which John's survival was most in jeopardy.John's truly inspirational account of how he has managed to overcome a very aggressive form of cancer will offer hope and courage to others affected by the disease. It is a touching and ultimately uplifting insight into the bravery of the popular football hero, who has fought back to full health in the face of adversity.
Leeds United - From Darkness into White: The Year of Resurrection
by Phil HayThe 2007-08 season for Leeds United Football Club will have been anything but regular. At the end of the previous season, one of England's most famous football clubs was relegated to what is in effect the Third Division. Still stricken with mountains of debt accumulated under an earlier regime, the club was put into administration, then hit with a 15-point penalty for the coming season due to alleged financial irregularities. With a young manager on board and a squad of players made up of trainees, reserves and cheap buy-ins or free transfers, the future looked bleak for a club that only five years ago was challenging for the Premiership and the Champions League. But can dreams come true for their long-suffering and fiercely loyal fans? Thus far Leeds have won more games than any other team in League One and look more than likely to gain promotion at the first attempt. The club is on a roller-coaster ride to gain back its self-respect and an appetite for further glories in 2008 - so will the story run to a happy ending?Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay has followed the team since the pre-season friendlies last summer and through their league and cup matches this season. He has interviewed players, coaching staff, board members and fans to get a true warts-and-all picture of life at Leeds United as they struggle for redemption. This is as dramatic a story of football as you will ever read.
Clough and Revie: The Rivals Who Changed the Face of English Football
by Roger HermistonDon Revie and Brian Clough were born a brisk walk away from each other in Middlesbrough, in 1927 and 1935 respectively. They were brought up in a town ravaged by the Depression and went on to become highly successful professional footballers. Then, as young managers, they both took clubs languishing in the doldrums (Leeds United and Derby County) and moulded them into championship winners.Despite the myriad similarities, these two sons of the Tees were as different in character as Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. A bitter rivalry developed between them, which in turn enlivened and then blighted English football in the 1960s and '70s.In Clough and Revie, exclusive interviews with players, relatives and friends shed fresh light on these two intriguing characters. Part footballing chronicle, part social history, the book is a revelatory exploration of the rivalry between the two men. It brings a fresh perspective on their early years in the North-East, tells how they nearly became teammates and explains why the feud began and what its repercussions were.
Stephen Jones: A Thinking Man's Game: My Story
by Simon Roberts Stephen JonesSince making his national debut in 1998, Stephen Jones has emerged from the shadows of the true greats of Welsh rugby, such as Barry John, Phil Bennett, Jonathan Davies and Neil Jenkins, to make the fly-half position his own. In this revealing autobiography, he provides a rare insight into the demands and pressures of wearing the almost mythical number 10 jersey that has such a pre-eminent status in the Welsh psyche.As well as playing an integral role in Wales's two Grand Slam victories, Jones has appeared in three Rugby World Cups and was part of the 2005 British and Irish Lions squad. He has witnessed at first hand how the Welsh rugby establishment has struggled with the transition to professionalism, and in this candid memoir he recounts the many highs he has experienced, as well as the challenges he has faced, throughout his career so far.Jones gives an intriguing account of how he became one of the few Welsh players to play in France, recalling the brutality of the game there and how he became a cult figure amongst fans of Clermont Auvergne, where he was twice voted fly-half of the season.In Stephen Jones - A Thinking Man's Game: My Story, the Welsh rugby star reveals how his steely resolve, utter determination and sheer passion for rugby have allowed him to bounce back from numerous setbacks to become one of the most popular and respected figures in the game today.
