Football's Tallest Tales
Regular price
€17.99
A01=Bryan Gibson
A12=John Cooper
Age Group_Uncategorized
Age Group_Uncategorized
Author_Bryan Gibson
Author_John Cooper
automatic-update
Barnsley FC
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=SFBC
Category=WH
Category=WSJA
comedy
COP=United Kingdom
Delivery_Delivery within 10-20 working days
eq_bestseller
eq_humour
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_sports-fitness
fantasy
football
Language_English
memoirs
northern England
PA=Available
Potted North
Price_€10 to €20
PS=Active
soccer
softlaunch
Product details
- ISBN 9781914603334
- Weight: 140g
- Dimensions: 133 x 203mm
- Publication Date: 18 Oct 2023
- Publisher: Waterside Press
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Paperback
- Language: English
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Bryan Gibson grew up watching football, wishing he was on the pitch rather than in the crowd. After securing a trial at a well-known club, he was thrilled to be called into the manager’s office only to be asked ‘What would you do if you weren’t to play football?’
Part fact, part fiction and inspired by the author’s calamitous attempts to become a professional, Football’s Tallest Tales spans every aspect of The Beautiful Game and tells of the many fascinating characters he met along the way. The book includes a madcap reinvention of soccer that introduces readers to such fictional legends of football as Stanley Accrington, Betty Skyrocket and over-zealous supporter Hyam Keenbritches.
Covering every aspect of the game, including the invention of Dragon Grease (an indispensable aid), the gestation of women’s football, the demise of the annual Goalkeepers’ Convention and other stories, Football’s Tallest Tales also homes in on such farcical real-life muses as the cricket teacher who morphed into the umpire Dickie Bird, Herman the German of Bayern Munich FC, and Sandy Soot, football angel turned chimney sweep who showed the author how to take the perfect penalty kick.
Featuring many present-day football clubs, players and comical events as well as explaining such mysteries as why Barnsley FC supporters are all poets, playwrights and performers. A totally original super-spoof – the ideal gift for any football fan.
Born close to what is now the training base for all England teams, St George’s Park, Bryan Gibson has written and edited many serious books, but Football’s Tallest Tales is his first surreal account. It is based on his youthful ambition to become an elite soccer player before being asked ‘What would you do if you weren’t a footballer?’ He became a lawyer. In a book of tall tales informed by decades of watching The Beautiful Game, he invites readers to peek into his mythical football world, including the time he represented England against the USSR. The illustrator John Cooper is an artist and stand-up comedian. His images include those for Good Moaning France: Officer Crabtree's French Phrose Book, TV advertisements, posters and cartoons.
