Sport

The definitive history of Sunderland AFC. Formed by a group of teachers nearly 150 years ago in 1879, Sunderland AFC have a long and storied history in English football. The club has won six top-flight titles, only five other teams have won more, and they have lifted the FA Cup twice - once in 1937 and once in 1973. The Black Cats are renowned for having one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in the country, and records have regularly been broken for attendance figures at the Stadium of Light. After hitting a nadir with back-to-back demotions from the Premier League down to the third division in 2018, the club is now back on the ascendancy and plotting a return to the top-flight. Drawing on interviews with key players, managers and staff members, esteemed club historian Rob Mason delves into Sunderland's 150-year history, charting the glorious highs and the ignominious lows to trace how the Black Cats have come to dominate football in the North-East.

Are you getting enough? Bestselling travel writer Ben Aitken wasn't. Increasingly flat and decreasingly zen, he knew that something had to change. Unnerved into action, Ben gave burnout the boot and stress the cold-shoulder by embarking on a whimsical journey into the serious business of having a laugh. He did a pilgrimage in Spain and a cruise of the Baltic. He endured a summer camp in Kent and a theme park in Derby. He injured his nose in Brighton (wakeboarding) and pulled his hamstring in London (ecstatic dancing). And when he wasn't on the road, he searched for merriment at home: by giving bridge a go, the crossword a chance, and gardening a crack of the whip. By incorporating the thoughts and findings of key thinkers and boffins, and by reflecting on less obvious sources of levity like conversation and community, Here Comes the Fun offers a satisfying balance of the playful and profound, the serious and silly, the thoughtful and fun.

A fascinating account of how Saudi Arabia leveraged its massive oil wealth to alter the balance of power in world football.

Over a hundred years ago Somerville and Ross galloped across the pages of popular Irish literature writing of horses, hunts and high jinks. Today, Wexford based Patrick Donegall has taken over their reins to record the Ireland of his youth. An Ireland that has almost, but not quite, disappeared.

This 15th edition covers both domestic & international football for the 47 countries who were members of the AFC during the 2023/4 season and provides detailed statistical information including full International Line-ups, final league tables,cup info and much more.

Contains final league tables for Cymru Premier League 1992-2024, Cymru North 2019-24, Cymru South 2019-24, Ardal Leagues 2021-4, Cymru Alliance 1990-2019, Welsh Football Lge 1919-2022, N.Wales Coast Lge 1893-1935, Welsh Alliance Lge 1984-2022 & Welsh Lge North 1935-84.

This 14th edition contains the final league tables for the Scottish Professional Football League from 2013-2024 & its predecessors the Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League from 1890-2013. Also includes the Scottish Lowland League 2012-24, the Highland League 1893-2024 and East of Scotland Lge 1923-2024.

This 23rd edition contains the final league tables for the top tiers of the English Non-league Football pyramid - The National League from 1979-2024 plus its 3 feeder leagues, The Southern Lge, Isthmian Lge & Northern Premier Lge from inception to 2024. Also The Football Alliance 1889-1892, (which then became the 2nd Division of the Football Lge).

A statistician's dream this 27th edition contains all of the final league tables for all English Football League, FA Premier League and Women's Super League form their inception to the end of the 2023-24 Season plus play-off match results. Also includes information about the semi-finals & finals of the FA Cup and League Cup from 1872-2024.

The 15th edition of this statistical yearbook of domestic & International football in South America during the 2023-2024 season for countries who are members of CONMEBOL is packed with detailed information. Includes full International line-ups, plus tables,scores,club & player information and Cup Final records.

Tri Again is a rip-roaring, wetsuit-struggling, pedal-pushing odyssey that charts one man's journey from a pneumonia-stricken heap to the starting line of Ironman. It's a candid exploration of the trials and triumphs that come with training for one of the most gruelling athletic one-day events on the planet.

Football, Freedom and Paradise! is the fascinating and inspirational autobiography of former footballer Rudi Vata, a man who overcame state oppression to attain the most basic of human requirements - his freedom. After playing for Albania, he defected and forged a career in football, including a successful spell at Celtic FC.

The Thinkers' Factory is the compelling story of Italian coaching, uncovering how Italy has consistently produced football's finest managers. Through interviews with key figures, stories and tactics of some of the best Italian-led teams and analysis of the great coaches, this book brings you the inside track.

From Medals to Toffee Tins celebrates the 150th anniversary of Heart of Midlothian - Edinburgh's oldest and most successful football club - by examining its long and varied history through the unique lens of 150 memorabilia objects. This lavishly illustrated book charts the club's rich history in a way never seen before.

Stand up if you love the darts!Russ 'The Voice' Bray has been beside the oche announcing the scores and controlling the game in his unmistakable raspy tones at major darts tournaments since 1996. He has now hung up his mic, but fans can stand up and rejoice as he'll be making himself heard once again in this essential, all-seeing companion to your favourite sport. Every throw counts, and Russ calls best matches he's ever reffed, the greatest comebacks and the wildest epics. And it's access all areas as he takes us into the practice rooms to watch the mind games unfold. Russ also has a ton of stories to tell you about all the greats. Read on and cheer for the old-school superstars like Eric Bristow and Phil Taylor, and get chanting for the current contenders from Mighty Mike to Luke the Nuke. From the pubs to Ally Pally - it's GAME ON!

After witnessing first-hand the Spanish golfer's famous Open Championship win at St Andrews in 1984, Seve Ballesteros was the only golfer who mattered to Kenny Reid. Uniquely centred around Seve's greatest victory, Touch of Class brings to life his journey from gifted boy golfer to dominant major champion in original, brilliant detail.

Harry Lockett was first secretary of the Football League. This is the story of his remarkable life, from humble beginnings in Derby, where football was illegal, to writing the laws of the game and holding a position of power until temptation caused his downfall.

Kit and Community digs beneath the surface of inspirational designs to reveal the incredible causes that use football shirts to spread their message. This innovative book - with a foreword by The Price of Football's Kieran Maguire and a chapter from Football 365's John Nicholson - proves beyond doubt that every shirt has a story to tell.

This is the story of a club and its fans finding its feet in uncharted territory of non-league football... and the colourful clubs and characters encountered along the way. Including a flat-cap local hero at Oldham; a manager who is best mates with England boss Gareth Southgate; and tales of German efficiency in the Garden of England.

Sprinters and the Art of Speed is the ultimate guide to the fast-paced world of professional cycling. Taking you on a journey through time, the book introduces you to some of the most explosive riders in Tour de France history, including Charles Pélissier, Mark Cavendish and many more. Tighten those shoes and make a dash for the line!

The Fall and Rise Of Leyton Orient tells the incredible story of a decade with one of football's oldest clubs. Plagued by play-off heartbreak, double relegations and pivoting on the verge of bankruptcy, Leyton Orient rebuilt after the death of their young manager, winning two league titles in four years.

Belfast's Carl 'The Jackal' Frampton MBE is no ordinary boxer. One of only three fighters from the British Isles to be named the Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year, he has headlined multiple sell-out world championship bouts on both sides of the Atlantic, winning multiple world titles in the process. His dedicated army of fans have traversed the globe to be ringside throughout it all. But Frampton's popularity far exceeds the traditional adulation for a sporting icon; he is regarded as a symbol of hope and unity by both sides of the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland. In this captivating autobiography, Frampton reveals the most personal aspects of being a fighter; of fears and doubts, of exhilaration and devastation, of friendship and animosity. He also recounts for the first time his high-profile, acrimonious split with Barry McGuigan, in devastating and revealing detail. Frampton speaks openly and passionately, not only about boxing, but about his country, how far it has come and the problems it faces. This is a uniquely intimate account of a true modern-day sporting great and a local hero like no other.

Each walk features a simple-to-follow route profile and accompanying description and pictures, and new-look walk mapping that makes it easier for the user to focus on the route and the points of interest along the way.

Each walk features a simple-to-follow route profile and accompanying description and pictures, and new-look walk mapping that makes it easier for the user to focus on the route and the points of interest along the way.