Charles Buchan: A Lifetime in Football
by Charles BuchanAn enlightening historical commentary on Britain and British football in the first half of the twentieth century, this engrossing autobiography, originally published in the 1950s, is sure to inform a new generation of football supporters about a character once synonymous with the game in its more boisterous, yet more innocent, days. Born in London in 1891, Buchan enjoyed a successful playing career with Sunderland before enlisting as a soldier in the First World War, during which he saw action both at the front and on the pitch. War over, he picked up his playing career with Sunderland before being capped by his country and transferring to Arsenal. Gradually he moved into journalism, writing the first football coaching manual and reporting on the sport for the BBC. Then, in 1951, Charles Buchan's Football Monthly was set up, reaching sales of more than 100,000 at its peak. Buchan's life was tragically cut short in 1960 when he died of a massive heart attack, but in this book he left a legacy of football history, setting the matches he played in and covered in a context that makes them both vivid and memorable. A treasure.
Strictly Me: My Life Under the Spotlight
by Mark RamprakashMark Ramprakash is arguably the greatest English batsman of his generation, but he is also an enigma. He is among an elite group of players who have scored 100 first-class centuries, yet has never flourished as he should have done at Test level. To many people in the UK, he is just as well known for his exploits on the dance floor: he won Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 and went on to win the Champion of Champions final in 2008 for Sport Relief.In Strictly Me, Ramprakash covers in detail all aspects of his cricket career - from the hot-headed cricketing prodigy who made his Test debut for England at the age of 21 to finally being cast aside by his country in 2002. He discusses how he has become one of the UK's best celebrity dancers and how his newfound status as a media celebrity has flourished since then.
Olympic Gangster: The Legend of José Beyaert - Cycling Champion, Fortune Hunter and Outlaw
by Matt RendellRestlessly vital and possessed of great physical strength, José Beyaert lived many lives. During the Second World War, he boxed and trafficked arms for the Resistance on his bicycle. After it, he became an international cyclist. In 1948, a mile from the end of the Olympic road race around Windsor Park, he broke away alone to take the gold medal and started an adventure that would last the rest of his life. A Tour de France rider in the sport's golden age, José was invited to open a new velodrome in Colombia, South America. He travelled, intending to stay a month. Instead, driven by his thirst for adventure, he stayed for fifty years, becoming by turns athlete, coach, businessman, emerald-trader, logger, smuggler, perhaps even hired killer. Matt Rendell, who knew José Beyaert and met many of his family, friends and associates, tells the fascinating story of an almost-forgotten sporting hero who, incapable of living by other people's rules, lived his many lives on his own terms.
We Are the Damned United: The Real Story of Brian Clough at Leeds United
by Phil RostronBrian Clough's forty-four-day tenure as manager of Leeds United in 1974 is one of the most infamous episodes in British football history. While the bestselling The Damned United was a fictional account of Clough's short-lived but controversial reign at the club, We Are the Damned United reveals the true story, as told by the players he managed at the time. It includes candid contributions from legendary names such as Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray and Terry Yorath, who reveal what it was like to make the transition from the relatively smooth management style of Don Revie to a constant crossing of swords with the outspoken Clough, who left the club flailing at the foot of the league upon his premature departure. We Are the Damned United tells it how it really was rather than how it might have been.
Final Whistle: The Paddy Russell Story
by Jackie Cahill Paddy RussellTipperary native Paddy Russell has been one of the leading referees in the GAA for the past 30 years. His story is a remarkable one, following his rise from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of two All-Ireland finals.Inspired by the late, great John Moloney, Russell took his first steps in refereeing in 1976. He quickly emerged as a leading light and rapidly worked his way to the top of his profession.Russell has enjoyed a successful career but it is also one laced with drama, most notably that arising from the 1995 All-Ireland senior football final between Tyrone and Dublin. Russell later took charge of the tempestuous National Football League clash between Dublin and Tyrone in 2006, which became known as 'The Battle of Omagh', and the stormy showdown between Leinster rivals Dublin and Meath in April 2008. Just two months later, Russell was in charge of the Munster senior football championship tie between All-Ireland champions Kerry and Clare when Kerry captain Paul Galvin slapped the referee's notebook from his hands, earning a three-month suspension.In Final Whistle, Russell reflects on his eventful journey, including these controversial matches, and describes vividly the stresses and strains of refereeing modern-day Gaelic games.
100 GAA Greats: From Christy Ring to Joe Canning
by John ScallyIn 100 GAA Greats, John Scally celebrates the most significant players Gaelic games have brought us in their 125-year history. He selects those footballers, hurlers, managers and camogie players who have lit up Irish sport, becoming national treasures in the process, and highlights their remarkable skills.Amongst those included in this unique who's who of the sport are Christy Ring, Mick O'Connell, Nicky Rackard, Mick Mackey, John Joe O'Reilly, Nicky English, Mickey Harte, Kevin Moran, Enda Colleran, D.J. Carey, Angela Downey, Ger Loughnane, John O'Mahony, Justin McCarthy, Colm O'Rourke, Matt Connor and Liam Griffin.Many of the profiles featured in the book are based on exclusive interviews with the stars themselves, as well as with some of their competitors. The entries offer candid insights into the many pivotal events, major controversies, epic matches and thrilling contests to have occurred during the GAA's existence.Laced with humour and packed with entertaining anecdotes, 100 GAA Greats pulsates with insider's knowledge. It will inform, entertain, enlighten, amuse and spark debate, and is a must for all GAA fans.
A Load of Balls: Football's Funny Side
by John ScallyAs former England striker and television pundit Jimmy Greaves famously said, football is 'a funny old game'. In A Load of Balls: Football's Funny Side, John Scally confirms the truth of his statement by providing a potpourri of double entendres, timeless quips and amusing anecdotes from the tongues of football's elite. Hundreds of silly stories and priceless nuggets have been sourced to recreate the unique excitement, drama and unpredictability of football in the words of the sport's practitioners. The result is a wry, quirky and sometimes outlandish catalogue of comic creations. For lovers of the absurd, outrageous and totally bizarre, this selection of stories and quotes will amuse and delight. Packed with priceless gaffes from the likes of David Beckham ('My parents have been there for me since I was about seven'), Bobby Robson ('We didn't underestimate them; they were just a lot better than we thought') and Paul Gascoigne ('I've never made any predictions about anything and I never will'), this hilarious collection is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of even the most casual sports fan.
The GAA: An Oral History
by John ScallyFor 125 years, the GAA has been a fixed point in a fast-changing age, and this oral history marks the125th anniversary of the Association. It is the story of the GAA as seen through the eyes of those key personalities who shaped it. Author Jon Scally has carried out over a hundred revealing interviews with players and managers who are synonymous with the Games, including Babs Keating, Jimmy Barry-Murphy, Ger Loughnane, D.J. Carey, Liam Griffin, Mick O'Dwyer, Colm O'Rourke, John O'Mahony, Joe Brolly and Matt Connor, and these contributions offer a unique eyewitness testimony to the dramas that captivated, enthralled and occasionally infuriated the nation both on and off the pitch. The book sheds new light on high-profile controversies, offers new insights into the players and personalities that linger long in the memory and presents a fresh look at the epic contests that turned Ireland's Games into a national soap opera.The GAA: An Oral History is a celebration of the good, the bad and the beautiful of Gaelic Games, and is a must for all sports fans.
Be a Winner: Achieve Your Goals with Scotland's Sporting Heroes
by Kenny Kemp Richard Orr The Scottish Institute of Sport FoundationScotland needs more winners - all kinds of winners - in sport and in life. And with the Olympics heading to London and the Commonwealth Games coming to Glasgow, we now have the major catalysts to inspire us to be winners. But as a nation we need to overcome our natural reserve and tendency to underperform when it really matters. We need to find new levels of self-belief and optimism. We need more winning role models: more Chris Hoys, Alex Fergusons, Andy Murrays and Liz McColgans.Packed with significant insights from Scotland's leading sportsmen and women, past and present, Be a Winner takes the reader on a personal journey to help them become a genuine success. It encourages them to set their own sporting goals and identify their own personal bests, and, most importantly, gives guidance about how to reach them, through the example of great Scottish winners. It also highlights the steps that an individual can take to develop a winning mentality.From motivation to dedication, competitiveness to teamwork, this book covers all the bases. Be a Winner tells it straight when it comes to sport and how to succeed in it, through the advice of the Scottish men and women who have reached the very pinnacle of their various fields. This book will enable a proud Scot to become a 'super Scot'.
