"An enlightening, entertaining account of the history and culture around the Premier League and wider arena of English club football."
Rather than being a blow-by-blow chronological history of the Premier League, Jimmy Burns’ The Premier is a fascinating episodic presentation of pivotal moments from the world’s most popular football league, both on and off the pitch. Mixing up detail on particular matches with thoughts from fellow journalists, and stories from players, managers and fans, this is a “colourful history of English Club football”, to quote the author’s intentions as laid out in the first chapter.
Interesting juxtapositions of notable players like Stanley Matthews and Gazza. Lioness success and Wagatha Christie mystery. Boozy pre-match bonding with fellow supporters, and accounts of how England fans have “a proven track record of exporting their worst habits” — The Premier is as diversely intriguing as the league itself. Unsurprisingly, money is covered too, including the quickly quashed 2021 proposal for a European Super League.
Personal, lively and loaded with memory-sparking nuggets, it’s a thought-provoking read for football fans, thanks to its even-handed coverage of even the less-than-beautiful aspects of the beautiful game.
| Primary Genre | Sports |
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