Bill Shankly once said that for him football was more important than life and death. But Shankly was manager of a great Liverpool side - what about those less fortunate, who offer their undying support to their team through thin and thinner? One such is Adrian Chiles, MATCH OF THE DAY 2 presenter and lifelong fan of West Bromwich Albion, and a man who thinks about his team far more often than he thinks about sex. Following West Brom - a team that has known more troughs than peaks - over the course of a season, Chiles writes brilliantly about the passion for the Baggies that dominates his life ('If West Brom are doing well, I'm good company. I'm a nice colleague to have around, a good friend, a doting father, a loving husband. If, as is more often the case, we're doing badly, I'm none of the above'). Along the way he meets a quite remarkable cross-section of fellow fans, including one who has missed only five games since the Second World War and 'one-legged Kev', whose false limb once fell off while he was celebrating a goal scored against Wolves; while unhappy circumstances give him pause to consider the truth of Shankly's famous assertion.
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'In his hilarious new book Adrian admits he thinks about his team more often than sex.' DAILY MIRROR 'endearing... no league winning histrionics, but plenty of nutty fans and tragic defeats.' ZOO 'this is a very funny book peppered with Chiles's trademark '2 Good 2 Bad' wit' MAXIM
Book Description
A thinking man's FEVER PITCH - an insightful and very funny account of the passion that drives obsessive football fans by one of BBC TV's most popular presenters
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
You don't have to be a Baggies fan to enjoy this book. You don't even have to be a football fan. This is just a book about people who share a common interest, and as such it is a lovely warm, very human book.
It is simply Adrian Chiles' account of the people he meets in a season of watching Albion as they struggle(unsuccessfully) against relegation. The people he meets are described openly with genuine affection - Nathan the unlikely Lothario, Gurdial the rebellious Sikh, Lee Hughes, the fallen idol, the tragic Steve, inevitably Frank Skinner, the list goes on.
What you get is an account of how people's passion, in this case for the Albion affects their whole lives.
Slightly disturbing is Adrian Chiles' account of his own feelings which a psychologist confirms border on the dangerous. (unless of course he is exaggerating for effect). Fans of Five Live will worry about his treatment of the lovely Jane Garvie. Adrian for goodness sake think more of her and less about the Albion!
But at the end of the day, Chiles is a fine journalist (which is why MOTD 2 is better than the main programme) and his real affection for his subjects is apparent. Thoroughly recommended.
It is simply Adrian Chiles' account of the people he meets in a season of watching Albion as they struggle(unsuccessfully) against relegation. The people he meets are described openly with genuine affection - Nathan the unlikely Lothario, Gurdial the rebellious Sikh, Lee Hughes, the fallen idol, the tragic Steve, inevitably Frank Skinner, the list goes on.
What you get is an account of how people's passion, in this case for the Albion affects their whole lives.
Slightly disturbing is Adrian Chiles' account of his own feelings which a psychologist confirms border on the dangerous. (unless of course he is exaggerating for effect). Fans of Five Live will worry about his treatment of the lovely Jane Garvie. Adrian for goodness sake think more of her and less about the Albion!
But at the end of the day, Chiles is a fine journalist (which is why MOTD 2 is better than the main programme) and his real affection for his subjects is apparent. Thoroughly recommended.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Ak Benbow
Format:Paperback
As an Albion fan I found this book funny, touching and depressing. There are so many things that remind me of my own experiences, not just the games but the shared memories - the feeling at the first game, going with my Grandad, leaving the house to get the train and not knowing why I bother... The book can't ever explain why we do it, but as a document for Albion fans it's wonderful.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By shansu69
Format:Paperback
This is a great book even if you aint much of a football fan,Match of the Day 2 host Adrian Chiles,a life long West Bromich Albion fan details a season in which his beloved club is relegated from the Premiership,along the way he meets a varied bunch of fellow fans from all walks of life and all colours and creeds who follow the ups and mostly downs of supporting this club.
The book is very easy to read and will have you smiling and groaning in equal measures as the Albion who it would seem would test the patience of a saint let alone the bunch of folk for whom supporting the club is more than just an everyday occurance its their LIFE .People who havent missed a match in decades to folk who arrange their lives around Albion matches this does give a glimpse of how much supporting your local team can take over your life.
Chiles comes across as engaging as he seems on tv and writes very well and i would recommend this as a good read for anyone sports fan or not.
The book is very easy to read and will have you smiling and groaning in equal measures as the Albion who it would seem would test the patience of a saint let alone the bunch of folk for whom supporting the club is more than just an everyday occurance its their LIFE .People who havent missed a match in decades to folk who arrange their lives around Albion matches this does give a glimpse of how much supporting your local team can take over your life.
Chiles comes across as engaging as he seems on tv and writes very well and i would recommend this as a good read for anyone sports fan or not.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Adrian Chiles "We don't know what we're doing"
Good laugh, delivered quickly and didn't cost a fortune - 15p!! Strongly recommend for a light read. I just wish all books were this inexpensive and delivered so quickly.
Published 5 months ago by mikeedee
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good book-even for a non-Baggie
I'm not a Baggie but am a fan (and former season ticket holder) of a smallish side. I found the book very interesting and at times hilarious. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Elaine Vaughan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been better..
I really wanted to get at this book. I'd stood (or sat) in the Brummy Road and watched us win sod-all for more years than I care to remember. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Rufus
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book for proper fans
Just finished reading this book
Really touched home with me, im not a west brom fan, but as a life long dundee united fan, i relate to almost everything in this book. Read more
Really touched home with me, im not a west brom fan, but as a life long dundee united fan, i relate to almost everything in this book. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2011 by ChrisFTD
4.0 out of 5 stars
WBA Book
As an Albion supporter this was a must have book, after talking about it to a fellow supporter at a recent game. Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2010 by Martin E. Lucas
1.0 out of 5 stars
A boring lightweight waste of paper.
If this book hadn't been written by a celeb then it would have got no where near being published! It's basically a review of West Brom's relegation season and how fans keep going... Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2009 by Phillip Calgary
5.0 out of 5 stars
And we don't know why we're doing it ...
Oh no, a celebrity fan - surely this book will be a few banalities, an `epic voyage' to a game and pad the rest out with some Google-based research? Read more
Published on 7 Mar 2009 by Andrew Walker
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing
I find Adrian Chiles very funny on the TV but I was disappointed by his book. It basically is a review of West Brom's relegation season. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2009 by C. Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Purchased by accident
Brought this book in a random act of impulse buying and cant say I regret it. A very touching book documenting a long and arduous season. Read more
Published on 3 July 2008 by I. Frampton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Baggies - Top of The Midlands
Having worked with a few Baggies fans in the Midlands I had a good idea as to the passionate characters that would be unearthed. Read more
Published on 24 May 2008 by Peter Eustance
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