Overview

A fun, intelligent, and useful guide to understanding the nuanced language of soccer   Every week, year-round, legions of devoted soccer fans across the country rise at the crack of dawn or quietly sneak out of work to watch their favorite teams play across the pond—complete with a soundtrack of two cheeky Englishmen spouting a stream of trite phrases and curious words that make maddeningly little sense. They’ll chat about flying teacups and cultured left feet, or point out a player who’s jinking through the corridor of uncertainty, hoping to bag one with aplomb. Confused? Many Brits are, too. In Football Clichés, London-based soccer writer Adam Hurrey amusingly translates the idioms of the sport, from the quaint to the ridiculous. Here you’ll find words for parts of the field and parts of the body; for ways to score a goal and ways to run, walk, or fake an injury. You’ll learn to read the shifting moods of fans at a soccer match and encounter the game’s oddly expressive gestures, which include the muted celebration and the beleaguered manager clap. Perfect for the die-hard or fair-weather fan, Football Clichés celebrates the world of soccer in all its glory.

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9780143128526

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Reviews

Delightfully offbeat. -Ross Atkin, The Christian Science Monitor Great fun for fans. -Keir Graff, Booklist A must-have ... This book, intelligent and sharp but still affectionate, is a spiritual heir to the best of the printed fanzines, to Danny Baker and Danny Kelly's gleeful radio shows, to the irreverent delight in the game's quirks celebrated by websites such as Football365. -The Telegraph (UK) Book of the Week. This affectionate dissection of the game's well-worn phrases mildly mocks a few of the more tired ones, for instance 'slide rule pass' - who uses a slide rule these days? - but points out that new ones are still being coined; apparently, Jose Mourinho first used the now-ubiquitous 'parking the bus' as recently as 2004. As for TV pundits, what, according to Alan Hansen, do defenders fear most? All together now: 'pace', be it searing, blistering, lightning, explosive, in abundance, bags of, to burn, genuine and on occasion even deceptive. For me, this is a top, top effort by the boy Hurrey, and at the end of the day you can't say fairer than that. -The Independent (UK) An entertaining, hilarious dissection of the language of football, complete with diagrams and illustrations. Open your chequebook for a last-ditch transfer swoop. -Sport Magazine (UK) An ideal Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys reading about or watching football. -Sport English (UK) Adam Hurrey's Football Cliches takes an often extremely funny look at football's peculiar language. -www.sportsbookofthemonth.com

Delightfully offbeat. -Ross Atkin, The Christian Science Monitor Great fun for fans. -Keir Graff, Booklist A must-have... This book, intelligentandsharpbut still affectionate, is a spiritual heir to the best of the printed fanzines, to Danny Baker and Danny Kelly's gleeful radio shows, to the irreverent delight in the game's quirks celebrated by websites such as Football365. -The Telegraph (UK) Book of the Week.This affectionate dissection of the game's well-worn phrases mildly mocks a few of the more tired ones, for instance 'slide rule pass' - who uses a slide rule these days? - but points out that new ones are still being coined; apparently, Jose Mourinho first used the now-ubiquitous 'parking the bus' as recently as 2004.As for TV pundits, what, according to Alan Hansen, do defenders fear most? All together now: 'pace', be it searing, blistering, lightning, explosive, in abundance, bags of, to burn, genuine and on occasion even deceptive. For me, this isa top, top effortby the boy Hurrey, and at the end of the day you can't say fairer than that. -The Independent(UK) Anentertaining, hilariousdissection of the language of football, complete with diagrams and illustrations. Open your chequebook for a last-ditch transfer swoop. -Sport Magazine(UK) Anideal Christmas giftfor anyone who enjoys reading about or watching football. -Sport English(UK) Adam Hurrey's Football Cliches takes an oftenextremely funnylook at football's peculiar language. - www.sportsbookofthemonth.com

Delightfully offbeat. -Ross Atkin, The Christian Science Monitor Great fun for fans. -Keir Graff, Booklist A must-have ... This book, intelligent and sharp but still affectionate, is a spiritual heir to the best of the printed fanzines, to Danny Baker and Danny Kelly's gleeful radio shows, to the irreverent delight in the game's quirks celebrated by websites such as Football365. -The Telegraph (UK) Book of the Week. This affectionate dissection of the game's well-worn phrases mildly mocks a few of the more tired ones, for instance 'slide rule pass' - who uses a slide rule these days? - but points out that new ones are still being coined; apparently, Jose Mourinho first used the now-ubiquitous 'parking the bus' as recently as 2004. As for TV pundits, what, according to Alan Hansen, do defenders fear most? All together now: 'pace', be it searing, blistering, lightning, explosive, in abundance, bags of, to burn, genuine and on occasion even deceptive. For me, this is a top, top effort by the boy Hurrey, and at the end of the day you can't say fairer than that. -The Independent (UK) An entertaining, hilarious dissection of the language of football, complete with diagrams and illustrations. Open your chequebook for a last-ditch transfer swoop. -Sport Magazine (UK) An ideal Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys reading about or watching football. -Sport English (UK) Adam Hurrey's Football Cliches takes an often extremely funny look at football's peculiar language. -www.sportsbookofthemonth.com

Author Information

Adam Hurrey is a soccer writer and has contributed articles about the unique language of soccer to the Guardian (London) and the Telegraph (UK), among others. He lives in London.

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