Author Archive

Anyone who really knows me will understand that I have a love of books…if not of Christmas!
On that basis and using that formula I was (half-) excited to get some suggestions from our friends at Stanchion Books. If these recommendations are of interest, get in touch with them direct. Enjoy.

A Season with Verona

“A Season with Verona” is without doubt doubt one of my favourite books. It combines most of the things I love in life – groundhopping, football, Italy and a healthy dose of social comment. I have gone on to read much of what Parks has written in English and much of his Italian-language content. We swap the odd comment on Facebook etc. The Guardian says, “A Season with Verona, the cult classic by Tim Parks, charted the highs and lows of a year spent following Hellas Verona, an unfashionable provincial club.”
Think Fever Pitch with deeper perspectives or the “Netflix Bank Under Siege” with a smoother storyline AND deeper perspectives. Many will have read “Miracle of Castel di Sangro” and there are parallels but whereas McGinniss plays at understanding football, Parks DOES understand football and has a genuine passion for everything that happens off the field as well as enjoying our “Beautiful Game.”

Stanchion says, “Is Italy a united country, or a loose affiliation of warring states? Is Italian football a sport, or an ill-disguised protraction of ancient enmities?

Tim Parks goes on the road to follow the fortunes of Hellas Verona football club, to pay a different kind of visit to some of the world’s most beautiful cities. This is a highly personal account of one man’s relationship with a country, its people and its national sport. A book that combines the pleasures of travel writing with a profound analysis of one country’s mad, mad way of keeping itself entertained.”

Absolute 10/10 recommendation. Check here

On an Italian theme…..

More than Maradona : The Birth, Death and Rebirth of SSC Napoli

“This first English-language history of one of Italy’s most popular teams appeals to both supporters and newcomers alike, revealing the reasons so many are smitten with SSC Napoli, even before they won their third title.

Diego Maradona spent less than seven seasons with Napoli, but during that time the Italian club soared to its greatest heights, winning the Serie A title twice and the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italia, and UEFA Cup once.

Until very recently, for most soccer lovers, the Partenopei story begins and ends with Maradona. Yet Napoli’s history is packed with fascinating figures, from owners to players to the legend-turned-sport-director who brought in the beloved deity.

More than Maradona highlights this cast of characters, spotlights the side’s most intriguing years, and ties both back to the history and culture of Naples, a rare one-club town. Primarily written prior to the 2023 scudetto, the book concludes with an ecstatic finale covering the season in which Napoli dominated Serie A.”

This is my present to myself. I reserve judgement. I do not know how much Italian she speaks and to understand Italian football I would argue you would need to be comfortable. Does she speak the local Neapolitan language – this is the language of Gli Ultras del Napoli – the clubs fanatical supporters (again see Netflix) Order the book on Stanchion

It is getting TOWARDS (we’re not there yet!) “that” time of the year and as always I remember that Noddy Holder is famous for two things. Firstly “that” chant, “It’s Chhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhristmasssss” and secondly, but more importantly because they supported The Shirt Project way back in 2009. A close friend, Mike Haynes from Coys Cars in Alicante knew them from their schooldays and got Bjorn a signed shirt. Top guys.

In other news, Gillingham beat the plastics in Milton Keynes and we now find ourselves just two points outside the play-offs whilst FC Deportivo Galicia got a huge win at Staines & Lammas in Addlestone. To say it was cold is an understatement but I saw brass monkeys wearing multiple layers of thermals. The Bard himself, Mr Wm. Shakespeare wrote about Abbey Rangers’ ground in King Lear, “This blighted-heath.” He could also have noted the almost total lack of public transport but I guess he was more concerned about pizza. “Pizza, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eyesight, space, and liberty; Beyond what can be valued, rich or rare; No less than life, with grace, health, beauty, honour; As much as child e’er loved, or father found A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable. Beyond all manner of so much I love you.” Thought that summed up my thoughts on pizza quite well.

Thinking of my love-hate relationship with the Combined Counties League, I continue, “Time shall unfold what plights cunning hides; who covers faults, at last with shame derides. Well may you prosper.’

Darren has been on his travels again and I’d encourage you to check his video at Rugby Borough where he claims it was cold too. I bet my brass monkeys are colder than his.

