{"product_id":"random-history-of-football-book-colin-murray-9781409103769","title":"A Random History of Football","description":"'A real knock-out' DAILY TELEGRAPH  Random occurences that shaped the history of football - an alternative history of the game from loveable broadcaster Colin Murray.  Nowadays a top Premiership football club can spend £50 million on a Portuguese pin-up or a legendary Italian goalkeeper, but you cannot take into account the effects of a dodgy takeaway meal, a dropped bottle of aftershave on a goalkeeper's toe, or the fact that your most creative player has to leave town because of a chance drunken encounter with another player's wife. It is these random moments that have shaped football as much as the headline-grabbing Cantona kung fu kick and that Russian linesman in 1966. In this witty alternative history of football you will learn:  * Different sizes of football were used in each half of the inaugural World Cup Final of 1930. * Sheffield United almost signed Diego Maradona. * Saddam Hussein changed the result of an Iraq versus Chelsea match. * Bury FC's Robbie the Bobby tops the league of worst-behaved mascots.  From the height of international football to the scandal of the Conference league Christmas party that cost far more than a bar-bill, Colin Murray tries his best to make you believe, once more, in football's unpredictability.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49582399160593,"sku":"GOR002566445","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49606443958545,"sku":"GOR012572946","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49660807217425,"sku":"GOR004283762","price":10.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52534350053649,"sku":"NLS9781409103769","price":31.79,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1409103765.jpg?v=1750954741","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/products\/random-history-of-football-book-colin-murray-9781409103769","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}