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Against the backdrop of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, the 1980 Moscow Olympics was always going to be political.Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser wanted Australia's Olympic athletes to boycott the Games, in line with the USA, but many of the athletes had a different view and competed anyway.Athletes were the victims - and most of them female.According to Ford, who was Australia's first and founding member of the International Olympic Committee's Athletes Commission, that struggle is far from over.In Turning the Tide, 800 metres Swimming Gold Medal winner, Michelle Ford, charts the highs and lows from the beaches of Sydney as a young girl with a dream, to the dizzy heights of Olympic swimming gold against the odds of Cold-War politics spilling into sport like poison.Olympic boycotts, death threats, wilful blindness and misogyny coincided with the first and most ferocious, systematic, state-sponsored doping the world has ever witnessed.As Paris prepares to host the 2024 Olympics, 100 years after the Modern Olympics founding father Pierre de Coubertin declared that "Women have one task, that of the role of crowning the winner with garlands", an indifference to female athletes lives on. In this roller-coaster account of courage and resilience in the Olympic realm, Turning the Tide is a manifesto for change.

Few people, let alone women, have made the transition from national team player to president of their national football association. Lise Klaveness of Norway is an exception. During the FIFA congress in Doha, Qatar in 2022, Lise Klaveness, president of the Norwegian Football Association, gave a speech that sent shock waves through the football world: "In 2010, the World Cup was awarded by FIFA in unacceptable ways with unacceptable consequences...Our members do demand change, they question the ethics in sport and insist on transparency. We must listen! We cannot ignore the calls for change." Previously, only activists or whistleblowers had dared to talk publicly about issues such as the rights of migrant workers, LGBTQI rights, gender equity, and governance reform. Among the football leaders inside FIFA, Klaveness was seen as a nuisance, and she was told to keep quiet. But among football fans, primarily in Norway, but also in other parts of the world, she was perceived as a breath of fresh air. After the speech, Klaveness has continued her work, trying to reform FIFA from the inside. But how much can one person do, in today's football world? Football writer and journalist Marius Lien followed Klaveness closely for one year, from January to December 2023. Through FIFA and UEFA congresses, the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia and travels around her home country Norway. The result is a book that provides deep insight into how the football world works in the midst of the Gianni Infantino era.

George Best is widely regarded as a brilliant footballer - one of the best in the world - with a troubled life.A European Cup and Ballon d'Or winner with Manchester United, the Northern Ireland international had all the skills and panache to be at the top of the game. George Best visited four times between 1967 and 1990, the first time with Manchester United ahead of their European Cup win as the biggest football star in the universe, the last time as a supernova. As early as Best's second visit in 1983, journalist Andrew Dettre wrote that Best's visit to Australia "must surely...be considered rock bottom" for a man of his talents. Lucas Gillard, in collaboration with Jason Goldsmith, has built on sections from their first book Be My Guest - Football Superstars in Australia to produce this myopic of George Best's tours down under. Despite the popular view that Best's tours down under were all about drinking and women, Gillard and Goldsmith go behind-the-scenes to talk with people who knew him, who played with him, and who knew there was much more nuance, complexity, and back story to the man than the archetypal celebrity footballer the media preferred to present.

Adrian Alston, commonly known as 'Noddy', was a key member of the semi-professional team that defied all the odds to become the first Australian team to reach the 1974 World Cup finals.Noddy: the Untold Story of Adrian Alston is a tell-all account by Philip Micallef of the flamboyant striker who lit up the local football scene after moving from England to Australia in the late 1960s.Alston looks back on a career that took him from the little ground of Woonona on the NSW south coast to the imperial Olympic Stadium in Berlin.Noddy's was a colourful and extraordinary career but when it came to an abrupt end after he suffered a serious injury, he was able to draw on the altruistic side of his temperament when he devoted his life after football to the special needs of intellectually disadvantaged people. It is a job that gives him as much satisfaction as when he used to bang in the goals for club and country. As a 1974 Socceroo, Adrian Alston is a true legend of the game and Philip Micallef's book will ensure that Noddy's exploits for Australia are not forgotten.