Christian is on his travels too but in his case he’s checking the charms of Bella Napoli! Yes, he is in sunny Italy in the city where Maradona is still deified. Buon viaggio, amico. Bring us a slice of pizza. Naples – The Birthplace of Pizza and therefore the most important city on the planet. I won’t quote Mr Sh again but you get the picture! In other news, Christian has been practising his David Attenboroughs. In an award ceremony more important than the Oscars, Emmies and Baftas combined, we have a winner! “I was incredibly excited and nervous to attend the Football Content Awards at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. To be nominated as a finalist was amazing but to come out on top and pick up the gold was beyond words. I still can’t believe it today, forever grateful. Here’s to 2025 and lots more non league content.”

…and so say all of us. Well done, champion. I note with a certain amount of irony that he is not the only person to come away from the Tottenham Hotspur stadium with a big win recently. I also ponder whether that’s the only silverware that will be seen in North London this season!

To round up, thanks to those who have supported O-M in his quest to collect 4,600 programmes. That is ONE programme, PER club, PER season from 1967 onwards. I think we filled almost 400 gaps in the last fortnight. Thanks to everyone. If you want to assist just ping him on Facebook.

A few months ago I met a most interesting gentleman on FB. I can’t claim to be a devotee of the platform nor its enigmatic Mr Zuckerberg but meeting O-M made up for the breakfast photos and Magat posts. You want me to block you? Share a Magat lie, a voxista mantra or anything positive about the Tories.

O-M has a fascinating project and I was delighted when he let me get involved. He explains, “Right (said Fred)… I started collecting programmes back in 1979. A friend of mine gave me a birthday present: 1974 Southampton v Chelsea programme. I got hooked instantly. At that time I was about one of the three people (that I knew of) who collected programmes in Finland. Anyhow, the number of people collecting in Finland has not increased too much. I have always been the village fool and annoying person asking for favours. First we went to the local bank to exchange money. We got two pounds every time, ordered about 10 programmes and were happy with that. Also ordered some bundles from Steve Earl. Later I started to concentrate on some particular teams, Liverpool, FC Cologne, Hammarby and also Finnish teams in Europe as well as Finnish national team.

However, I have always collected everything. So, one night about 2-3 years ago I did an Excel spreadsheet as I wanted to get one programme form every 92 league club. Sounded like an easy task. Until I did that spreadsheet. Well, here we are. I am very willing to give plenty of Finnish programmes if there’s someone interested.”

So, O-M’s project is very simple or is the word “easy?” In a nutshell, he wants to collect ONE programme per club per season from 1967-68 until 2016-2017. basic maths is 92×50 =4600 programmes. O-M is then digitalising them for posterity and creating a unique history of the Beautiful Game. But more …. it is a social history. The boom in attendances after the 1966 World Cup, the afternoon games during the three-day week, the Thatcher years and the hatred she spread, Heysel, Hillsborough and the Taylor Report going through to New Labour and Cool Britannia.

I could not not wait to be involved and have been collecting for a couple of months now. I have probably 300 going off this week and hopefully the same next week. I think we both see the “end” in sight so I am reaching out to any of you who would like to help him. If you can fill any of the gaps, he’d be delighted to hear from you. He’s asking for nothing for free and is happy to offer Finnish programmes in exchange. Equally I am happy to offer 2 or 3 for 1 for every gap we fill. Therein lies one of the challenges. The first time I walked into a Post Office in London, the guy shook his head and said £72! Postage is expensive to Finland and there are customs/taxes to be paid there too. (Brexiteers repent!) So, the easiest is to send it to me from the UK and I will send forward yours together with all the others. I have found a “PostMySuitcase” service at £24 for up to 20kgs to Finland so that’s my preferred method. In the UK, the best value is probably DPD “Shop to Shop” at £2.99+vat for 10+ programmes or Royal Mail for any less. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not use Evri. The service here in London is worse than diabolical. Likewise O-M will send one parcel to me and I will forward it to you. Please email me at steve {.at}theshirt2010.co.uk or catch O-M direct on FB

Of course, there is a whole story more about whether programmes are dead or an integral part of the matchday experience! See The Guardian

Well, today’s the day! I am really delighted to announce that Clare McEwen’s first book is published today. I have been following the word count closely and have blogged about it on TheShirt2010 so it is exciting to hear that it is LIVE!

