No one likes Millwall. They don't care. But what does it really take to be a part of this team, or a supporter? A British Sports Books Awards 2011 nominee, Michael Calvin's Family provides a unique glimpse into the soul of a real football club. Award-winning sports writer Calvin follows Millwall through an emotional promotion season. There for the first day of training, he was on the substitutes' bench at Wembley, 333 days later. He vividly portrays players and management as family men, close to their roots. In captain Paul Robinson's words : 'We're playing for the people who hate their jobs, who'd love our lives.' Forget the glitz of the Premier League - this is the beautiful game in all its raucous glory. Intimate and compelling, Calvin's unforgettable picture of lower-league English football is essential reading for anyone for whom football is far more than just a game.
Family
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'Vivid and poignant. It paints portraits of players as people living in the real world, not the 7-Star hotels of Dubai. Men existing in their communities as central figures, not protected in gated communities from the hoodies.' --Daily Express
'An absolute gem - inspirational' --Sunday People
'As up close and personal as it is possible to be' --football-league.co.uk
'No punches are pulled by either author or club, ensuring a frank and brutally honest - and at times very funny - account of life at the sharp end of football.' --When Saturday Comes
'Brilliantly honest' --Daily Mirror
'An absolute gem - inspirational' --Daily Mirror
'Vivid and poignant. It paints portraits of players as people living in the real world, not the 7-Star hotels of Dubai. Men existing in their communities as central figures, not protected in gated communities from the hoodies.' --Daily Express
'Brilliantly honest' --Sunday People
'As up close and personal as it is possible to be' --football-league.co.uk
`The latest and most extraordinary fly-on-the-wall account of a football club from its grassroots up.'
--Rob Bagchi, Guardian
`The latest and most extraordinary fly-on-the-wall account of a football club from its grassroots up.'
--Rob Bagchi, Guardian
Vivid and poignant. It paints portraits of players as people living in the real world, not the 7-Star hotels of Dubai. Men existing in their communities as central figures, not protected in gated communities from the hoodies. --Daily Express
An absolute gem - inspirational --Sunday People
Brilliantly honest --Daily Mirror
As up close and personal as it is possible to be --football-league.co.uk
No punches are pulled by either author or club, ensuring a frank and brutally honest - and at times very funny - account of life at the sharp
end of football. --When Saturday Comes
'An absolute gem - inspirational' --Sunday People
'As up close and personal as it is possible to be' --football-league.co.uk
'No punches are pulled by either author or club, ensuring a frank and brutally honest - and at times very funny - account of life at the sharp end of football.' --When Saturday Comes
'Brilliantly honest' --Daily Mirror
'An absolute gem - inspirational' --Daily Mirror
'Vivid and poignant. It paints portraits of players as people living in the real world, not the 7-Star hotels of Dubai. Men existing in their communities as central figures, not protected in gated communities from the hoodies.' --Daily Express
'Brilliantly honest' --Sunday People
'As up close and personal as it is possible to be' --football-league.co.uk
`The latest and most extraordinary fly-on-the-wall account of a football club from its grassroots up.'
--Rob Bagchi, Guardian
`The latest and most extraordinary fly-on-the-wall account of a football club from its grassroots up.'
--Rob Bagchi, Guardian
Vivid and poignant. It paints portraits of players as people living in the real world, not the 7-Star hotels of Dubai. Men existing in their communities as central figures, not protected in gated communities from the hoodies. --Daily Express
An absolute gem - inspirational --Sunday People
Brilliantly honest --Daily Mirror
As up close and personal as it is possible to be --football-league.co.uk
No punches are pulled by either author or club, ensuring a frank and brutally honest - and at times very funny - account of life at the sharp
end of football. --When Saturday Comes
About the Author
Michael Calvin is currently chief sports writer with the Sunday Mirror, and has worked at the Daily Telegraph, The Times and the Mail on Sunday. He has twice been named Sports Reporter of the Year.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deserves to be thought of alongside 'Only a Game' as a classic of the genre
6 Nov 2010
By Ant Meads
Format:Paperback
When I first read Eamon Dunphey's insight into my beloved Millwall Football Club it was my first forray into football literature. I wrongly assumed this was how all football books were written and that set me up for some serious disappointment as I read other footballers autobiographies over the next few years! Not until Steve Claridge wrote 'Tales from the Boot Camps' did something come close to offering a proper window into how football works. 'Family' offers something dififerent to both of these works by virtue of it's modern day setting. Football has changed beyond all recognition from the game I started watching in the late 80's but Millwall are extremely fortunate that the bond between fans and players is still relatively close. As a kid Millwall was part of my extended family and now my younger brothers are experiencing the same feeling 20 years on. This book captures that with its tales of Neil Harris visiting fans in hospital and injured players joining the fans in the crowd and leading them in song.
The book itself has a Hollywood ending with promotion at Wembley in the playoffs (sorry, a spoiler there that is equivalent to revealing the iceberg bit in Titanic!) but the ending doesn't really matter. It's the journey rather than the destination and had Millwall fallen at the final hurdle it wouldn't have detracted from the insight into the club under the current regime.
'Family' affords you an opportunity to see how a modern lower league football club (with it's fair share of problems) works. It's a world where kids dreams are dashed in a heartbeat, where a years rehabilition can be set back with one bad tackle, where WAGS are worried about moving the kids schools and meeting the mortgage payments rather than which designer handbag to buy.... Read more ›
The book itself has a Hollywood ending with promotion at Wembley in the playoffs (sorry, a spoiler there that is equivalent to revealing the iceberg bit in Titanic!) but the ending doesn't really matter. It's the journey rather than the destination and had Millwall fallen at the final hurdle it wouldn't have detracted from the insight into the club under the current regime.
