They write they score! 5 super books about soccer

The idea that geeks and jocks never meet is incorrect. Arsenal’s Theo Walcott is a Harry Potter fan. Owen Hargreaves likes Paulo Coehlo’s The Alchemist. Soccer is a literary phenomenon in its own right. Here are five top-scoring texts.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby

This autobiographical account covers the trials of being an Arsenal supporter before the team became successful. It is hilarious and depressing. Hornby’s comedic skills make it entertaining even for those who do not care about football. The book is full of trivia and personal anecdotes. It is better than the Colin Firth movie. Reading it makes you want to rebuild Highbury Stadium.

The Damned Utd by David Peace

Peace fictionalizes true events. The Damned Utd covers Brian Clough’s doomed 44-day stint as manager of Leeds United in 1974. The story is told from Clough’s point of view. It intersperses memories of better times at Derby County with the problems he faced at Leeds. The team remained loyal to the departed manager Don Revie. Leeds player Johnny Giles took Peace to court over his representation in the text. He won the libel case and the book was edited for subsequent editions.

The Unfortunates by BS Johnson

This is known as the book in a box. It consists of 27 separately bound sections that can be read in almost any order. The first and last sections are marked. It follows a man coming to terms with a friend’s terminal illness while at a football stadium. The main character is a sportswriter sent to an unnamed industrial city to cover a match between the town’s City and United teams. It is a haunting and sad soccer story.

The Match by Alan Sillitoe

The Match is a short story in the collection The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. It tells the story of one fan and his violent home life. It provides a grim account of cultural misogyny in the football industry. It also contains excellent game commentary regarding a clash between Notts County and Bristol City.