She says, “News: Publication day is finally here

After several years of planning in my head, and over a year of researching and writing, “She Can Kick It: The History of Women’s Football Across the Word via a Girl in Love with the Beautiful Game” is finally out on Amazon to buy. Paperback and Kindle versions are available:

Paperback – https://amzn.eu/d/hS3xbDn
Kindle – https://amzn.eu/d/hdrxYWM

I’ve been nervous for the past couple of weeks waiting for today, and it’s possible I may actually explode today. I can’t decide whether to stress by the laptop waiting to see if anyone buys it or get myself outside and as far away from it as possible.

Although when I started this project, it was purely so I could tick “write a book” off my bucket list, it seems to have grown in momentum and now I feel pressure to sell a few copies. Hopefully, some will sell today to ease my anxiety. 

If any of you buy it today, please let me know by emailing me here claremcewen@gmail.com or messaging me on Instagram @claremcwrites 

And thank you, dear subscribers, for all your support over the past year. This newsletter will be continuing and now it can be less about me and more about the book in the wild and the stories of those that built the foundations of women’s football.”

I have written previously about the decision to abandon the practice of FA Cup replays. The decision was taken at the behest of clubs who would never need to be involved in the First and Second rounds but the FA capitulated again to the demands of the “Big Clubs.” Well the second round was this weekend and a couple of non-league clubs managed to get through whilst a handful did themselves proud!

The draw for round three has been made and Arsenal must be disappointed. Their season is over! Liverpool pulling away in the league and the prospect of being embarrassed by a resurgent Manchester United in the Third Round of the cup. Spare a thought also for Pep. Just when he thought things could not get worse, he is thrown a massive banana skin with a tie against Salford. To be fair, I have been impressed with how he has faced this mini crisis. Unlike Wenger and Arteta, he has not trotted out every excuse on the planet. I wish him well.

Full draw….

(I don’t think Nil Nil Harris at Millwall will take Dagenham & Redbridge for granted. He is too wily for that.
I think that’s the game I will go to. Could be a real scrap on the pitch from beginning to end. Nice one for Accrington Stanley. Hope they get a decent payday.)

There is a nice competition to win tickets.

Check this out

Meanwhile our intrepid travellers have been out and about. Darren Ashley was as Amersham Town which I rate as one of my favourite step 4- step 6 grounds. See his report here and Christian has been asking all the right questions at Leek Town in Staffordshire. You can see his review here.



Christian also has a nice Christmas Raffle coming up and I will be donating some match tickets. If you can either donate or want tickets, shout him here

“Don’t they know it’s Christmas time at all?” Well, it currently isn’t in my book although I see Tesco disagrees with me but Sunday is the 1st of December so I think it is safe to spotlight the Christmas Programme fair in Kensington.

The organiser, Barry Dixey tells me that it is shaping up to the biggest ever. It is completely sold out and we even have an international exhibitor….. all the way from Poland! Lee Hermitage from N W M Football will have only a small selection of his stock on display and Les Easterbrook will have a huge display of badges available. Top guys. They can even talk music to you! Ray Margetson has launched a new book this week and I am hoping to catch up with him for an interview. Watch this space.

Andy Trailer from Cobblers Collectibles is back with plenty of non league programmes, pre 1960 league programmes, badges and pennants. Mark Barnes is a co-organiser and has a special offer on shirts. He asks that you let him know in advance if you are looking for anything special so he can be sure to bring it. His number is on the poster, above.

Long-follower of The Shirt Project and even longer football fan (Kingstonian, I approve of that!) has kindly sent me an update of his London tours. He has many years’ experience at some of the biggest grounds in the country as well as more general tours. If anybody is thinking of a tour in London whether it be football or non-football related, I recommend giving him a ping. I am sure you will be delighted.

