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FIFTY YEARS OF HURT
'England invented football, codified it, became champions of the world in 1966 but humiliatingly then forgot how to play the greatest game of all. England took their eye off a ball they arrogantly thought they owned, allowing other nations to run off with it.'
It has been Fifty Years of Hurt since Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup trophy at Wembley, and in this groundbreaking book, Henry Winter will address the state England are in on the golden anniversary of their greatest moment. Part lament, part anatomy of an obsession, both personal and collective, it analyses the truth behind the endless excuses, apportions the blame for the crimes against English football, but is also a search for hope and solutions.
Fifty Years of Hurt weaves more than forty exclusive interviews with the biggest names in the game - Jack Charlton, Alan Mullery, Peter Shilton, Glenn Hoddle, John Barnes, Chris Waddle, Gary Lineker, Ian and Mark Wright, Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Roy Hodgson - with a narrative dissection of the highs and lows of five decades of football. And as well as players and managers, Henry Winter talks to the fans, to agents, to officials, to the governing bodies, about every aspect, good and bad, of English football, to provide answers to the question: 'where did it all go wrong?'.
It is a passionate journey by a writer with vast personal insight into the national team, with unprecedented access to all areas of the game, but also by a fan who wants his England back. The Fifty Years of Hurt must end.
It has been Fifty Years of Hurt since Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup trophy at Wembley, and in this groundbreaking book, Henry Winter will address the state England are in on the golden anniversary of their greatest moment. Part lament, part anatomy of an obsession, both personal and collective, it analyses the truth behind the endless excuses, apportions the blame for the crimes against English football, but is also a search for hope and solutions.
Fifty Years of Hurt weaves more than forty exclusive interviews with the biggest names in the game - Jack Charlton, Alan Mullery, Peter Shilton, Glenn Hoddle, John Barnes, Chris Waddle, Gary Lineker, Ian and Mark Wright, Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Roy Hodgson - with a narrative dissection of the highs and lows of five decades of football. And as well as players and managers, Henry Winter talks to the fans, to agents, to officials, to the governing bodies, about every aspect, good and bad, of English football, to provide answers to the question: 'where did it all go wrong?'.
It is a passionate journey by a writer with vast personal insight into the national team, with unprecedented access to all areas of the game, but also by a fan who wants his England back. The Fifty Years of Hurt must end.
387 pages, Hardcover
First published June 2, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 28, 2016
Henry Winterin "Fifty Years of Hurt: the Story of England Football and Why We Never Stop Believing" (Bantam, 2016) on arvostetun jalkapallotoimittajan teos, joka ilmestyi juuri sopivasti futiksen EM-kisojen alla. Siinä hän kuvaa Englannin arvokisataivalta kunnian vuodesta 1966 aivan Ranskan EM-kisojen kynnykselle saakka, ja pyrkii entisiä pelaajia, valmentajia ja lajin parissa työskenteleviä ammattilaisia haastattelemalla selvittämään kuinka kolme leijonaa voisivat jälleen nousta jaloilleen. Winter pyrkii esimerkiksi selvittämään, kuinka esimerkiksi menestyä rangaistuspotkukilpailuissa, ja miten pelaajat voisivat selviytyä lehdistön asettamien paineiden kanssa. Entä tappavatko nuorille tähdille maksetu jättipalkkiot voittamisen nälän?
Kaikista Winterin tarjoilemista käytännön vinkeistä ei tarvitse olla samaa mieltä, mutta paljon fiksuja pointteja teokseen mahtuu. Ilmeisesti kirja jäi Roy Hodgsonilta ja F.A.:lta kuitenkin lukematta, kuten kaikki eilen televisiota katsoneet brittifutiksen ystävät tietävät. Tuskaiset vuodet jatkuvat vielä ainakin kahdella.
Kaikista Winterin tarjoilemista käytännön vinkeistä ei tarvitse olla samaa mieltä, mutta paljon fiksuja pointteja teokseen mahtuu. Ilmeisesti kirja jäi Roy Hodgsonilta ja F.A.:lta kuitenkin lukematta, kuten kaikki eilen televisiota katsoneet brittifutiksen ystävät tietävät. Tuskaiset vuodet jatkuvat vielä ainakin kahdella.
