The format. A season makes for a good story. The opportunity to explore different aspects of the club and the characters therein. You get to know people and care a little about them in human terms. I've enjoyed a few books that have taken this approach and this challenges my favourite which up until now has been I Lost My Heart to the Belles by Pete Davies where Davies once again showed himself to be a generation ahead of his time.

McDonagh, Melanie (12 February 2016). "Hunter Davies: 'As long as I live she'll be with me' ". London Evening Standard . Retrieved 18 January 2017. One of the things that sets Tottenham Hotspur apart from other football clubs is its rich history and culture. The team has always had a strong connection with its fans, and this is something that Davies captures brilliantly in his book. He describes the passion and dedication of the supporters, and how they form an integral part of the club's success.Davies, Hunter (20 July 2016). "Hunter Davies: After Margaret died, I had to sell our family home". The Daily Telegraph. London . Retrieved 16 December 2018. Written by Hunter Davies, The Glory Game is a behind-the-scenes look at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club during the 1971-72 season. Davies, who was given unprecedented access to the club's players, coaches, and management, provides a fascinating insight into the day-to-day workings of a professional football club. Tottenham Hotspur is a football club that has always been synonymous with success and glory. The club has been home to some of the greatest players in the history of the game, including legends such as Jimmy Greaves, Glenn Hoddle, and Gareth Bale. However, it was during the late 1970s that the club really made its mark on the world of football, and it was during this time that author Hunter Davies followed the team closely for a season, chronicling their ups and downs in his book, The Glory Game. The writer. He is present with the players and readers equally. He has just the right touch. He's aware and informed not just about the game but also about the culture. I've been a fan since I used to read his columns in Punch while waiting for a girlfriend to finish her shift at a dental practice. I've allowed our "Hunt" to tell me all about the Beatles and to guide me along Hadrian's Wall. The fellow can inform and entertain without either getting in the other's way. Despite its age, The Glory Game remains relevant today. Football has changed significantly since the early 1970s, but the human drama that plays out on the pitch is eternal. The book is a timeless reminder of the passion, dedication, and sacrifice that goes into being a professional footballer.

Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win. (Gary Lineker) The Creighton Report: A Year in the Life of a Comprehensive School (1976), Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 0-241-89412-3. Davies, Hunter (17 April 2008). "Modern fitba, eh?". New Statesman. London . Retrieved 20 November 2013. Davies has also written a biography of the fell walker Alfred Wainwright, and many works about the topography and history of the Lake District. Davies also spends a significant amount of time discussing the tactics used by Bill Nicholson. He provides detailed descriptions of the training sessions and the drills that were used to prepare the team for games. He also explains the tactics used in each game and how they were adjusted throughout the season. This gives readers a better understanding of the strategic thinking that goes into football and how it can make a difference on the field.

Retailers:

Half a century since Hunter Davies’ seminal book, The Glory Game, was first published, it remains one of football’s most revered tombs. There are a number of interesting pen portraits here, particularly of no nonsense manager Bill Nicholson, one of the most successful in the club's history.

Hunter Davies, author of the only authorized biography of The Beatles, wrote in his introduction to the 2011 edition of T he Glory Game about a concern he had when the book first appeared in 1973. He hoped that it would appeal to an audience larger than Tottenham Hotspur fans. Through the unprecedented access Mr. Davies was granted by Tottenham, he was able to examine the club from all sides, to give a complete look at the inner workings of a top division team, and write a story that transcends the lines of fandom, and the hands of time.

HUNTER DAVIES is the author of the only ever authorised biography of The Beatles, still in print in almost every country in the world. In 2012 he edited The Lennon Letters, published in 20 different foreign countries, and in 2014 The Beatles Lyrics. He wrote the first book about the Quarrymen. Plus forty other non-Beatly books, including novels, biographies, travel and children’s books. As a journalist, he has a column in The Sunday Times about money and in the New Statesman about football.