He says, ” I am currently focusing on Changing of The Guard tours as well as my unique Ted Lasso tours which are both proving very popular with locals and tourists alike. I am building out a royal walk on non guard change days and a Jack the Ripper a couple of nights a week. The big interest at this time of year is Christmas so for the first year, I am hosting a Christmas Lights tour. People are surprised that there are so many streets/areas with beautiful lights and I aim to show them that some of the best aren’t in the most famous spots. It is an easy walk and if guests wish we can always finish in a traditional English pub for a beer, coffee or even something seasonal. I don’t have a dedicated page for those tours yet so please contact me direct and we can discuss what you are looking for.

Football? Well it has been forty years of my life. I have worked at the London Stadium, Selhurst Park, Stamford Bridge and Wembley and am pretty up on London football without being too partisan. Unlike Steve, I can mention Arsenal without going into an absolute meltdown and am happy to tour a ground with you and have a coffee talking over the past 100 years of English football. Just ping me and we can progress.”

Thanks Richard.

BIG NEWS coming in from Cambridge City FC. Sean Coxon kindly replied to me and sent this excellent update.

After an 11-year wait, Cambridge City FC are finally coming home! 

 

We are thrilled to announce that after years of determination and resilience, Cambridge City FC now has a new home. Since that pivotal day when the City Ground at Milton Road was sold, the club has faced challenge after challenge, but thanks to the tenacity of the Supporters Trust, club owners, and investors, the wait is finally over.

 

A brand-new stadium has been constructed on the outskirts of Cambridge in Sawston, designed with the spirit of the old City Ground in mind. This project hasn’t been without its own battles, but we’re delighted to see it through to a point where we can start to play football there.

 

Mark your calendars: Saturday, November 30th marks the beginning of a new era, as we host Tilbury FC in the Isthmian North division. With former Premier League striker Jamie Cureton at the helm, the Lilywhites are poised for an exciting future. Along with a potential new fan base, this move offers the club a chance to grow and establish financial independence—marking the start of a bright new chapter.

 

The club would like to go on record to offer our sincere thanks to both St Ives Town FC and Histon FC, who have supported us with ground share arrangements over the past 11 seasons.   Without them it would have been very difficult to continue to and their generosity of spirit is greatly appreciated.

 

Words from Our Team

 

Alice Dewey, General Manager:

“As a lifelong City fan, becoming General Manager is a dream come true—especially now, as we finally have this chance to bring Cambridge City FC back to its former glories. It’s been a long slog and a long learning curve for me but we finally have light at the end of the tunnel and I can’t wait to get started”

 

Kevin Satchell, Chairman:

“This new stadium is a huge step forward for us. We dreamed of watching City in its own home again, and despite the obstacles, we are finally making that dream a reality. This is a proud day for me, my family, and all the City fans who have supported us through thick and thin.”

 

Jamie Cureton, First Team Manager:

“We’re thrilled to be here with Cambridge City FC. From our first meeting with the board, we were impressed by their vision and ambition to see this club rise to the higher levels of non-league football and beyond. I hope my experience in the game can help bring this vision to life.”

Our Vision for the Future

This stadium is just the beginning. While the turnstiles  are open, we’re still working on the internal fit-out of the main stand, which will soon include a restaurant and bar available year-round, and an executive lounge for matchday guests, events, and meetings.

 

Additionally, we’re excited to prioritize sustainability and create opportunities for young people. The club’s new academy is set to launch in September 2025, offering young players a path to a sports science qualification alongside their football training—a vital resource for nurturing local talent. We’ll bring you more information on this soon.

 

In the meantime, we can’t wait to welcome you all to the FWD/IP Community Stadium  for a taste of what is to come.

 

We are releasing a Sawston Season Ticket at a reduced rate of  £120 for adults & £60 for Concessions (Overs 65s & Students 16-18 ) This is for our 14 remaining home games.

 

Regular match day pricing is £10 adults, £5 concessions and all Under 16s are FREE

BUY YOUR MATCH TICKETS HERE

BUY A SEASON TICKET HERE

 

For all enquiries, please contact Alice Dewey, General Manager – alice.dewey@cambridgecityfc.com

Yes, lots of updates after a week in bed where a season ticket to Arsenal would have seemed preferable a few times. See below. First, let’s look at an exciting offer from my Facebook friend, Kevin aka King Overman. He says, “ I’m giving out free art to Man Utd fans 

Yes, really. I’m giving away prints from my art series ‘Dreams’, celebrating Manchester United’s iconic players.