'Family' affords you an opportunity to see how a modern lower league football club (with it's fair share of problems) works. It's a world where kids dreams are dashed in a heartbeat, where a years rehabilition can be set back with one bad tackle, where WAGS are worried about moving the kids schools and meeting the mortgage payments rather than which designer handbag to buy.... Read more ›
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Mark W.
Format:Paperback
I'm a QPR fan so I wasn't sure at first whether a book about Millwall would interest me; but a friend - who is a Millwall fan - urged me to read it. True the basic structure of `Family' is a game by game account of Millwall's successful promotion campaign into the Championship - capped by winning the League One Wembley play off final in May 2010 - and as such of particular appeal to Millwall fans; but nevertheless the author describes each match so vividly that you can't help but be taken along with the high and lows of the season. It's clear however from the first page and throughout each of the 300 plus pages following that the writer - Michael Calvin - is using last year's campaign as a vehicle, a way of telling the reader not about Millwall perse but about football in general. This is a book about the nuts and bolts of football - real football; not the fantasy football of the Premier League distorted by Sky TV revenue, Middle East Oil Sheiks and Russian oligarchs, but of a real world football where lack of funds is of necessity replaced by the passion and sheer compulsion of the people involved. Very skilfully the author has threaded fifty plus voices throughout the book - voices that to his credit are incredibly candid and genuine - weaving them all together into what is essentially a primary source oral history of what makes up a football club in 2010. From the shareholders, to the chairman, the chief executive, the club QC through to the playing staff - the manager, coaches, physios, scouts and players - and on to the police, members of the local community and of course the fans - each is given a voice to express their roles, opinions, hopes and reflections.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By G. Waterman
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Over 35 years ago Hunter Davies broke new ground when he was given total access to Tottenham Hotspur for a season and the result was ¨The Glory Game¨, a true classic in football writing.
I have long been waiting for something as good and Michael Calvin has more than come up with the goods with this well written and insightful insider's view of Millwall's promotion season to the Championship.
So authentic that you can smell the sweat and linament, he has got inside every aspect of the club, both on and off the pitch and truly answered a good reporter's key questions - Who, What, Why, Where and When.
This book is a real gem and deserves to do well.
I have long been waiting for something as good and Michael Calvin has more than come up with the goods with this well written and insightful insider's view of Millwall's promotion season to the Championship.
So authentic that you can smell the sweat and linament, he has got inside every aspect of the club, both on and off the pitch and truly answered a good reporter's key questions - Who, What, Why, Where and When.
This book is a real gem and deserves to do well.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. K. Rance
Format:Paperback
Calvin tells it like it is in this warts-and-all account of Millwall's 2009/10 season which culminated with victory at Wembley in the League One play-off final.
Manager Kenny Jackett in particular emerges as a heroic leader, putting personal tragedy aside to inspire his squad.
This book deserved much more media coverage - it's required reading for all football fans, especially those who think the game begins and ends in the Premier League.
Manager Kenny Jackett in particular emerges as a heroic leader, putting personal tragedy aside to inspire his squad.
This book deserved much more media coverage - it's required reading for all football fans, especially those who think the game begins and ends in the Premier League.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I could not put this book down! It gave a genuine insight into the goings on of Millwall and was very well written! At times it made you feel like you were THERE - inside the changing rooms, on the pitch, in the thick of it, through the good times and the bad! It made you feel closer to the club. It gave you respect for the players and respect for Kenny Jackett. In parts it made you want to be a better person yourself - to strive to have the determination, strength and 'want it' attitude that the players strive to. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster!!
An amazing book. I would recommend it to everyone!!
An amazing book. I would recommend it to everyone!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing trip
Absolutely great reading for everyone who enjoy football. This is a real trip inside Milwall club and you can't miss Family: Life, Death and Football.
Published 3 days ago by Tiago Portela
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blinding
A real look into what really happens at a football club.
Great book about an amazing season
A great read
Great book about an amazing season
A great read
Published 1 month ago by lee juggins
5.0 out of 5 stars
Honest and accurate
A very honest accurate portrayal of being a footballer outside of the air-brushed dive happy Premier league. Refreshing to see Millwall fans being treated like human beings.
Published 2 months ago by Dave Fennessy
3.0 out of 5 stars
EASY READING
Pretty much, your average tabloid fare. There are some decent insights, especially the bits dealing with players hoping for new contracts which highlight the fact that, away from... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Brussels Lion
5.0 out of 5 stars
a true supporter's book
This book tells it as it is for the genuine fans up and down the country. I am a Spurs die hard
but i love the book and the passion of the Millwall fans and the team spirit.
but i love the book and the passion of the Millwall fans and the team spirit.
Published 3 months ago by interesting reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book for the old school football fan
A very well written book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A fly on the wall book about Millwall might perhaps make some people shy away from reading it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by ken
4.0 out of 5 stars
V good
A very good insight into the players, management and everything surrounding a football club. Very interesting. One of the best I've read in years.
Published 6 months ago by Neil
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
Excellent read, especially if a Millwall fan. good to get behind the scenes and delve into what goes on in the dressing room.
Published 7 months ago by Steve Sillett
5.0 out of 5 stars
All human life is here
As the title suggests I am not a big football fan and the cult of celebrity and the resulting biographies make my blood run cold. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Olddogandgrump
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you only read one book about lower league football...
Make it this one. I'm a follower of a lower league club, with no interest in Millwall, but this gives so much insight into how a team & club is run. Read more
Published 13 months ago by J. R. Butler
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