SOCCER: OUR NATIONAL SPORT

“A remarkable achievement and the first Canadian coffee-table book on The Beautiful Game”

An entertaining, over-sized publication covering 150 years of soccer in Canada and a surprising number of Canadian achievements and Canadian 'firsts': The Memorable, Unexpected and Controversial. Not to forget the Dramatic and Humorous. Short, punchy articles. Storytelling rather than a list of facts. Very readable.

 

It's 256 colourful pages cover the very first games in Toronto in the 1860s, our first international in 1924, the 1986 World Cup, the 2012 Olympics and EVERYTHING in between. All the top players are highlighted, Dwayne de Rosario, Jason de Vos, Kara Lang and Christine Sinclair etc. There are features on referees, controversial goals, famous teams, match-fixing, indoor & beach soccer and every aspect of the game. PLUS great action photos.

Canada is and always has been a soccer nation.

“A must book for any Canadian soccer fan …. wonderful stories, surprising historical facts and great anecdotes on the long history of soccer in Canada”

Martin Bronstein – Founding Editor of Soccer Canada Magazine.

"Toronto FC should hand out this book as a mandatory history lesson on Canadian Soccer."
Huffington Post.

 

You’ll find articles such as;

 ' WE WUZ ROBBED',  'WIFE SELLS SOCCER OBSESSED HUSBAND FOR $1MILLION', 'SHOOTING FOR GLORY', 'SOCCER'S GRETZKY',

'WE DO NOT APPROVE OF LADIES SOCCER' and ' PLAYERS STRIKE'

and among the 140 Topics;

Olympic Gold – 1904, Olympic Bronze – 2012, Our first Soccer Millionaire

1880 Tour by Scotland, Corruption, Canadian Mercenaries,
Canada’s Soccer Jet Set, SoccerBowl, The First Penalty, Red Cards

Real Madrid, I’m blind, I’m deaf I should have been a ref, Halls of Fame

World Cup 1986, The best tattoos

plus

De Rosario, de Vos, de Guzman, Stalteri, Hargreaves, Kennaway, Budd, Marinaro, Pesch, Sinclair, Serwetnyk, Hooper, Neil, Lang, Beckham, Pele, Maradona, Blanchflower, Bettega, Fashanu, Sir Stan, Zidane and more.

 

A great piece of research and a labour of love. The finished product is really impressive. - Paul Beirne, Toronto FC

 

He has given former players a place to feel proud and honoured

Carie Serwetnyk – former international

 

An insightful and vibrant rendering of soccer’s place in our world of sport…….. a well-written and witty account of how the round ball has conquered a huge country

Georges Schwartz – Quebec author and soccer administrator

 

Without question this book is a must read.

Les has captured wonderful, unexpected and dramatic stories in this magnificent work. What a great present for all young soccer players and their parents  -  Les Wilson – Soccer Hall of Fame and former National Team Manager

 

Page 28 Jimmy Nicholl - CNE