I took up art in 2021 to rebuild my life after cancer. It has been a whirlwind ride with viral videos on Tiktok, selling paintings to a Hollywood director and an exhibition in New York.

Now I want to connect with people here at home. So I’ve set up this crazy plan to share my art with as many people as possible. I don’t know how long I can do this for, so grab yours while they are available 

https://prints.KingOverman.com/dreams

All the details about the offer and myself are there. Thanks for your time,

Kevin, aka King Overman” 

Well, that is as exciting as it is generous and I look forward to United players on my office wall. This afternoon we welcome the 456789th manager since Sir Alex and as always there is a feeling of hope and anticipation. Looking at the squad at his disposal you have to think “Sow’s purse, pig’s ear. ” Good luck, Ruben Amorim.

Meanwhile Gillingham continue to underperform and we lose at home AGAIN. This time we had the lead but lost to the mighty Harrogate Town. If we are to get promotion, these are three point games. I think that one point in seven games reminds me why I was not convinced that Bonner was the answer. Meanwhile Neil Harris and Millwall march on and Steve Clemence works wonders at Barrow. Oh well, hope springs eternal. FC Deportivo Galicia secured a hard fought 1-1 draw against high-flying Holmer Green and we are now unbeaten in four. Yay!

As for Darren, he was out again yesterday in the Midlands and Christian has been picking up a prestige award. He claims to be totally blown over, so if anybody is near the Medway, please pick him up.

As always, unless you are an Arsenal fan, have a great week. I know how grateful you are to your dear friends on White Hart Lane for their amazing (and deserved!) 4-0 victory at Manchester City. Spurs in the top six at this time of the season. “The Miracle of Christmas.”

Essex Retro Football & Cricket Show

“So here it is, this is Christmas (nearly.) Everybody’s having fun.
Let’s look at Arsenal. Yepp, they’re on the run.”

So, it is (nearly) that time of year where people put out their Christmas stockings, Gillingham fans start talking about “next season we will…” and Arsenal fans brood about VAR, refs, wrong type of grass, wrong colour ball and amuse everyone with variation number 34567890 on Wenger excuses. Spurs fans starting selling tickets to the annual, “Arsenal have blown it again Party.” They ignore that they are also looking at a season without silverware but mumble darkly about the Carabao cup or such nonsense.

More importantly it is the Essex Retro Football & Cricket Show at the unique venue of Chelmsford cricket ground, the home of Essex County Cricket Club. Great venue and a 10 minute walk from the railway station which offers easy access to London and, well, Essex!

I caught up with the organiser, Greg Lansdowne, yesterday and he told me,

“Steve, The latest Essex Retro Football & Cricket Show takes place at the Cloud County Ground in Chelmsford this Sunday November 17th.

On the back of the successful event in June, football and cricket nostalgists get another chance to come together at the home of Essex Cricket.

A wide range of stallholders will have plenty of Christmas present ideas, from books to programmes, shirts to cards and photos to magazines.

I will also be signing copies of my latest book, Panini Legends, published this month (November 7^th).

Greg said: “The upcoming Essex Retro Football & Cricket Show promises to offer a trip down memory lane for those who love the winter and summer games.”

Entry is free, pavilion doors open at 10.30am and a fully-licensed bar will operate throughout (show ends 2pm). The Essex Cricket Museum will also be open on the day, for one final chance to see the Nasser Hussain exhibition.”

I know Lee Hermitage of NW Middlesex Football Programmes is looking forward to his day out. He has a huge collection of complete seasons football programmes and, as always, they will be at fair/fare prices. The pun is my idea!) Other favourites of mine include Welling Collectables, Groundtastic and Cobblers Collectibles.

Further details are available on greglansdowne.co.uk and updates will appear on the Essex Retro Football & Cricket Show page on Facebook and @panini_book on X.

See you all there.

Edit: In the interests of not upsetting Port Vale fans, I have not written about Gillingham’s first win in seven on Saturday. I know they are confident that they will waltz the league but if you lose to a team that has one point from eighteen, I can only but wonder!