NEW BOOK ABOUT SPANISH FOOTBALL

[Bandanaman]

Hello there. I'm just wondering whether the following might be of interest to some of you.

I'd become cheesed off by football in England, from where I emigrated to southern Spain two and a half years ago (level playing field and ambition ruined by money; match days too sanitised, forever being eyed by puffed-up jobsworths in orange anoraks replete in their obsessions with 'safety' and itching to pounce), and needed to find engagement in a different corner - which is the title of a book I've just written.

It tells of my travels throughout the length and breadth of Spain to explore its football scene. I was particularly hoping for the match day experience itself to warm the cockles of my heart again, but I also delved into the Spanish game as a whole, its culture and its history. Among the places I took myself to were Santiago (to see how Compostela's fans dealt with their team's spectacular plummet), Bilbao (I think there's something fine about Athletic's steadfast policy in the face of today's football world), and Huelva - the cradle of the game in Spain. Plus - having felt the futility of it all back in England, I wanted to gauge any 'futility factor' over here.
If any of you are interested, here are the details:-

Title:             A DIFFERENT CORNER
Sub-title:       Exploring Spanish Football
Publisher:       Matador
ISBN:            9781848761452
Price:            £7.99

It can be ordered from any bookshop, or bought from any number of internet bookstores, including Amazon.

Cheers,
Richard Brentnall

[Simon]

It looks extremely interesting, Richard.

In what way does it differ from Phil Ball's 'Morbo'?

[Bandanaman]

Hi Simon!
Richard here - and thanks for your interest.
Well, compared with 'Morbo' (a truly great read), my book is written from a different angle. Phil Ball's book was fundamentally an insight into what actually drives the game in Spain, its spiciness based upon regional, historical and political rivalries. It was, if you like, a more 'academic' work than mine. My angle is fundamentally that of a fan and 'A Different Corner' is thus written with the heart of a fan, someone who hoped that in his exploring of Spanish football it would engage him as an antidote to what he'd become fed up with in England. Plus, I took myself to places other than those featured in 'Morbo' - Malaga, Santiago de Compostela and Almeria among others. And one chapter focuses upon the Tercera Division (Spain's fourth level), where I was seeking a particularly 'earthy' experience.
Hope this helps!

All the best,
Richard