Nobody Beats Us: The Inside Story of the 1970s Wales Rugby Team
by David TossellIn the 1970s, an age long before World Cups, rugby union to the British public meant Bill McLaren, rude songs and, most of all, Wales. Between 1969 and 1979, the men in red shirts won or shared eight Five Nations Championships, including three Grand Slams and six Triple Crowns. But the mere facts resonate less than the enduring images of the precision of Gareth Edwards, the sublime touch of Barry John, the sidesteps of Gerald Davies and Phil Bennett, the courage of J.P.R. Williams, and the forward power of the Pontypool Front Row and 'Merv the Swerve' Davies.To the land of their fathers, these Welsh heroes represented pride and conquest at a time when the decline of the province's traditional coal and steel industries was sending thousands to the dole queue and threatening the fabric of local communities. Yet the achievements of those players transcended their homeland and extended beyond mere rugby fans. With the help of comedian Max Boyce, the culture of Welsh rugby and valley life permeated Britain's living rooms at the height of prime time, reinforcing the sporting brilliance that lit up winter Saturday afternoons.In Nobody Beats Us, David Tossell, who spent the '70s as a schoolboy scrum-half trying to perfect the Gareth Edwards reverse pass, interviews many of the key figures of a golden age of Welsh rugby and vividly recreates an unforgettable sporting era.
Shane Warne's Century: My Top 100 Test Cricketers
by Shane WarneWith a flamboyant approach to the game on and off the pitch, Australia's greatest bowler Shane Warne is an irresistible cricketing force. In Shane Warne's Century, he candidly profiles 100 players from every Test nation who have had the most significant impact on his cricketing life.Warne is famous for having never scoring a Test century, although he came tantalisingly close on several occasions. He now wants to set the record straight by writing about a century of cricketing stars he has encountered during his illustrious career, The famous names featured here include fellow Australian legends Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath, as well as adversaries such as Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Jonty Rhodes and Freddie Flintoff. Warne also puts together a dream Test match of those he would have loved to have played alongside versus a team of international legends. Pulling no punches and giving a fascinating insight into the game, Warne serves up highly readable anecdotes and opinions.Throughout the book, Warne covers the serious issues affecting cricket today, such as cheating and match-fixing, and assesses a large number of professional relationships he has enjoyed and endured, including those with Sri Lankan star Arjuna Ranatunga and South African captain Graeme Smith.Shane Warne's Century is a genuine page-turner by one of cricket's most popular stars and is a must-read for all cricket fans.
Red Men: Liverpool Football Club - The Biography
by John WilliamsIn Red Men, a unique and exhaustively researched history of Liverpool Football Club, John Williams explores the origins and divisive politics of football in the city of Liverpool, and profiles the key men behind the emergence of the club and its early successes.The first great Liverpool manager, Tom Watson, piloted the club to its first league championships in 1901 and 1906 before taking the club to the FA Cup final in 1914. Watson and the key members of those early Liverpool teams are analysed in depth, as is the role of the club and its fans in the city as Merseyside balanced self-improvement and cosmopolitanism with almost unimaginable problems of poverty.Liverpool secured consecutive league titles in 1922 and 1923 with the incomparable goalkeeper Elisha Scott as its totemic star and the darling of the Kop. In the '20s, Liverpool was also the first British club to internationalise its playing staff.The club's next league title came in 1947, but, in the bleak '50s, the Liverpool board ruled with an iron fist and controlled the purse strings - until Bill Shankly arrived and won that elusive first FA Cup in 1965. The recent tragedies that have shaped the club's contemporary identity are also covered here, as are the new Continental influences at Liverpool and, of course, the glory of Istanbul in 2005.Red Men is the definitive history of a remarkable football club from its formation in 1892 to the present day, told in the wider context of the social and cultural development of the city of Liverpool and its people.