The Observer's Book of Association Football by Albert Sewell

Book review: Observer’s Books produced these pocket reference books for many different subjects between 1937 and 2003 (birds, insects, trees, etc.). This one was the first time they covered “Association Football” with the book being correct up to end of the 1971-72 season.

 

Although up to date upon publication reading it now is like reading a history document. This was a time when Alf Ramsey was England manager, Bobby Charlton (who stars on the glossy dust jacket cover) was still playing and Southport and Workington were still in the Football League.

 

The book’s contents are:

 

 

 

 

 

• Foreword by Sir Alf Ramsey
• Guide to the 92 Football League Clubs in England and Wales
• The Scottish League (First Division Members 1971-72)
• Prominent European Clubs
• Prominent South American Clubs
• World Stars of 1972-73
• The World Cup
• The European Championship
• The European Cup
• The European Cup-Winners’ Cup
• The U.E.F.A. Cup
• The World Club Championship
• Records Section
• * England’s Complete Record in Full Internationals
• * Football League Champions and their Records
• * F.A. Cup Winners
• * Scottish League Champions
• * Scottish F.A. Cup Winners
• * Scottish League Cup Winners
• The Field of Play

 

The most interesting bit of the book is the profiles of the English league clubs where you can learn a little about Fulham’s Bedford Jezzard, where you can find out that “Middlesbrough were formed following a tripe supper at a local hotel” (see what tripe can do to you) and that Shrewsbury’s record gate receipts were just £4,962.

 

The profiles for Scottish top division clubs, European and South American clubs are less informative, particularly on the honours and records front. Nonetheless you can still find out a little about Standard Liege’s Congolese player Paul Bonga Bonga.

 

The World Stars section then provides details, and pictures, of 20 of the stars of the time. Here you can learn about Roberto Rivelino, for example, who “next to Pele is reputedly the world’s best-paid player at £80 a day” and that Pietro Anastasi “set a world transfer record fee when signed by Juventus for £440,000” (as opposed to the British transfer record of the time, Alan Ball for £220,000 from Everton to Arsenal).

 

Following this there are little profiles on the European competitions, which were still quite new at the time, and some limited stats sections.

 

Overall the stats sections are perhaps a bit primitive by today’s standards, although at the time they may have been cutting edge with the book presenting “England’s complete International results in a form not previously published”. It is the written parts that are the most interesting as names from the past are brought to you possibly for the first time along with now defunct competitions such as the Latin Cup, the International Cup (held in New York) and the Ford Sporting League.

 

So an interesting read from a historical perspective.

 

Original publication date: 1972

 

Amazon UK link: The Observer's Book of Association Football

 

Other link: Interesting article on same book