The World Cup's Strangest Moments: Oddball Characters and Memorable Matches from over 75 Years of Football's Greatest Tournament: Extraordinary But True Tales from Over 75 Years of the World Cup (Paperback)

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Product Description
Here, in this end-to-end collection of thoroughly entertaining true stories, are tales so amusing, bizarre, shocking and utterly ludicrous that even the most seasoned fan will be left chanting for more. These are the games where global superstars trip over their laces at just the wrong moment, while complete unknowns become heroes at the nod of a head, and an over-excited witch doctor runs on to 'water the pitch' just as the fat lady is about to sing. So if 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties is just the sort of entertainment you like, "The World Cup's Strangest Moments" is guaranteed to score - unlike singer Diana Ross, whose supreme penalty-miss at USA '94 has never been bettered. Along with a supporting cast of dodgy refs, eccentric mascots, manic managers and a dog who saved the Football Association's blushes, there are shameful fixes, outrageous cheats, bespectacled strikers, gangland disputes, tragic hairstyles, and the most unpronounceable team of all time. Not to mention the odd assassination attempt and the minnows who didn't quite make the finals after losing 31-0. Discover the answers to all the burning questions in World Cup history: Why was an England captain arrested by Colombian police? Which team stole a bus? Where did the Mexican Wave really start? How does a trainer knock himself out treating an injured player? Was a defender really shot for scoring an own goal? Who stole Geoff Hurst's ball? Do robots have good vision? And who was the fan who cycled over 4,000 miles to see his beloved team? Oddball characters and crazy incidents come thicker and faster than free-kicks in a Latin American derby - meet the man who played in two countries on the same day, the deceased official appointed by FIFA, the fan who committed suicide to help his team, and the England mascot who tried to prevent World War Two by running round the deck of an ocean liner. Discover the worst national side in history, how an Irish computer predicted a World Cup winner, which television pundits turned the airwaves blue, and how England's hopes melted away after David Beckham's face appeared on a jaffa cake. Why do the German's taunt the Dutch with cheesy insults? How did a firework cause a Brazilian woman to bare all? And why was World Cup Willie so endowed? All this and much more is revealed in "The World Cup's Strangest Moments", a marvellously entertaining and humorous collection of over 100 weird and wonderful stories from the amazing history of 'The Greatest Show On Earth'.

From the Publisher
Praise for Peter Seddon's football writing:

‘The game is finally getting the literature it deserves.’ 'The Times'

‘Brilliantly tackled…unique.’ 'London Evening Standard'

‘Mightily impressed.’ ' When Saturday Comes'

‘Exhaustively researched….fascinating.’ 'The Independent'

‘An indispensable guide to football history and culture.’ 'FourFourTwo'

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First Sentence
A strange myth endures in Scotland that says the first World Cup was held in Glasgow in 1888 and won by the host nation. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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2 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant book, 2 Mar 2006 By  Bookmark08 "onecoolguy" - See all my reviews The World Cup may be the most over-hyped, inflated event on the sporting calendar but one can't deny the amount of entertainment and weirdness it has provided. Peter Seddon takes us through the oddities of the competition in a humourous and sarcastic fashion. Many great tales are recounted. Read about how Scotland became 'World Champions' in 1967. Did you know that only two Bulgarians have appeared in the World Cup whose surname didn't end in 'v'? Which European country did Norway beat in a qualifier in 1953? The Great Gijon swindle and other dodgy episodes from the tournament are recounted in this excellent book, plus the famous "your boys took one hell of a beating" rant from the Norwegian commentator after they beat England. All football fans should have this book and even those who aren't interested in the beautiful game will be fascinated by the stories. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Streams of strange world cup moments, 7 Oct 2005 By  duncan marshall (Nottingham United Kingdom) - See all my reviews I've just got this great book. Amusing well told stories, many I didn't know before. Familiar ones given a new twist too. So for people who know 'everything' about the beautiful game there's something new on virtually every page. This is a 'dip in' book that's entertaining, and a worthwhile buy. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 2 customer reviews...		Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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