What do you think?
Rate this book
The Way It Was: My Autobiography
Stanley Matthews was the most popular footballer of his era, the man who epitomised a generation of legendary players: Tom Finney, Nat Lofthouse, Billy Wright and many more. He was the first footballer ever to be knighted, the first European Footballer of the Year (at 41), and he played in the top division until he was 50 - and he will be forever remembered for his performance in the Matthews FA Cup final of 1953, when he inspired Blackpool to victory over Bolton. THE WAY IT WAS is a the fascinating memoir of a great footballer and the remarkable story of an extraordinary life, written in the last months of his life.
629 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2000
5 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 27, 2016
If you enjoy autobiographies and also football, then this is for you. Not only the story of Stanley Matthews, one of our greatest sportsmen (in every sense of the word) but also a social history of life particularly in the 1930s,40s and 50s in the North of England. More than that a clear understanding of the 'beautiful game' - its status, culture, importance - at that time and indications of how and why it has struggled to maintain its position and dominance as a world power ever since. Read about the maximum wage, international players receiving £10 as their share of transfer fees, the absence of foreign players, all ticket matches and access for all, international players who could comfortably play in six positions for their country and the elitist and often short sighted role of the FA. Fascinating.
May 24, 2012
Covering some four hundred and thirty pages, this has to be one of the longest 'footie' biogs that I've read. It is also quite rare for any sporting memoir to be written up by someone in their eighties! Sir Stanley Mathews passed away shortly after the publication in 2000.
Anyone who is interested in the history of English football, at either club or international levels should find this autobiography essential reading. As the title of his book indicates 'The Way It Was' documents a bygone sporting era, covering more than thirty years of top flight professional football.
The stats are mind boggling. Almost seven hundred league appearances for Stoke and Blackpool, 54 caps for England between 1934 and 1957. Never once booked or sent off. The first ever Footballer of the Year in 1948, the first European Footballer of the Year in 1956. The first footballer to be awarded the C.B.E. and then the first to be knighted in 1965.
His memoir is as golden as his career, linking the days of Dixie Dean to George Best. I was fortunate enough to catch Sir Stanley just before his playing days ended, playing top flight soccer approaching the age of fifty. One thing is certain, nobody will see his like again, gone like snow on the water.
Anyone who is interested in the history of English football, at either club or international levels should find this autobiography essential reading. As the title of his book indicates 'The Way It Was' documents a bygone sporting era, covering more than thirty years of top flight professional football.
The stats are mind boggling. Almost seven hundred league appearances for Stoke and Blackpool, 54 caps for England between 1934 and 1957. Never once booked or sent off. The first ever Footballer of the Year in 1948, the first European Footballer of the Year in 1956. The first footballer to be awarded the C.B.E. and then the first to be knighted in 1965.
His memoir is as golden as his career, linking the days of Dixie Dean to George Best. I was fortunate enough to catch Sir Stanley just before his playing days ended, playing top flight soccer approaching the age of fifty. One thing is certain, nobody will see his like again, gone like snow on the water.
January 30, 2019
A classy man deserves a classy book. One of the best autobiographies I've ever read. His grace and humility on and off the pitch is sorely missed.
June 22, 2017
An inspiring read for anyone, but especially Stoke or Blackpool fans. Stan's beautifully written book is an intimate view into the mindset of a sporting great for anyone - whether a sports lover or not.
The narrative is superbly written, at times poetic but always portraying the modesty of this working class hero as he lavishes praise onto the various players he has played with and against throughout his epic career. It shows how deeply he lived the game but not without some firm critique of today's game and how attitudes towards modern day players have evolved. Also he describes poor management of the game by the League, the FA and FIFA. He includes a great quote from Brian Clough who derides the FA as, "Doing Bugger all. And they don't start 'til noon!!"
The story includes accounts of the promise he made to his dying father, how he managed to fit in his footballing duties around his war as well as various memorable games including the unforgettable 1953 FA Cup Final. Stan tells how he dealt with criticism from sporting journalists who wrote him off as finished in his late 30's, then he would politely tell the writers at their next time of meeting just how fit and healthy he was feeling ..... which they would then print. He describes this as "biting the hand that feeds him and making it feel like a manicure".
Thanks Stan for sharing this wonderful story.
The narrative is superbly written, at times poetic but always portraying the modesty of this working class hero as he lavishes praise onto the various players he has played with and against throughout his epic career. It shows how deeply he lived the game but not without some firm critique of today's game and how attitudes towards modern day players have evolved. Also he describes poor management of the game by the League, the FA and FIFA. He includes a great quote from Brian Clough who derides the FA as, "Doing Bugger all. And they don't start 'til noon!!"
The story includes accounts of the promise he made to his dying father, how he managed to fit in his footballing duties around his war as well as various memorable games including the unforgettable 1953 FA Cup Final. Stan tells how he dealt with criticism from sporting journalists who wrote him off as finished in his late 30's, then he would politely tell the writers at their next time of meeting just how fit and healthy he was feeling ..... which they would then print. He describes this as "biting the hand that feeds him and making it feel like a manicure".
Thanks Stan for sharing this wonderful story.
November 21, 2025
Great man, great book, long perspective on English (and world) soccer
I really enjoyed this book. My grandparents lived near Sir Stanley in his later life and he was always a hero to anyone from Stoke. I enjoyed the information on the beginning of his career and the Second World War especially. I didn’t know there were so many “home” internationals during the war. The Blackpool years were very well covered and among the most satisfying. The critique of the management by the FA through the 1950s was interesting. I wish there was more coverage of Sir Stanley’s post-career in coaching and his work in Soweto (mentioned but not covered in depth). The reflections in “The Way It Was” are where appropriate contrasted with many famous names between the 60s-80s, with also references a to players of “today” (late 1990s when the book was written). Sadly a lot of the problems with football (especially, pricing out the fan) are still present today (2025)
I really enjoyed this book. My grandparents lived near Sir Stanley in his later life and he was always a hero to anyone from Stoke. I enjoyed the information on the beginning of his career and the Second World War especially. I didn’t know there were so many “home” internationals during the war. The Blackpool years were very well covered and among the most satisfying. The critique of the management by the FA through the 1950s was interesting. I wish there was more coverage of Sir Stanley’s post-career in coaching and his work in Soweto (mentioned but not covered in depth). The reflections in “The Way It Was” are where appropriate contrasted with many famous names between the 60s-80s, with also references a to players of “today” (late 1990s when the book was written). Sadly a lot of the problems with football (especially, pricing out the fan) are still present today (2025)
June 26, 2021
If you want a read on how English football was back in the days when football was a working class game with genuine characters and hard game play..this is the one. One of the best and most modest of footballers of all time!
February 7, 2020
A great insight in to how football used to be.
November 24, 2021
From the thirties to the sixties, Sir Stan lived an extraordinary life in football. Brilliant evocations of Blackpool, Stoke and football in general.
April 26, 2023
Fantastic insight into how football was in its early days.
July 25, 2020
An encyclopaedia of football with great insights into the progress of the game. Told from the perspective of one of the greatest products of English football. An absolute must-read for every single football fan. The best football book bar none.
August 11, 2011
Sir Stanley was a truly remarkable footballer who had a career than spanned the thirties, forties, fifties and sixties. Like other great sportsmen, he was truly committed and dedicated to football in a manner for ahead of his time. He was the first footballer of the year, the first footballer to be knighted and played in the top flight in his fifties. Remarkable.
Add to all this his qualities as a human being; he was a humble man with true discretion and did not like to brag about his achievements or be critical of others. He truly is a man to admire.
However, it is these qualities that help to make his autobiography more than a little boring and repetitive. Every time Stan has the opportunity to talk about something controversial he is too much of a gentleman and skates over the issue. What you are left with is nearly forty years' worth of descriptions of football matches, quips made by players and descriptions of contemporary players from each decade.
He was a great, great man - but it's not a great book.
Add to all this his qualities as a human being; he was a humble man with true discretion and did not like to brag about his achievements or be critical of others. He truly is a man to admire.
However, it is these qualities that help to make his autobiography more than a little boring and repetitive. Every time Stan has the opportunity to talk about something controversial he is too much of a gentleman and skates over the issue. What you are left with is nearly forty years' worth of descriptions of football matches, quips made by players and descriptions of contemporary players from each decade.
He was a great, great man - but it's not a great book.
January 15, 2010
One of the greats of the English game, and the first half at least (even for someone who isn't mad about footy such as myself) will leave you yearning for THE golden era in sport that emphasised skill and sportsmanship over corruption, sponsorship deals and financial gain. It helps that Matthews was the archetypal hard-working, honest-to-God working class Northerner... 'No coke n' slags for me son... just fair play!'
This was published shortly before Stanley's death in 2000 (he played right wing from 1932-1970) and thus is as far removed from the slew of bookchart-ghost-written-cash-in biogs as you can get; one of the few football books worth taking a look at I am told on good authority, and probably the last I will ever read!
This was published shortly before Stanley's death in 2000 (he played right wing from 1932-1970) and thus is as far removed from the slew of bookchart-ghost-written-cash-in biogs as you can get; one of the few football books worth taking a look at I am told on good authority, and probably the last I will ever read!
May 2, 2010
Good autobiography from the greatest footballer this country has ever produced.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews