Square Peg, Round Ball

Football, TV and Me

Square Peg, Round Ball
Ned Boulting
RRP:
NZ$ 34.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 27.99
Hardback
h234 x 153mm - 256pg
14 Apr 2022 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9781472979261
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
From time to time, as I lurched from training ground to player' s tunnel, I' d be glared at by Alex Ferguson, clapped on the back by Arsene Wenger, taken out the back by Alan Pardew or banned by Jose Mourinho. In the time it took for the Golden Generation to come of age, dominate, disappoint and retire, I fell in - and ultimately out - of love with the game, as I was granted a uniquely privileged insight into the backstage comings and goings of the professional football circus. Although best known as ITV' s commentator on the Tour de France, Ned Boulting has spent most of his professional life covering football. Follow Ned' s journey from football supporter to reporter - from criss-crossing the country in a banger of a car hoping for a word or two from the latest big signing, to the glamour of the Champions League. Ned really has been there, done that, and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it. Square Peg, Round Ball is a candid, insightful reminiscence of a life in football. Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters Ned shares his best stories with affection. Whether it' s treading mud into Steven Gerrard' s pristine white carpets, or nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich' s house by some scary looking men on quadbikes - Ned has made a fool of himself to bring us the best tales from his experiences in 90s and 2000s football.
BELIEVABLE! * Chris Kamara * From falling out with Mourinho to flying with Gerrard, this is a wonderful journey through football. Insightful and funny * Henry Winter, chief football writer, The Times * A bouncy, amusing and honest reminiscence. This is Ned in a nutshell. * Jim Beglin, BT Sport co-commentator and former Irish professional footballer * A great read by one of sport' s good guys. * Jonathan Liew, sports writer, The Guardian * Ned has seen it all from the excesses and madness of Sky Sports in the early years to the revolving door of ITV Sport which he stayed firmly on the right side of. What Ned hasn' t seen in a sports TV channel isn' t worth knowing about. * Gabby Logan * It' s said that if you love sausages you' re best not seeing what goes into them. It' s the same with football. There are those who can know the game' s inner workings yet hold on to their love for it, and there are those of us, like Ned, who can' t. * Adrian Chiles * An elegant, stirring and often joyful journey through football and masculinity * Musa Okwonga * A funny, warm and wise book about football and the perpetual struggle to reach adulthood * Harry Pearson * Ned' s perspective on football was always like no other - on one hand an amusingly stubborn refusal to succumb to its self-importance; on the other, a fascinated engagement with its narratives and culture. I promise you - nobody saw the game quite like he did * Peter Drury *
Ned Boulting began his television career in 1997 when he joined Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday. He moved to ITV Sport in 2001, and has covered a range of football events including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and the FA Cup over a period of fifteen years. Ned is the author of five books, including the bestselling How I Won the Yellow Jumper and On the Road Bike. He lives in London with his wife and two children. @nedboulting
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9781472979261
Published: 14 Apr 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Bloomsbury Sport
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Format: Hardback
Height: 234mm
Width: 153mm
Pages: 256

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