The second of two magnificent volumes from Emeritus Professor of History, John Maynard, on the Socceroos journey through World Cup qualifying campaigns. Volume 2 starts with a 'new era' for the Socceroos with the first of five consecutive successful World Cup qualifying campaigns starting with Germany in 2006 through to Qatar 2022.In that time, the team had five coaches, four captains, and made the Round of 16 twice: first with the 'Golden Generation' in 2006 losing to eventual champions Italy; and then with the 'Surprise Generation' in 2022 with their magnificent run, only dipping out to eventual champions Argentina. Socceroos - A World Cup Odyssey is an in-depth look at the team's history with commentary on every qualifying match, the role and decisions of governing bodies such as FIFA and Football Australia, media coverage, and the reception afforded to players and coaches. It is a significant history of the game: simultaneously viewed through the expert eyes of an eminent historian, and written by a passionate, lifelong fan.

The first of two magnificent volumes from Emeritus Professor of History, John Maynard, on the Socceroos journey through World Cup qualifying campaigns. Volume 1 starts with the campaign to make the 1966 World Cup in England, which ended for Australia in Phnom-Penh in 1965; includes the first time Australia qualified for the World Cup held in West Germany in 1974; and ends with the defeat in Montevideo in 2001 in the final play-off match against Uruguay.Socceroos - A World Cup Odyssey is an in-depth look at the team's history with commentary on every qualifying match, the role and decisions of governing bodies such as FIFA and Football Australia, media coverage, and the reception afforded to players and coaches. It is a significant history of the game: simultaneously viewed through the expert eyes of an eminent historian, and written by a passionate, lifelong fan.

From the not-so-well known players plying their trade in places as far-flung as Israel and Iceland, to a world superstar in Sam Kerr, Australia has produced strikers who have not only excelled at home in domestic competition and playing for Australia, but also overseas.Green and Golden Boots - Australia's overseas golden boot winners profiles the eleven men and one woman who have topped leagues as Golden Boot winners in overseas competitions. From Belgium to South Korea, from USA to Iceland, Norway to Japan, and Israel to Scotland, Australian goalscorers have been making their presence known in first-class domestic leagues around the world since 1989.With a Foreword by former Socceroo captain, John Kosmina, Green and Golden Boots is a highly enjoyable and entertaining read from Jason Goldsmith giving yet another insight into Australia's rich football culture and heritage.

"Get Your Tits Out for the Lads" is the story of one woman's journey into the masculine and rather enigmatic world of football.Since an early age, Sally Freedman dreamt of working in football and finally landed her dream role as protocol manager for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in Australia. After the conclusion of the tournament, Sally joined Melbourne City Football Club as head of fan engagement. Since then, Sally has continued her career in sport working for Wellington Phoenix Football Club, Football Australia, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and UEFA.With a degree in Psychology and a Masters in business specialising in sport management, coupled with an impressive sport focused vocational history, Sally thought she was reasonably well-prepared to launch a career in football.If you want to laugh out loud, cry and say 'wow' more than once, this story will give you that and more!It's the perfect book for those who would like a real insight into what it's like to be an intelligent, young woman working in a male dominated world.

The First Matildas is the story of the women who played for Australia in the Asian Cup Ladies Football Tournament held in Hong Kong in 1975. Australia took part along with teams from Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand. The tournament, which was the forerunner to what is known today as the Asian Football Confederation's Women's Asian Cup, was won by New Zealand with Australia placed third. It was a turning point for women's football in Australia. Author and academic Greg Downes speaks with many of the women involved in the 1975 championship, as they tell their story in their own words of how they came to wear the green and gold of Australia for the first time, and the lasting pride they have in doing so. The First Matildas is a fitting testament to the enduring legacy of the 16 women who formed the squad which will continue to inspire future generations of players for years to come.

It's a truism that's true: there is no football without fans.In Football Fans in their own write, David Picken has invited some of the biggest names on the world stage, as well as those who are volunteers at community clubs who allow the game to thrive day-to-day, to write about why they are football fans.From Pope Francis to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle; from journalists such as Henry Winter, Simon Hill, and Ned Hall, to volunteers such as Victoria Morton of South Hobart FC and Jean Jackson of Port Vale in the UK; and from those in the entertainment industry such as Sir Tim Rice and Lex Marinos to those involved in the football industry such as Football Australia Chairman Chris Nikou.We find out the 29 contributors' favourite teams, their journeys into football, and how the world game has affected and continues to affect their life.Football Fans in their own write reminds us once again, of the huge tapestry of football fans of every colour, shape, and size who, together, form the world's largest and most passionate community.

