{"title":"Steve Menary","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"outcasts-book-steve-menary-9781905449316","title":"Outcasts!","description":"'Outcasts! The Lands That FIFA Forgot' examines the much tarnished reputation of FIFA, the governing body of world football, and just how they justify the exclusion of some 'nations' from their organisation while welcoming others. For two years, Steve Menary traced the incredible journeys of the teams that FIFA refuse to recognise - either for reasons of political expediency, or because FIFA just believed they could not compete with the likes of Montserrat on the world stage. Intrigued by just why anyone would want to play for such no hoper 'nations', he became drawn into a scene which surprised him in its positive approach to both the beautiful game and nationalism, and eventually resulted in the FIFI (Federation of International Football Independents) 'Wild Cup', featuring teams from officially non-existent countries such as Zanzibar, Greenland, Tibet and Northern Cyprus, being successfully staged in Germany prior to the FIFA World Cup in 2006. Along the way, he discovered the dentist from Greenland who risked his career to play for his 'country', the pitch battle amongst kit manufacturers to sponsor the Tibetan national football team and why the Gibraltan 'national' football team might just force an end to centuries of dispute over the rock between Britain and Spain.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49512127660305,"sku":"GOR001461294","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":49617953161489,"sku":"CIN1905449313A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50235280687377,"sku":"CIN1905449313G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50483075907857,"sku":"CIN1905449313VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51703824220433,"sku":"GOR001987120","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52773749817617,"sku":"GOR008507701","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1905449313.jpg?v=1750996413"},{"product_id":"wales-on-this-day-football-book-steve-menary-9781905411856","title":"Wales On This Day (Football)","description":"Wales On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the nation's footballing past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable Dragons diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From that day in 1876 when Wales visited Scotland to become the third international football nation, right through to the Millennium Stadium era, the red-and-white faithful have witnessed a host of successes in the now-defunct British Championship, plus famous one-off victories, heart-rending near misses and valiant defeats (plus a few less defiant losses) at the Racecourse Ground. Timeless greats such as Ian Rush, Billy Meredith and John Charles, Fred Keenor, Ryan Giggs and Gareth Bale all loom larger than life alongside lesser-known heroes and one-game wonders in a history capped by quarter-final appearances in both the World Cup and the European Championships.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49535352275217,"sku":"GOR004337067","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49617596580113,"sku":"GOR006031887","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50593521303825,"sku":"GOR008443523","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1905411855.jpg?v=1751155352"},{"product_id":"gb-united-book-steve-menary-9781905411924","title":"GB United?","description":"GB United? is the story of the only time that the four parts of the United Kingdom of Great Britain \u0026amp; Northern Ireland managed to settle their differences and play as a team in the Olympic Games. As the book charts the history of a team that played long before the World Cup existed but vanished four decades ago, the story of the lingering death of the amateur ethos in football unfolds. Told through interviews with dozens of players, GB United? is the previously untold history of a team that will reappear again at the London Olympics in 2012 and grab the world's attention.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49559430496529,"sku":"GOR002958890","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51406489846033,"sku":"GOR014261055","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1905411928.jpg?v=1751434908"},{"product_id":"away-leg-book-steve-menary-9781785319877","title":"The Away Leg","description":"Fed up with being stuck at home? Are you missing the excitement and fulfilment of an overseas jaunt for an away football match? The Away Leg: XI Football Stories on the Road takes your imagination on a trip around the world navigated by a skilled team of 11 football writers. From derbies in Brazil, Georgia and Israel to the momentous rise of the Iceland men's national team, from Palestine and North Korea to a UEFA Cup final overshadowed by murder, a controversial Women's World Cup meeting between England and Cameroon, the story of South America's most remarkable Copa Libertadores final and a historic triumph by Arsenal in the UEFA Women's Cup Final, The Away Leg's team takes you to the heart of the action with remarkable tales from across the globe. Until we can all hit the road again, The Away Leg fills the void with incredible football stories, with all author royalties going to the national social care charity Community Integrated Care.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49578227826961,"sku":"GOR011786063","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49742494236945,"sku":"NGR9781785319877","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1785319876.jpg?v=1778147862"},{"product_id":"ireland-on-this-day-football-book-steve-menary-9781905411849","title":"Ireland On This Day (Football)","description":"Ireland On This Day revisits all the most magical and memorable moments from the Republic's footballing past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the Irish Free State's debut at the 1924 Olympics through to the Aviva Stadium era, the green-and-white faithful have witnessed a host of famous international victories and heart-rending near misses at home and abroad. Timeless greats such as Liam Brady, Niall Quinn and Johnny Giles, Packie Bonner, John Aldridge and Noel Cantwell loom larger than life in a history capped by uplifting displays in the World Cup and Euros. Revisit 21 September 1949: the Boys in Green become the first non-UK side to win in England. 18 June 1994: Jack's Army vs. Italy in New York. 23 May 2002: Keano vs. McCarthy...","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49593837977873,"sku":"GOR002967912","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50582303899921,"sku":"GOR008111647","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1905411847.jpg?v=1751155351"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-steve-menary.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}