January 14, 2022
An absolute belter of a read.
This book felt like encyclopedia for England's trials and tribulations in their ongoing (and unsuccessful) quest in winning a major international tournament. With extensive research and interviews with key England figures, the points made by Henry Winter were so secure it made me feel that the FA has really dropped the ball in how it handles its dealings when it comes to the England setup.
I especially loved the chapters on the England managers and what they went through. Their rare successes, their many failings, and their misfortunes that brought about their downfalls. It made clear the necessary needs for a manager and the countless pitfalls that anyone brave enough to take on the role of England manager ought to avoid.
Definitely a great book that I would highly recommend to any football fan, especially to those sorry fans of the England national team. Stay strong, there is still hope yet.
This book felt like encyclopedia for England's trials and tribulations in their ongoing (and unsuccessful) quest in winning a major international tournament. With extensive research and interviews with key England figures, the points made by Henry Winter were so secure it made me feel that the FA has really dropped the ball in how it handles its dealings when it comes to the England setup.
I especially loved the chapters on the England managers and what they went through. Their rare successes, their many failings, and their misfortunes that brought about their downfalls. It made clear the necessary needs for a manager and the countless pitfalls that anyone brave enough to take on the role of England manager ought to avoid.
Definitely a great book that I would highly recommend to any football fan, especially to those sorry fans of the England national team. Stay strong, there is still hope yet.
June 22, 2021
Enjoyable enough but does seem to focus on plenty of things we’ve heard before and unfortunately already feels very dated, especially given the positivity around 2016 - quite possibly the worst tournament experience in England history.
There is a lot of ‘kids today’ from interviewees, however, it’s hard to fault the author given that he’s only reporting what they say and in places he does actually unearth some interesting points that do suggest the real problem. I.e. that around an inconsistent vision, tactical naivety etc. but Winter can fall into the whole ‘patriotism is missing’ trope which fails to understand how the current or even future generations look at it.
Overall while this is more comprehensive, I preferred Wilson’s analysis on Anatomy of England which broke down out tactical issues which are more demonstrably apparent than the ones set out here. As there were times where it felt like the book was simultaneously saying, ‘we don’t produce technical players’ and also pointing out obvious outliers. A final thesis is missing from here.
There is a lot of ‘kids today’ from interviewees, however, it’s hard to fault the author given that he’s only reporting what they say and in places he does actually unearth some interesting points that do suggest the real problem. I.e. that around an inconsistent vision, tactical naivety etc. but Winter can fall into the whole ‘patriotism is missing’ trope which fails to understand how the current or even future generations look at it.
Overall while this is more comprehensive, I preferred Wilson’s analysis on Anatomy of England which broke down out tactical issues which are more demonstrably apparent than the ones set out here. As there were times where it felt like the book was simultaneously saying, ‘we don’t produce technical players’ and also pointing out obvious outliers. A final thesis is missing from here.
March 1, 2018
This is a fine book, very readable and sprinkled with a dry, sharp wit at times, and put together by a respected football journalist, as he attempts to put into words just why England have failed so often since the sole World Cup win in 1966.
Every manager since Alf Ramsay is rightly included in this book, of course, although he skims right over Ron Greenwood's spell in charge. Greenwood is generally considered to have done a decent job, making the WC Finals in 1982 (after 12 years in the wilderness), and yet his five years in charge are - compared with all the others - barely mentioned.
The FA is rightly pilloried for its extraordinary stuffiness and attitude in general, but particularly to former England servants. I already knew of 'old-school' FA chairman Harold Thompson's insistence in calling Don Revie by his second name only - yet apparently he did the same with Sir Alf Ramsey. The FA treatment of Bobby Moore following his retirement was later described as 'appalling' by a more recent FA chairman. And following the death of Don Revie, no attempt was made to contact his grieving widow, and no FA presence at the funeral. Utterly heartless but true.
A whole chapter is given over to England's failure in - what else? - penalty shoot-outs. (Before reading it, I was under the impression that England had a 100% failure rate in shoot-outs, but that's not quite right - they succeeded against Spain in Euro '96). There is much mention of what can - and cannot - be done in this area. Practicing penalties, sure, but as the author says, kicks taken on the practice field are a world away from a real-life shoot-out - not just in terms of the pressure, but the atmosphere. That tense atmosphere simply cannot be re-created for practice. I personally think it comes down to just one thing - bottle. The fear factor. And until England get over this - until they succeed one day - they will always be at a distinct psychological disadvantage whenever the ref blows for time-up at the end of 120 minutes.
