90 Minutes from Europe by Simon Turner
It was the summer of 1983. Walsall were preparing for another season in the Third Division when British Airways' advertising people got in touch. The airline were embarking on an innovative promotional campaign and needed the club's help. To show how quickly continental cities could be reached from regional airports, they wanted to feature the team beneath the banner, 'They're only 90minutes away from a place in Europe'. Walsall were the only league club in the West Midlands never to have taken part in a European competition, and even their most ardent supporters didn't expect that to change any time soon. As the new season started, Walsall looked set for relegation, but they soon embarked on a League Cup campaign that saw them defeat Arsenal, stun Liverpool and come closer to reaching Europe than anyone would have dared imagine. Based on interviews with the players and management team from that fondly remembered side, 90 Minutes from Europe is an underdog story to lift the spirits and inspire us all.
Simon Turner's previous works include If Only: An Alternative History of the Beautiful Game, a fiercely original counterfactual history of football, and Walsall Match of My Life, in which Saddlers legends tell the stories behind their most memorable games for the club. Simon lives in Lichfield with his wife Val, daughter Ellie and son Edward, who persists in supporting Aston Villa despite overwhelming evidence that he would be better off following the mighty Saddlers.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781785318740 |
| ISBN 10 | 1785318748 |
| Title | 90 Minutes from Europe |
| Author | Simon Turner |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Pitch Publishing Ltd |
| Year published | 2022-03-14 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |