- Hardcover: 242 pages
- Publisher: Little, Brown & Company (20 Oct 1994)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0316911895
- ISBN-13: 978-0316911894
- Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.8 x 2.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 285,788 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
Savagely funny and frequently moving...some of the humour is as full-blooded as a tackle by Bryan Robson... at times the author wanders off at a tangent, like Chris Waddle on a bad day, then that is the capricious nature of football. (DAILY TELEGRAPH )
Forget Nick Horby's FEVER PITCH, this is the football book of the new age, a mix of heroism, humour and Norman Hunter, but mainly humour. (SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR )
Britain's best ever football book. (NORTHERN ECHO )
Acidly funny, there is lots of relevant social comment. One of the best of the new genre. (IRISH TIMES ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Forget Nick Horby's FEVER PITCH, this is the football book of the new age, a mix of heroism, humour and Norman Hunter, but mainly humour. (SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR )
Britain's best ever football book. (NORTHERN ECHO )
Acidly funny, there is lots of relevant social comment. One of the best of the new genre. (IRISH TIMES ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Book Description
* Covering the game at all levels from St. James's Park to Langley Park, from Roker to Willington, THE FAR CORNER is Harry Pearson's brilliant account of the north-east's experience of the 1993-1994 football season.
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First Sentence
In the window of the print shop at the foot of Dog Leap Stairs there was a photo of the Tyne Bridge under construction. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In the window of the print shop at the foot of Dog Leap Stairs there was a photo of the Tyne Bridge under construction. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
“The Far Corner” is a warm homage to North East football, the title allaying to the regions geographical location as well as the more obvious football reference. Harry Pearson while in the throes of moving back to the area spent a season trawling round this football mad region watching games from all levels. Jeez, as if moving house isn’t stressful enough. He goes from the dizzy heights of the Premiership with Newcastle through to the more dubious delights of Blyth Spartans vs. Tow Law Town in the Federation Brewery Northern League Division One. In a way, this is as much a travel and to some extent an historical book as well as a football one. Mostly though it’s just bloody funny. So much so you could find yourself ,like I did ,laughing out loud on public transport, unless you go everywhere by car in which case in the interests of road safety I’d recommend you stick to reading it at home.
Most of the high comedy comes from Pearson’s empirical observations of his fellow fans but he also has a wry eye and sharp turn of phrase for the most mundane of subjects. Hence;” It was so cold the sun was wearing a balaclava”. But there is also an undertow of melancholic nostalgia as he gives brief potted histories and biographies of teams and players.
This book has been compared to “Fever Pitch” which is a bit inaccurate as that is a more forensic examination of the hardcore fans psyche and while “The Far Corner” lacks “Fever Pitch”, s poetic style it is the much funnier work. Thus we get a wincingly amusing account of Pearson’s encounter with the Sunderland Skinheed or the classic face off between two old timers on the terraces which culminates in a virtuoso performance so hilarious I almost popped a kneecap laughing.
As a strict armchair football fan, something that will earn me the eternal scorn from most of the people featured in this book, I can say it’s the only thing that makes me yearn to see a live game. Of course this soon passes as I remember I’m not that fond of frostbite and would really rather not have some twenty stone bruisers yelling vitriol in my ear throughout the game. I wish the girlfriend wouldn’t insist in coming too…As Pearson would say..”only joking”.
“The Far Corner” along with Simon Hughes “A Lot of Hard Yakka” is the most enjoyable sports book I’ve read and is a joy every time you re-visit. Read it and weep…….with laughter…Ohh and if anyone fancies commissioning a similar book about cricket in West Yorkshire , I’m up for the job!
Most of the high comedy comes from Pearson’s empirical observations of his fellow fans but he also has a wry eye and sharp turn of phrase for the most mundane of subjects. Hence;” It was so cold the sun was wearing a balaclava”. But there is also an undertow of melancholic nostalgia as he gives brief potted histories and biographies of teams and players.
This book has been compared to “Fever Pitch” which is a bit inaccurate as that is a more forensic examination of the hardcore fans psyche and while “The Far Corner” lacks “Fever Pitch”, s poetic style it is the much funnier work. Thus we get a wincingly amusing account of Pearson’s encounter with the Sunderland Skinheed or the classic face off between two old timers on the terraces which culminates in a virtuoso performance so hilarious I almost popped a kneecap laughing.
As a strict armchair football fan, something that will earn me the eternal scorn from most of the people featured in this book, I can say it’s the only thing that makes me yearn to see a live game. Of course this soon passes as I remember I’m not that fond of frostbite and would really rather not have some twenty stone bruisers yelling vitriol in my ear throughout the game. I wish the girlfriend wouldn’t insist in coming too…As Pearson would say..”only joking”.
