Golazzo: The Football Italia Years

by Jonathan Grade

It was the deal of the century. British superstar Paul Gascoigne had joined Lazio and Channel 4 swooped to pick up live rights to Italian football for just £1.5 million. Serie A just happened to be the best league in the world and over the next decade millions would tune in to watch the biggest names on the planet. Saturday mornings were also about to be transformed with the launch of Gazzetta Football Italia. With the sharp wit of James Richardson allied to the dulcet tones of broadcasting legend Kenneth Wolstenholme, the show was an institution at the weekend. Having worked on the show since its inception Jonathan Grade gives a first-hand account of this iconic production. Golazzo: The Football Italia Years takes a nostalgic look back with some stories from behind the scenes in the days when Italian football ruled the world.

Genres: Football

177 pages, Paperback

Published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Bradley J · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I ever was to want a season-by-season account of Serie A in the 1990s, this would be a helpful resource. But basically 90% of the book is recounting what happened on the pitch and very little about what working on the show was like. The tributes at the end were very nice, however.

It's fine but better books on calcio exist.

[Joe Bananas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok but not necessarily what I was expecting/hoping it to be. It's really a brief coverage of the Serie A seasons during the time Football Italia aired rather than the detailed story of the show itself. For coverage of Italian football the likes of John Foot and Paddy Agnew to name just two cover that aspect in greater scope and detail