The Glory Game by Hunter Davies is a detailed examination of the players, coach, and strategies of a football team. The Glory Game is a book that has stood the test of time. More than four decades after its initial release, it is still considered a classic of sports literature and is widely read by fans of football and lovers of great writing alike.

Even though I have read bits and pieces about Hampstead Heath, a couple of books on the people that head to the ponds on a regular or daily basis to take a dip and it has come up in books on spies, both fictional and real-life examples. My mum and dad are both Londoners and I have been there many many times. But I have never been there. There is no way that a writer these days could possibly do what I did in The Glory Game,” explains Hunter Davies. “He or she wouldn’t be able to get past the minefield of agents, lawyers and officials.” Before his more famous tactical opus Inverting the Pyramid, Wilson’s first book offered a fascinating peek behind the Iron Curtain into Eastern Europe. Dedicating a chapter per country, or former super-state in the case of former Yugoslav states, Behind the Curtain shows just how influential politics has been on football in Europe’s outposts. From dictatorial influence in Romania with Nicola Ceausescu to the disintegration of Yugoslavia and descent into genocidal civil war, there are stories aplenty. Davies also spends a significant amount of time discussing the tactics used by Bill Nicholson. He provides detailed descriptions of the training sessions and the drills that were used to prepare the team for games. He also explains the tactics used in each game and how they were adjusted throughout the season. This gives readers a better understanding of the strategic thinking that goes into football and how it can make a difference on the field.In his book, The Glory Game, Hunter Davies takes readers on a journey through the 1971-72 season of Tottenham Hotspur football club. While the book is primarily a chronicle of the team's on-field successes and failures, Davies also delves into the personal lives of the players and the challenges they face both on and off the field. The Glory Game, written by Hunter Davies, is a book that provides an in-depth look at the players, the coach, and the tactics used by Tottenham Hotspur during the 1971-72 season. This book is considered to be one of the best sports books of all time, and for good reason. It provides an unparalleled insight into the workings of a football team and the personalities involved. Yet what sets The Soccer Syndrome apart from most first-person accounts on the beautiful game is how he lifts the mundane football occurrence to something vivid and unique. “We play what might be called LSD soccer,” Moynihan wrote of Sunday League football, of which he was a keen advocate, “a pleasure only for the participants.” Perhaps the most interesting aspect of The Glory Game, however, is the insight it provides into the day-to-day workings of a football club. Davies spent a season with Tottenham Hotspur, attending training sessions, team meetings, and matches. He was able to witness firsthand how the team prepared for games, how they analyzed their opponents, and how they dealt with both success and failure. HUNTER DAVIES is the author of the only ever authorised biography of The Beatles, still in print in almost every country in the world. In 2012 he edited The Lennon Letters, published in 20 different foreign countries, and in 2014 The Beatles Lyrics. He wrote the first book about the Quarrymen. Plus forty other non-Beatly books, including novels, biographies, travel and children’s books. As a journalist, he has a column in the Sunday Times about money and in the New Statesman about football.

Armitstead, Claire (8 February 2016). "Margaret Forster, award-winning author, dies at 77". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 18 January 2017. Written by Hunter Davies, The Glory Game is a behind-the-scenes look at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club during the 1971-72 season. Davies, who was given unprecedented access to the club's players, coaches, and management, provides a fascinating insight into the day-to-day workings of a professional football club. McDonagh, Melanie (12 February 2016). "Hunter Davies: 'As long as I live she'll be with me' ". London Evening Standard . Retrieved 18 January 2017. Each chapter takes us to a specific place beginning of course with the swimming ponds. We meet some of the characters on the heath from the dog walkers to the rich and famous and the hippies that are using the space for their own particular ends. There are several visits to the pubs, he wanders along the pergola, a generally unknown spot as well as visits to the sheep that are making an appearance now.

One of the most striking aspects of Davies' writing is his ability to humanize the players. He doesn't portray them as larger-than-life figures, but rather as regular people with families, personal struggles, and insecurities. For example, he writes about the pressure that star player Jimmy Greaves faced to perform on the field, as well as his battles with alcoholism and depression off the field. Edward Hunter Davies OBE is an author, journalist and broadcaster, and a former editor for the Sunday Times of London. He is the author of numerous books, including The Glory Game and the only authorised biography of the Beatles. He was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, to Scottish parents. For four years his family lived in Dumfries until Davies was aged 11. Pure nostalgia it may be, but this book has aged well. Seldom has the beautiful game’s essence been better captured. Andy Murray

Despite its age, The Glory Game remains relevant today. Football has changed significantly since the early 1970s, but the human drama that plays out on the pitch is eternal. The book is a timeless reminder of the passion, dedication, and sacrifice that goes into being a professional footballer. Another key factor in Tottenham's success during the late 1970s was the quality of its players. The team was blessed with a number of talented individuals, including the likes of Glenn Hoddle, Steve Perryman, and Ossie Ardiles. Davies provides an in-depth look at each of these players, describing their strengths and weaknesses, and how they contributed to the team's success. Davies was married to the writer Margaret Forster from 1960 [14] until her death in 2016. Their daughter Caitlin Davies is also an author. From 1963, the family lived in the north London district of Dartmouth Park. [15] [16]Nantes: “All they have to do is play it simple. That’s the answer, but they won’t do it. When you get into difficulties, when the opposing team are doing well and not letting you do anything, all you do is play it very simple and things go your way.” This book was insufferable. I wanted to hurl it across the room. Shame on the publishers who let this go to the printing press. Seriously, I am amazed this got released. Davies joined the sixth form at Carlisle Grammar School and was awarded a place at University College, Durham to read for an honours degree in History, but after his first year he switched to a general arts course. He gained his first writing experience as a student, contributing to the university newspaper, Palatinate, where one of his fellow student journalists was the future fashion writer Colin McDowell. [2] After completing his degree course he stayed on at Durham for another year to gain a teaching diploma and avoid National Service. [3] Writing career [ edit ]

Davies explores the personal struggles and triumphs of football players both on and off the field in The Glory Game. Football in the 1970s was a completely different beast, and that shows not only in the game and the style of play but the players and coaches themselves. As other people have pointed out, there is racism, there is homophobia, there is a lot of misogyny (Bill Nicholson doesn't let his wife go to games, for example). I hate to use the phrase 'a product of its time' and these things can't and shouldn't be excused. But I suppose they also have to be read in their context, which is contemporary attitudes and also Hunter Davies meticulously transcribing and noting down every single thing that happens.

The Glory Game: A Timeless Sports Masterpiece

The Glory Game is a book that provides an in-depth account of the inner workings of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club during the 1971-72 season, including the players, managers, and board members. You give a single solitary shit about Hunter Davies or his myriad, meandering bigoted pontifications, ancient memories, humble brags or celebrity namedrops. KEITH BADMAN is an author, journalist and film and video archives researcher. He has written or contributed to ten books about popular music, including four on The Beatles, and been a columnist for Record Collector magazine for 20 years. He assisted with the archive film and video research on The Beatles Anthology series.