“The Far Corner” along with Simon Hughes “A Lot of Hard Yakka” is the most enjoyable sports book I’ve read and is a joy every time you re-visit. Read it and weep…….with laughter…Ohh and if anyone fancies commissioning a similar book about cricket in West Yorkshire , I’m up for the job!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Currently the majority of football books are written by overpaid and underperforming players. There books are hollow are often leave with a sense of anger, and often disgust, that you have contributed to the income of another egotitstical maniac who's experience of football is nothing like the one you know.
This book however shows all that is good about football, the experiences of the fans and the long journeys that people make to follow their team. It has moments so funny that I did laugh out loud on the bus and their will be at least one part of the book that someone will relate to. This is one of the best books about football I have ever read.
This book however shows all that is good about football, the experiences of the fans and the long journeys that people make to follow their team. It has moments so funny that I did laugh out loud on the bus and their will be at least one part of the book that someone will relate to. This is one of the best books about football I have ever read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A very ,very funny account of football in the North East. As a Newcastle fan & intermittent Gateshead FC supporter (who has also been known to pop over to watch Blyth Spartans & Whitley Bay FC), I could readilly identify with huge swathes of this book.
This is not just a book for the North East fan - any football fan will love it. Non league supporters will ,no doubt, have a chuckle or two as they read large sections of this book. I am certain that they will readily identify with some of the characters Harry runs into in the North East non league scene. If you haven't been to a non league game, this book could well persuade you to go, if anything,just to see if you can spot some of the kinds of characters Pearson describes through his keen observation, or as a result of being drawn into conversation with them (he really does nail some of the more "unusual" characters & experiences you sometimes encounter at non league games).
This is what football is all about - enjoying the game, enduring the pain of mediocrity,having a laugh,a pint & savouring the atmosphere & the people .
Pearson does all of this in this marvellous book, it's just brilliant & I think (for what it's worth !) that it's a must for football fans everywhere.
This is not just a book for the North East fan - any football fan will love it. Non league supporters will ,no doubt, have a chuckle or two as they read large sections of this book. I am certain that they will readily identify with some of the characters Harry runs into in the North East non league scene. If you haven't been to a non league game, this book could well persuade you to go, if anything,just to see if you can spot some of the kinds of characters Pearson describes through his keen observation, or as a result of being drawn into conversation with them (he really does nail some of the more "unusual" characters & experiences you sometimes encounter at non league games).
This is what football is all about - enjoying the game, enduring the pain of mediocrity,having a laugh,a pint & savouring the atmosphere & the people .
Pearson does all of this in this marvellous book, it's just brilliant & I think (for what it's worth !) that it's a must for football fans everywhere.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Bought it again and again
My favourite book about football and close to being my favourite book. The title of this review refers to the fact I've bought it to pass to footie fan mates; although I normally... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Cornish Dad
Fabulous football fun!!
I have to agree with all the other five star reviews of this book - it is quite simply the funniest football book I have ever read. The author is a comedy genius. Read more
Published 12 months ago by filmfan Dave
Funny and engaging
This is a great book for anyone interested in football beyond the big names of the Premier League. As well as covering well-known North-East teams such as Sunderland, Newcastle... Read more
Published 14 months ago by M. V. Clarke
The Far Corner
This has to be one of the funniest and true to life football books that I have ever read , especially Page 226 West Auckland v Hebburn its a real hoot . Read more
Published 17 months ago by Fred Anderson
Easy read
.
really good read ,took you to places in north east you forgot about.well thought about and well put together
really good read ,took you to places in north east you forgot about.well thought about and well put together
Published 17 months ago by football crazy
"The Far Corner" review
Excellent book on north-east football of all levels - amateur and professional.Informative and humerous with it. Good value
Published 23 months ago by Jr M. Longstaff
not so funny
I bought this title on recommendation by the Times. I found it generally amusing though one suspects not as funny as the author intended. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Bookworm
Not the classic I was led to believe!
I've heard people rant on about this book for years and finally got my copy as part of a big Christmas want list of footy books. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2009 by S. L. Quinn
Spot on...North East footy is just like this
What a great book. It hits the spots beautifully and describes not only what football means to the supporters of the big teams but what is means to play for your local town or pub... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2005
I own five copies of this book
This book is so funny that I have purchased five copies of it in homage to the genius that is Mr Pearson.
Published on 28 May 2003 by Siberian Spireite
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