Game Changers: Inside English Football: From the Boardroom to the Bootroom

by Alan Curbishley

From a true insider, a wide-ranging look at the game, finances, and behind-the-scenes happenings of soccer at its highest level, in the country that created the game and continues to influence the world’s soccer culture.

Alan Curbishley has spent a lifetime in football both as a fan, player and manager. In this book he uses his knowledge of the sport and his personal contacts to go behind the scenes and give the reader an insight into English football and the people at the core of the game who make it tick.The book will go beyond the normal headlines to inform and enlighten fans using Alan’s own experiences and those of the people he meets. This is a soccer book, written by a highly respected football man, talking to the football people who really matter from Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, and Harry Redknapp to John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to name a few.This will be an overarching look at the English game from all perspectives: the managers, coaches, and players; the agents and the machinations in the boardrooms and at the governing body, the FA; and in the back rooms with the trainers, sports psychologists, and the people to manage the lockerroom.The style of the book will be conversational with Alan essentially ‘chatting’ to some of the biggest names in Football, as well as some names that might not be so well known, but who nevertheless play an in important role in the sport.This will be a true insider’s account of the beautiful game and where it all stands in its place of birth.

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2016

Reviews

[Daniel Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts off really solid and quite interesting but does tail off a bit towards the end
Could almost do with mixing the chapters up
Did particularly enjoy Alan curbishley in the audiobook trying to do various accents like said players and managers, helped the immersion and was quite entertaining to be honest

[William McIntyre]

Fairly outdated nowadays, but there is great insight from different roles within the game

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it is certainly an interesting overview of the many aspects of soccer, this book does drag on a bit and isn't always particularly engrossing. Still, for a soccer enthusiast (like me), it's a relaxing read.