Mister The Men Who Gave the World the Game Synopsis
Sometimes, they had been spurned in their own land, as coaching was often frowned upon in England in those days, whe players were starved of the ball during the week to make them hungry for it on matchday. So it was that the inspirations behind the 'Mighty Magyars' of the 1950s, the Dutch of the 1970s or top clubs such as Barcelona came from these shores. England, without realising it, fired the very revolution that would remove its crown, changing football's history, thanks to a handful of men who sowed the seeds of the inversion of football's natural order. This is the story of the men who taught the world to play and shaped its destiny. This is the story of the Misters.
'It is in the small details of how the destinies of this band of proselytisers were forged that the book delivers such delights.' Ian Herbert i
'A gratifyingly timely book. It explains how English football managers...were pivotal in making foreigners better at football than we are... So there is a strong seam of irony running through Rory Smith's excellent book.' Brian Viner Daily Mail
'As well-travelled and erudite a journalist as you will find...the candour of Smith's writing is one of the book's most endearing traits.' Andy Brassell When Saturday Comes
Author
About Rory Smith
Rory Smith joined The Times as one of its leading football writers in 2012, having previously written for the Daily Telegraph, and he now writes for the New York Times. He worked with Rafa Benitez on Champions League Dreams, but this is his first book under his own name.
