Reading Age: 12+
Some interesting snippets from this football book:
Dortmund v Schalke:
[Notable Incident] In 1969, a German shepherd dog Rex took a bite out of Schalke player Freidel Rausch’s behind, and his team-mate Gerd Neuser was bitten on the thigh. Rausch was able to carry on after getting vaccinated for rabies by the team doctor, but had to sleep on his stomach for two nights, and still bore the scar several years later.
In retaliation for Rex’s actions, in the return fixture, Schalke unveiled their new mascots, when their president Guenter Siebert borrowed several lions for the day from a local zoo, and paraded it around the pitch before kick-off.
River Plate v Boca Juniors:[Origins of the rivalry] Both teams originated from the same neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, La Boca, a working class area. It has a strong Italian culture, with many of its early settlers from the city of Genoa.
In 1925, however, River Plate made the decision to relocate to the wealthier neighbourhood of Núñez, a move that led to them acquiring the nickname “Los Millonarios (the Millionaires) after which they began to sign the best players in the country following the advent of professionalism in 1931. Boca stayed put, and quickly became known as the team of the working class, with many of their supporters coming from the immigrant communities.
Hearts v Hibs: [Notable Incident] The game between the pair on New Year’s Day in 1940 featured 11 goals and numerous near-misses and great saves. The problem was that few of the 14,000 people inside Tynecastle Park could actually see anything because the ground was shrouded in thick fog.
It also left radio commentator Bob Kingsley with a dilemma, because he could only actually see two players when the match kicked off. Kingsley tried to solve his problems by employing a series of runners to bring him back information on what was going on from the touchline, but things soon became muddled. Instead, Kingsley ad-libbed and described an entirely make believe match full of incident.
Fenerbahçe v Galatasaray:[Interesting Fact] In 1912 it was agreed by the presidents of both clubs that they would merge to create an Istanbul “super-club” called Turkkulubu. They had gone as far as agreeing the kit design for the new club, but the Balkan Wars then broke out before the proposal could be carried out.
The book includes the following football rivalries- Crystal Palace v Brighton
- Borussia Dortmund v Schalke 04
- Arsenal v Tottenham
- Celtic v Rangers
- Real Madrid v Barcelona
- AC Milan v Inter milan
- Boca Juniors v River Plate
- Fenerbahce v Galatasaray
- Liverpool v Man United
- Ajax v Feyenoord
- Juventus v Inter Milan
- Hearts v Hibs
- Liverpool v Everton
- Kaizer chiefs v Orlando Pirates
- Benfica v Porto
- Red Star Belgrade v Partizan Belgrade
- PSG v Marseille
- Olympiacos v Panathinaikos
- Roma v Lazio
- Man City v Man United
- Flamengo v Fluminense
- Guadalajara v Club America
- Al Ahly v Zamalek
- Newcastle United v Sunderland
- Mohun Bagan v East Bengal
- Corinthians v Palmeiras
- Real Madrid v Atletico de Madrid
- Real Betis v Sevilla
- Bayern Munich v Dortmund
- Aston Villa v Birmingham City
This book will be a perfect football gift for anyone who has an interest in football history. It includes the root causes, some notable incidents, football players/managers associated with both football clubs, famous matches and interesting facts.