A series of short stories profiling ten individuals, with the why, how, and when they came to love football and what it means to them personally. The stories demonstrate that 'the Beautiful Game' is home to the world's biggest community, and within that community are thousands of stories from people from all walks of life. Different races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexualities, and more. All come together around the call of football.When Mum and Dad See Me Kick covers stories from vastly different members of that community and shows how football changed their lives forever.From a young woman who was once on the boy's team, to a displaced Palestinian immigrant who finds hope in the game and more, these stories make a chorus to the world's most beautiful song.

The Matildas are now one of the most beloved national teams in Australia. But who were the women and men who helped build and develop the women's game locally?Greg Downes profiles 18 people - some well-known in the football fraternity, others not so well-known - who have made contributions, big and small, to help make the women's game what it is today. 'Dedicated Lives' is a living history to be treasured.Based on his PhD dissertation, Greg has talked with, and interviewed, the individuals at length about what brought them into football and, importantly, what has kept them in it. At a time when women's football is riding as high as it has ever been, and with Australia sharing co-hosting responsibilities for the 2023 Women's World Cup, 'Dedicated Lives' is a must-read for anyone interested in football history, women's football, or women's sport fighting and winning against the odds generally.

Steve Darby was raised on old school values in the shadow of the Kop.He bathed in an outside tub, stood on a milk crate on terraces at Anfield and Goodison Park, and went on to spend five decades in football remaining true to himself - and the players he coached. From Bahrain to Tasmania and many points in between, Steve wanted football to be fund for his players and for his players to use football to learn more about life. Along the way, he taught himself Arabic and Malay, dine with sultans and kings, picked up a few medals, upset a few football and actual politicians, and became one of the most successful and effective foreign football coaches in South East Asia.

'Be My Guest' is a tribute to the many football superstars who have played club football in Australia, as well as the simple, elegant but often flawed logic that bringing football superstars to Australia will provide a turbo boost to Australia's domestic football competition - whether that be the NSL or the A-League.From Australia's first guest star in Alex 'Sandy' Young who went to Tongala from Everton in 1914, through to household names such as Ossie Ardiles, Trevor Francis, Bobby Moore, Nicola Berti and George Best, authors Jason Goldsmith and Lucas Gillard recount the background and steps to get the superstars here, and how the players, fans and competition benefited - or, in some instances, didn't.It is a book that will bring fond memories for those who remember the players and the times, as well as a welcome addition to Australian football and social history that serves as a reminder of what, or who, worked as a marketing strategy and who didn't.

Andy Bernal's Riding Shotgun is an extraordinary, honest and raw account which, much like Bernal as a player leaves nothing out on the park.

This second, updated and revised edition of John Maynard's original version from 2011 is a celebration of the journey taken by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sportsmen and women who forged the way for the current crop of talented players, and which details the previously untold history of Indigenous involvement with the 'world game'.The multicultural environment of Australian soccer after World War II provided Aboriginal players with a haven from the prejudice and racism of wider Australian society. This wonderful book interweaves John's personal narrative and expert historical and cultural understanding with links to the broader Indigenous world community.

Drawing inspiration from the history of the game in our country and some older inspirational Australian football books, Surfing for England - Our Lost Socceroos looks at the players who might have or could have played for Australia but who didn't, for one reason or the other. It starts with Craig Johnston and continues right to the current day with 'righting the wrongs' of those who did want to play for Australia but who had to fight to do so in the landmark FIFA ruling known as the 'Cahill Rule'. The book includes eight pages of colour images highlighting some of our 'lost Socceros'.

Chronicles of Australian Soccer details the development of football (or soccer as it was then known) in Australia in a period where records barely existed - from 1859 to 1949.It does so within a context of Australia's geographic and cultural isolation, and the attitudes towards race and class.Finding some of these records has meant years of dedicated research to track clubs and games from every part of the country, presented in an easy-to-follow timeline.Chronicles of Australian Soccer is truly amazing in the depth and breadth of what it has unearthed and is valuable for the football anorak as well as anyone interested in how the debate about Australia's place in the world has developed. Whether a football historian or someone interested in Australia in the last half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century, this book is phenomenal in its detail and use of references.

'If I started to cry, I wouldn't stop' is a snapshot in time - of the glorious, problematic, and cursed path of football in Australia (yes all those things), starting with Mark Bosnich in Sydney in 1996 and ending with Harry Kewell in Istanbul in 2009 - and many things in between which Matthew Hall had a front row seat to.