Go To War Football on the Brink in the ’80s
By Jon Spurling
Set against a backdrop of economic recession, rampant hooliganism and suspect fashion, Go To War tells the story of how triumph and tragedy shaped English football during the 1980s. It was a decade in which some fans died watching the game they loved, and at times, the ‘slum sport’ seemed set to implode. Yet, remarkably, the game was on the cusp of morphing into the behemoth it has become today.
Throughout this explosive book, author Jon Spurling delves into the stories behind the successes and strife at clubs including Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal, investigates the trials and tribulations of the England team and explores how ‘small-town boys’ from Luton, Watford and Wimbledon made their mark. The decade also heralded the arrival of artificial pitches and fanzines, and Spurling introduces us to the new breed of high-profile executives, like Irving Scholar and Martin Edwards, who soon got busy changing the face of football.
Thirty years in the making, Go To War draws heavily on interviews conducted with ’80s icons including Terry Butcher, Graeme Sharp and Ray Wilkins, managerial legends like Howard Kendall and Bobby Robson and FA Cup heroes Ricky Villa and Norman Whiteside. Like its precursor, the bestselling Get It On: How the ’70s Rocked Football, Go To War provides a unique insight into a pivotal footballing decade.
Reviews
"A tremendously readable chronicle of English football in its darkest age, brimming with evocative anecdotes. From the violence on the terraces to the high drama on the pitch, GO TO WAR perfectly captures the atmosphere of the 1980s. I enjoyed it enormously.”
Dominic Sandbrook
“A beautifully crafted book on a pivotal footballing era.”
Jim Rosenthal
“Jon Spurling’s eye for detail and character make him the perfect writer to chronicle a decade when football was about so much more than what happened on the pitch. Not just the best book I’ve read about ’80s football but one of the best I’ve read about ’80s Britain.”
Josh Widdicombe
“A fascinating track-back to English football’s darkest decade, before Premier League opulence. Packed with insights and anecdotes on an era the game tries to forget.”
Paul Hayward
“Go To War takes you right back to a confrontational and combative decade. Fantastic reading, albeit with a big heap of disappointment and regret for ’86.”
Terry Butcher
“An enthralling book. As with his previous work, Spurling’s writing is elevated by a superb eye for detail. This is much more than a nostalgia trip, as so much of it stays in the memory long after you’ve put it down.”
Miguel Delaney
“Forget the opposition. Sometimes the biggest problems you can face in football can be found in your own backyard. Jon Spurling’s excellent work is a sad, informative and brilliantly explained indictment of English football in the 1980s and a salutary history lesson to those dewy-eyed, nostalgic amnesiacs for the ‘good ol’ days’, which were anything but.”
Guillem Balagué
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- Hardback, 416 pages
- ISBN: 9781785907494
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29 October 2024
Available to pre-order - £20.00
- eBook
- ISBN: 9781785909443
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29 October 2024
Available to pre-order - £14.99