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The Secret Life of Twickenham Chris Jones

The Secret Life of Twickenham By Chris Jones

The Secret Life of Twickenham by Chris Jones


$11.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 3 left

Summary

With such a colourful and celebrated history The Secret Life of Twickenham will dig deeper into its history to reveal the many men and women, cutting across all social backgrounds, jobs, and positions within the RFU who have helped to build this iconic stadium into a globally recognised brand.

The Secret Life of Twickenham Summary

The Secret Life of Twickenham: The Story of Rugby Union's Iconic Fortress, The Players, Staff and Fans by Chris Jones

Twickenham Stadium is rightly venerated as the home of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). While it may bask in this fame, the stadium' s beginnings were very humble. The land it was built upon was purchased in 1907 and would subsequently become the home to the Harlequins who would play the first ever match against Richmond.

The first England test match didn' t take place until 1910 and a home win ensured things got off on the right footing but cows, sheep and horses would be grazing on the pitch just four years later as the stadium became a farm during the First World War. The first Varsity match was played in December 1921, by which time the popularity of Twickenham had soared. Extra accommodation was created in the North Stand, built in 1925 by the legendary football stadium architect, Archibald Leitch. By 1931, the famous ' Twickenham Look' had come about.

When the Second World War arrived, the ground became a Civil Defence depot, and the closest it got to being hit by enemy action was in July 1944 when a V1 flying bomb fell in the front garden of a house opposite the West Gate, injuring sixteen people. The car park was dug up and - appropriately given its original use - turned into allotments to generate much needed fresh food for the locals. The stadium today is at the heart of a multi-million pound business that the RFU controls, but how does it generate so much money from this one plot of land?

With such a colourful and celebrated history The Secret Life of Twickenham will dig deeper into it' s history to reveal the many men and women, cutting across all social backgrounds, jobs, and positions within the RFU who have helped to build this iconic stadium into a globally recognised brand. It will reveal to all fans of rugby union the true history of the most iconic sports stadium in the British Isles with a compendium of facts, dates, figures and revealing anecdotes of England' s sporting fortress.

The Secret Life of Twickenham Reviews

'This is a fascinating and illuminating insight into Twickenham, the greatest rugby stadium in the World.'


'Fascinating book. The colourful characters who have worked at Twickenham down the years tell their extraordinary stories in print for the first time and there are eyebrow-raising facts at every turn.'


'This is a fascinating and illuminating insight into Twickenham, the greatest rugby stadium in the World.'

'Fascinating book. The colourful characters who have worked at Twickenham down the years tell their extraordinary stories in print for the first time and there are eyebrow-raising facts at every turn.'

About Chris Jones

CHRIS JONES has reported every Rugby World Cup for the Evening Standard since 1987 and is celebrating 30 years of covering England at international level in November 2013. A former Chairman of the Rugby Union Writers' Club and the Lawn Tennis Writers' Association. He was a member of the 1995 Rugby World Cup Media Organising Committee. He lives in London.

Additional information

GOR007366515
9781781313282
1781313288
The Secret Life of Twickenham: The Story of Rugby Union's Iconic Fortress, The Players, Staff and Fans by Chris Jones
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Aurum Press
2015-08-06
272
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - The Secret Life of Twickenham