I thought the author may have made much more of Fabio Capello's situation. When he took over, he certainly looked the part as a reputed disciplinarian: the stern look, the sharp suits, the briefcase. But his communication troubles should have been obvious by then - his statement immediately following his appointment, that he hoped to learn English in time for taking his first session with the players(!) should have been a sign of the problem to come. Mention 'communication problems' between coach and players, and you might think reticence or lack of confidence or trust. But when that problem is down squarely to something as basic as a language barrier... well, to my mind, Capello should never have been selected.
The writer feels so strongly about how England have not repeated their '66 success, that he describes their subsequent failures as a national disgrace. While I don't go along with this - to me, players on the Continent have always seemed technically superior - I can understand his frustration. It's been 50 years, and counting.
One area I do agree with him - completely - is what he sees as a major reason for England's failure over the past few years. The English Premier League is, of course, the elephant in the room, the lumbering wildebeest of the Serengeti. Far too many from overseas - players, managers and club owners - have been allowed in and are running the show, with their thoughts only on success at club level. No thought is given to how this may be affecting the national team, but to everyone with a set of eyes, it's surely a no-brainer - hugely expensive imports brought in rather than giving young English talent a chance. Now THAT'S a national disgrace.
Proponents of the Premier League will no doubt point to its staggering commercial success, with over 100 countries overseas screening the action and helping to boost the already bulging coffers. But as long as this continues, as long as there is no limit on the number of foreign players permitted, the national team will suffer. Until there is a sea-change in Premier League attitudes, England's tournament woes will continue.
Winter rounds the book off by giving a blueprint for the future (much of which I agree with) and by offering (quiet) optimism for Euro 2016. But of course, as I write this, that's now been and gone. Another failure, not to mention the fact that two more men (Hodgson and Allardyce, of course) have joined the list of England managerial statistics. Here's to Russia next year...
Every manager since Alf Ramsay is rightly included in this book, of course, although he skims right over Ron Greenwood's spell in charge. Greenwood is generally considered to have done a decent job, making the WC Finals in 1982 (after 12 years in the wilderness), and yet his five years in charge are - compared with all the others - barely mentioned.
The FA is rightly pilloried for its extraordinary stuffiness and attitude in general, but particularly to former England servants. I already knew of 'old-school' FA chairman Harold Thompson's insistence in calling Don Revie by his second name only - yet apparently he did the same with Sir Alf Ramsey. The FA treatment of Bobby Moore following his retirement was later described as 'appalling' by a more recent FA chairman. And following the death of Don Revie, no attempt was made to contact his grieving widow, and no FA presence at the funeral. Utterly heartless but true.
A whole chapter is given over to England's failure in - what else? - penalty shoot-outs. (Before reading it, I was under the impression that England had a 100% failure rate in shoot-outs, but that's not quite right - they succeeded against Spain in Euro '96). There is much mention of what can - and cannot - be done in this area. Practicing penalties, sure, but as the author says, kicks taken on the practice field are a world away from a real-life shoot-out - not just in terms of the pressure, but the atmosphere. That tense atmosphere simply cannot be re-created for practice. I personally think it comes down to just one thing - bottle. The fear factor. And until England get over this - until they succeed one day - they will always be at a distinct psychological disadvantage whenever the ref blows for time-up at the end of 120 minutes.
I thought the author may have made much more of Fabio Capello's situation. When he took over, he certainly looked the part as a reputed disciplinarian: the stern look, the sharp suits, the briefcase. But his communication troubles should have been obvious by then - his statement immediately following his appointment, that he hoped to learn English in time for taking his first session with the players(!) should have been a sign of the problem to come. Mention 'communication problems' between coach and players, and you might think reticence or lack of confidence or trust. But when that problem is down squarely to something as basic as a language barrier... well, to my mind, Capello should never have been selected.
The writer feels so strongly about how England have not repeated their '66 success, that he describes their subsequent failures as a national disgrace. While I don't go along with this - to me, players on the Continent have always seemed technically superior - I can understand his frustration. It's been 50 years, and counting.
