The assertion that 'football isn't a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that' has been verified repeatedly throughout modern history. It has bolstered tyrants and helped depose them; contributed to conflict and created ceasefires. It has been an incubator of racism at home and helped bring down a racist regime abroad; shaped cities, changed cultures and inspired resistance. Its impact is as dynamic as the game itself. In this fascinating exploration, Jim Murphy takes us on a journey around the world and through the years, from Franco's Spain to Africa's Alcatraz, Robben Island. Charting the match that sparked a Central American war, the Barcelona team threatened at gunpoint, and the game that helped save Rupert Murdoch's media empire, among much else, Murphy lends a fresh new perspective to some of the most iconic moments in international football. Blending a love of the game with an appreciation of its place in global events, this is an authoritative and often humorous mix of sport and history, featuring fascinating first-hand insights from those most involved in the ten matches that changed the world ... and the one that didn't.

Autorentext

Jim Murphy is the Labour Member of Parliament for East Renfrewshire. He is a former UK Cabinet minister and has held a variety of ministerial roles in Tony Blair and Gordon Brown's governments. He was born and raised in Glasgow before his family emigrated to South Africa. In the 1980s, he returned to the UK to avoid conscription into the South African Army during the apartheid era. He has a lifelong love of football and is a Celtic season ticket holder, although at forty-six he is well past his footballing prime. The House of Commons football team is probably the only squad in the country where, despite his age, he would still be considered the youthful mid field box-to-box runner.