Richer Than God: Manchester City, Modern Football and Growing Up - Softcover

Conn, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0857384872 ISBN 13: 9780857384874

Publisher: Quercus Publishing, 2012

Synopsis

Richer Than God is an authoritative, provocative, investigative account of Manchester City's history, culminating in its transformation as Sheikh Mansour seeks to spend the formerly miserable Manchester club into the European elite. When Conn asked an American working in Abu Dhabi whether its economy had been at all affected by the global recession, he said: 'My friend, we're richer than God'. It is also a tale of innocence: that of a six-year-old boy transfixed by his sky-blue heroes, coming of age as a writer with the mature understanding that both his club and the game are businesses. Why should modern football continue to claim the unquestioning loyalty of fans, when there is so much in the game to question?

About this title

Review

'A brilliant analysis of Abu Dhabi-era Manchester City, English football and post-industrial UK. I loved it' Independent. (Independent)

'a warm memoir of life growing up as a City fan ... an engaging read, whichever team you happen to support' Sport magazine. (Sport magazine)

'Always gripping, Richer Than God's story of heartbreak and passion is one that any football fan can identify with, and is an essential read for those who wish to be shown the brutal machinations of the modern game ... Lifelong City supporter David Conn relates an extraordinary tale of industrial decline and global deal making' Big Issue. (Big Issue)

'no other journalist has pursued the story so exhaustively ... passionately made' Guardian.

'A must read' The Times.

(The Times)

'City fans ought to devour Conn's story of their club, and, for those interested in the current state of English football, it's equally indispensable' Independent on Sunday. (Independent on Sunday)

'combines quite brilliantly a tribute to all that his club have achieved while unravelling how the super-wealthy owners are a major part of all that is wrong with football today' Morning Star. (Morning Star)

'Few have written as intelligently and passionately about the voodoo economics of modern football as Guardian journalist David Conn' New Statesman. (New Statesman)

'It is a beautifully evocative description not only of City's turbulent recent history, but also of the trials and troubles of Manchester itself' Manchester Evening News. (Manchester Evening News)

'More forensic than Hornby's classic [Fever Pitch], it benefits from the author's instinctive knowledge of when to zoom in on his own involvement and when to pull back for the bigger picture' Guardian. (Guardian)

From the Back Cover

Richer Than God tells the story of English football's transformation - from the battlegrounds of the 1980s to today's moneyed, seated, global entertainment. Conn weaves this account into his own journey from childhood fan of Manchester City to investigating the club's extraordinary takeover by Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi. This heartfelt narrative captures the passion people have for their football clubs, while questioning the values and running of what used to be called 'the people's game'. A labour of love based on meticulous research over many years, and exclusive access and interviews with key figures, Richer Than God is written in the gripping, revelatory style Conn has made his trademark.

About this edition

• Publisher: Quercus Publishing
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0857384872
• ISBN 13: 9780857384874
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432