One area I do agree with him - completely - is what he sees as a major reason for England's failure over the past few years. The English Premier League is, of course, the elephant in the room, the lumbering wildebeest of the Serengeti. Far too many from overseas - players, managers and club owners - have been allowed in and are running the show, with their thoughts only on success at club level. No thought is given to how this may be affecting the national team, but to everyone with a set of eyes, it's surely a no-brainer - hugely expensive imports brought in rather than giving young English talent a chance. Now THAT'S a national disgrace.
Proponents of the Premier League will no doubt point to its staggering commercial success, with over 100 countries overseas screening the action and helping to boost the already bulging coffers. But as long as this continues, as long as there is no limit on the number of foreign players permitted, the national team will suffer. Until there is a sea-change in Premier League attitudes, England's tournament woes will continue.
Winter rounds the book off by giving a blueprint for the future (much of which I agree with) and by offering (quiet) optimism for Euro 2016. But of course, as I write this, that's now been and gone. Another failure, not to mention the fact that two more men (Hodgson and Allardyce, of course) have joined the list of England managerial statistics. Here's to Russia next year...
August 5, 2016
Not much originality. Mainly a succession of interviews with players whoa been part of underachieving teams complaining about "the kids of today". 66 team apart.
July 13, 2017
Fifty Years of Hurt: The Story of England and Why We Never Stop Believing (2016) by Henry Winter looks at why the English national football team have underperformed by talking to a number of ex-footballers and coaches about why England have a worse record than Spain, Italy, France or Germany.
Why England don't perform as expected is a bit of a mystery. People often point to the longer English season with no winter break and England's failures on penalties in repeated tournaments. Also tactical and technical issues are assessed. The combination appears to be fairly devastating.
Winter talks to Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Ian Wright and so many other people in the book that it does make for a pretty fascinating book for anyone familiar with English football. However, it is a bit long and does get repetitive.
It should be pointed out by the book, but isn't that England's record until Spain and France won World Cups and Euros was actually in the middle of the pack of large European countries and until 2010 had a better record than Spain. Indeed, if England could take penalties at World Cups they could well have two wins. England has the worst record of penalties in World Cups, having played three and lost three. It's worth noting, however, that France's record is 50/50 and Italy have played 4 and lost 3.
It should also be said that international football is really hard. Really only Germany and Brazil, the largest country in Western Europe and the largest country in South America that have really strong records. Only Italy and Uruguay have records that transcend their size. And even with Germany and Italy it's worth noting that Italy hasn't won the Euros in almost 50 years and Germany hasn't in 20.
There is also some hope at the end of the book as the more recent success of the England youth team are discussed. There is also some hope in terms of fixing things that are not working. Germany lost a penalty shootout in 1976 and then got organised and have not lost one since.
For anyone interested in football and anyone who is interested in England it's well worth a read. A bit more context and comparison with other countries and an acknowledgement that football is really hard to do well in might have helped, but the interviews and discussion are genuinely interesting.
Why England don't perform as expected is a bit of a mystery. People often point to the longer English season with no winter break and England's failures on penalties in repeated tournaments. Also tactical and technical issues are assessed. The combination appears to be fairly devastating.
Winter talks to Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Ian Wright and so many other people in the book that it does make for a pretty fascinating book for anyone familiar with English football. However, it is a bit long and does get repetitive.
It should be pointed out by the book, but isn't that England's record until Spain and France won World Cups and Euros was actually in the middle of the pack of large European countries and until 2010 had a better record than Spain. Indeed, if England could take penalties at World Cups they could well have two wins. England has the worst record of penalties in World Cups, having played three and lost three. It's worth noting, however, that France's record is 50/50 and Italy have played 4 and lost 3.
It should also be said that international football is really hard. Really only Germany and Brazil, the largest country in Western Europe and the largest country in South America that have really strong records. Only Italy and Uruguay have records that transcend their size. And even with Germany and Italy it's worth noting that Italy hasn't won the Euros in almost 50 years and Germany hasn't in 20.
There is also some hope at the end of the book as the more recent success of the England youth team are discussed. There is also some hope in terms of fixing things that are not working. Germany lost a penalty shootout in 1976 and then got organised and have not lost one since.
For anyone interested in football and anyone who is interested in England it's well worth a read. A bit more context and comparison with other countries and an acknowledgement that football is really hard to do well in might have helped, but the interviews and discussion are genuinely interesting.
August 28, 2019
Very good history of the England football's teams last half century, including all its many failings and sadly not revised to take in the note of redemption struck at Russia in 2018. Before the heroics of Gareth's lads, England's was a sorry story and one through which I observed and suffered much. There were the occasional bright spots, and you all know what they are, but my abiding memories of England are of a group of very highly paid and promoted players failing to meet their considerable potential.
It's all here, notably the wasted opportunities following Bobby Robson's side's abilities showed at Italia 90, the promise of the late 1990s and of course the Golden Generation. The latter became so underwhelming ultimately that I end up wondering if they were Golden at all, or were made so by playing with and being flattered by brilliant overseas players at their clubs. But Henry Winter rightly dwells on the 'what could have been' of the group of players managed by Venables and Hoddle. I don't quite have his love of Gentleman Glenn, one excellent result aside, but the potential was there and it was largely frittered away in subsequent years.
I went to see England once and once only, back when Wembley was being rebuilt and the national team effectively went on tour for its home matches, frequently turning out at nearby Old Trafford. I watched a 6-0 win over Andorra, the gulf in class utterly apparent even with Steve McClaren in charge, and it was all rather good fun. They really missed a trick when they spunked all that money into new Wembley, such a white elephant, because having the team stationed there means large swathes of the country are hampered in going to see them, but hey what do I know?
If the FA blazers valued the future direction of the England team at all then they would take on board some of the lessons meted out here by one of the country's most seasoned and erudite journalists. But they won't do that. Everyone knows what needs to take place in order to improve the national side, but nothing will happen, and following England becomes a regular cycle of giddy promise and then falling hard back to earth. Just as it has been since 1966, I guess.
It's all here, notably the wasted opportunities following Bobby Robson's side's abilities showed at Italia 90, the promise of the late 1990s and of course the Golden Generation. The latter became so underwhelming ultimately that I end up wondering if they were Golden at all, or were made so by playing with and being flattered by brilliant overseas players at their clubs. But Henry Winter rightly dwells on the 'what could have been' of the group of players managed by Venables and Hoddle. I don't quite have his love of Gentleman Glenn, one excellent result aside, but the potential was there and it was largely frittered away in subsequent years.
I went to see England once and once only, back when Wembley was being rebuilt and the national team effectively went on tour for its home matches, frequently turning out at nearby Old Trafford. I watched a 6-0 win over Andorra, the gulf in class utterly apparent even with Steve McClaren in charge, and it was all rather good fun. They really missed a trick when they spunked all that money into new Wembley, such a white elephant, because having the team stationed there means large swathes of the country are hampered in going to see them, but hey what do I know?
If the FA blazers valued the future direction of the England team at all then they would take on board some of the lessons meted out here by one of the country's most seasoned and erudite journalists. But they won't do that. Everyone knows what needs to take place in order to improve the national side, but nothing will happen, and following England becomes a regular cycle of giddy promise and then falling hard back to earth. Just as it has been since 1966, I guess.
July 13, 2018
Those seeking some understanding of how England's Football Team & English football have stumbled since its triumph in 1966 will after reading this book be well informed. The book is well constructed & features a series of thematic chapters which both tell the story & suggest how English football could do better.
Henry Winter is an England enthusiast & journalist.He has attended & reported on over 250 England matches. For the book he interviews England managers past & present excepting Gareth Southgate. The book was published before Gareth got into his stride & recent events will be worth a chapter or two in an updated edition.Past leading players are interviewed as well. What is clear is that English football is a slow learning environment. Mistakes & bad practice are admitted but the process of learning from them often for structural reasons is faulty if non-existent. Past player & manager opinions are not sought nor are listened to that much in by English football as a whole. It is said that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This has to the case here regarding English football. Our island mentality plus our collective hubris since we after all invented the game has made us collectively very insular in some odd ways preventing us from adapting & learning as the game has evolved internationally.
The only disappointment was the chapter featuring the author's thoughts or blue print for change. Not because it lack ideas. Some of which were very good but because it was so perfunctory.A longer chapter which more fully explained the author's thinking would have made an already good book into a great one.
Overall, it is good book for anyone interested in the subject & why the English are the way we are.
Henry Winter is an England enthusiast & journalist.He has attended & reported on over 250 England matches. For the book he interviews England managers past & present excepting Gareth Southgate. The book was published before Gareth got into his stride & recent events will be worth a chapter or two in an updated edition.Past leading players are interviewed as well. What is clear is that English football is a slow learning environment. Mistakes & bad practice are admitted but the process of learning from them often for structural reasons is faulty if non-existent. Past player & manager opinions are not sought nor are listened to that much in by English football as a whole. It is said that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This has to the case here regarding English football. Our island mentality plus our collective hubris since we after all invented the game has made us collectively very insular in some odd ways preventing us from adapting & learning as the game has evolved internationally.
The only disappointment was the chapter featuring the author's thoughts or blue print for change. Not because it lack ideas. Some of which were very good but because it was so perfunctory.A longer chapter which more fully explained the author's thinking would have made an already good book into a great one.
Overall, it is good book for anyone interested in the subject & why the English are the way we are.
June 30, 2023
Initially a nostalgic, painful romp through England's fifty years from 1966 to 2016, dissecting each era and its accompanying miserable failure with entertaining interviews with many of the players involved, this turns into an attempt to analyse where the England football team, and the FA, stand in 2016 - looking forward with hope and optimism to the forthcoming Euro 2016 tournament. Yes, I know ! Frequently, the "current" crop of hopefuls are referred to - Ross Barkley, Delli Ali and Jack Wilshere . Yes, I KNOW !!
The last chapter is an interview with Roy Hodgson, on his way to France, full of hope and optimism, just prior to the summer of '16. Keep the Home fires burning, lads. What could possibly go wrong , we wonder?
All in all - very interesting in the first half - reliving Leon 1970, Gunther Netzer 1972, Poland 1973, the Don Revie years, The Hand of God and THAT goal 1986, Penalty shootouts in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2012..... like reading about how all of your girlfriends ran off with somebody else, time after time - and yet fascinating.
The later part - "The Delli Ali, Ross Barkley will save the day" part, is rather more of a slog, and rather dated.
Still - worth a read if you sat through those 50 years of hurt and counting (it is now 57 years since 1966 - 57 varieties of hurt ).
The last chapter is an interview with Roy Hodgson, on his way to France, full of hope and optimism, just prior to the summer of '16. Keep the Home fires burning, lads. What could possibly go wrong , we wonder?
All in all - very interesting in the first half - reliving Leon 1970, Gunther Netzer 1972, Poland 1973, the Don Revie years, The Hand of God and THAT goal 1986, Penalty shootouts in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006, 2012..... like reading about how all of your girlfriends ran off with somebody else, time after time - and yet fascinating.
The later part - "The Delli Ali, Ross Barkley will save the day" part, is rather more of a slog, and rather dated.
Still - worth a read if you sat through those 50 years of hurt and counting (it is now 57 years since 1966 - 57 varieties of hurt ).
February 2, 2018
This book sets out to explore the ups and downs of English football - and the reasons behind them - from 1966 until the end of Euro 2016. A large part of this is done through conversations and interviews with former professional footballers.
On the whole, it's an insightful and interesting read. Understandably given the material, the personal view and opinions of the author come through strongly and occasionally dogmatically, but then, I think that's the point of the book isn't it?
My main problem with this book was the use of the present tense when describing past events. Everything is narrated in the present tense and not only do I hate that anyway, but at times it makes things unclear.
Worth a read, but nothing to write home about.
On the whole, it's an insightful and interesting read. Understandably given the material, the personal view and opinions of the author come through strongly and occasionally dogmatically, but then, I think that's the point of the book isn't it?
My main problem with this book was the use of the present tense when describing past events. Everything is narrated in the present tense and not only do I hate that anyway, but at times it makes things unclear.
Worth a read, but nothing to write home about.
June 20, 2017
Henry Winter have set to analyze the England's fifty years of hurt with some great insights of English football identity and the FA's tendency of over looking the need of developing a competitive style against other great football nations. Winter has a great understanding about the game and hints on several spot on theories why England continuously fail in the big competitions (but in fairness nothing we all have heard before).
So far, so good, but unfortunately it turns out of being repetitive with historical match analysis and most of the book seems to surround itself with the same events. It doesn't take you forward. After a while the reading becomes uninteresting and time consuming.
So far, so good, but unfortunately it turns out of being repetitive with historical match analysis and most of the book seems to surround itself with the same events. It doesn't take you forward. After a while the reading becomes uninteresting and time consuming.
May 23, 2019
An overall enjoyable read of the history of English football in the last 50 odd years, trying to answer the question of why England has not won a tournament since 1966. Most of the arguments the author makes are not necessarily new; the increase in foreign players in the premiership, the increase in foreign ownership, number of games played in the regular season, the lack of support from the FA or big teams, the media, etc. The book is probably over-reliant on interviews with a key 6-10 people (key players and managers), and the arguments of the book aren't really 'put to the test'.
November 7, 2023
This is an enjoyable trip down memory lane for anyone who has followed the England team for a number of years. It has interviews with past managers and players about how the team has under achieved and why this is. The main message from the book is that England are less likely to succeed than in the past. This is because of the power of the Premier League and how player priorities are with it rather than the national team. There are suggestions at the end about how to improve things but big money talks and the big money is with the prem.
July 19, 2021
I really enjoyed this read, and couldn’t have read it at a better time, as England came closer than ever to ending the years of hurt! A really good, insightful read, and much that the average football fan would agree on. My only criticism is that at times it felt repetitive, both in terms of its ideas, and some of its phrases.
January 6, 2019
Winter is the stand out football journalist in the UK. This is a comprehensive, and earnest account of England's football failures over the past 50-years. Ends with Southgate's appointment, so one would hope for a more upbeat volume two in 4-6 years....
November 24, 2021
One of England's biggest fans - he even prayed his son was born on time so he could dash over to Wembley - Henry gets A-list sources to tell the story of England from 1966 onwards. I hope a follow-up can come when England do win the World Cup. Fondness for puns too.
January 30, 2019
Interesting viewpoints expressed in the book the success of some I would personally feel are negible however it's an insight into what went wrong but the moralizing tone sometimes grates throughout.
February 12, 2017
If you don't know what is wrong with football in England then read this book. The book highlights how out of touch the FA have been with players and supports alike. The authors attempts to set out a blue print to improve the game.
December 16, 2016
Not as good as I was hoping; not as critical about the failings of the England football team as it should be. Read before Euro 2016, the follow up chapters on paperback release should be interesting but no blame will be laid at players who get away with criticism somewhat:
http://nexttotheaisle.blogspot.co.uk/...
http://nexttotheaisle.blogspot.co.uk/...
December 28, 2022
Very disappointing for such a distinguished writer.
For a book premised on introspection, as of page 275, there are no cross-comparisons. No investigations into what drives like success of other countries - Germany’s turnaround from the start of the millennium would be an excellent case study.
Instead there’s empty complaints and self-indulgent anecdotes. Which, ironically, gives more indication of England’s historical underperformance that the actual text. I could not finish it.
For a book premised on introspection, as of page 275, there are no cross-comparisons. No investigations into what drives like success of other countries - Germany’s turnaround from the start of the millennium would be an excellent case study.
Instead there’s empty complaints and self-indulgent anecdotes. Which, ironically, gives more indication of England’s historical underperformance that the actual text. I could not finish it.
June 18, 2016
Football books are notoriously rubbish but this is really good
Henry winter is one of the few articulate thoughtful football journalists and this is most enjoyable
It occasionally feels like a newspaper article - but that doesn't get in the way of a good read
Recommended
Henry winter is one of the few articulate thoughtful football journalists and this is most enjoyable
It occasionally feels like a newspaper article - but that doesn't get in the way of a good read
Recommended
May 30, 2022
One of the best football books I've read. Winter was able to gather some intriguing individuals from half a century and the end result was a must read for all of those England supporters who believe, every four years.
July 12, 2016
Wow Enlgand sucks at fotboll. Was funny to listen to this book that is about how england once again gonna rule the world of footie when they lost to Iceland.
Read
December 27, 2016not bad!!
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