Download or read book Rugby Has F ing Laws Not Rules written by Paul Williams and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2021-11-04 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The laws of rugby are as extensive as they are confusing, their nuances and interpretations argued over relentlessly by rugby fans around the world and virtually impenetrable to those who are new to the game. In an effort to provide some much-needed clarity, Paul Williams takes an irreverent, hilarious, p*ss-taking tour through the labyrinth that is rugby's rule book – or, for the pedantic, rugby's law book. Hilarious, off-beat and (surprisingly) insightful, this is the perfect gift for rugby fans all around the world.
Download or read book Welsh Rugby 101 written by John Griffiths and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2019-06-13 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welsh Rugby 101 is a compendium of fascinating facts, stats, stories, personalities and trivia – perfect for all fans of Welsh rugby. From the very first Test match against England in 1881 all the way through to the present day, Welsh rugby's rich history is distilled into 101 facts, stats and stories. This entertaining volume is an instructive, if sometimes irreverent – but always affectionate – guide to some of the groundbreaking firsts, controversies, innovations, characters, achievements and disasters that have taken place in the Principality over the years. Whether an expert or a novice, this is the perfect companion for those who follow Wales's exploits on the field and love to bask in light of its glorious (and sometimes inglorious) past.
Download or read book Gallus written by Michael McEwan and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-09-07 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who insist that football is just a game, and those who know better. Take the April 1967 clash between England and Scotland. Wounded by their biggest rivals winning the World Cup just nine months earlier, Bobby Brown's Scots travelled to Wembley on the mother of all missions. Win and they would take a huge step towards qualifying for the 1968 European Championship, end England's formidable 19-game unbeaten streak, and, best of all, put Sir Alf Ramsey's men firmly back in their box. Lose? Well, that was just unthinkable. Meanwhile, off the pitch, the winds of change were billowing through Scotland. Nationalism, long confined to the margins of British politics, was starting to penetrate the mainstream, gaining both traction and influence. Was England's World Cup victory a defining moment in the Scottish independence movement? Or did it consign Scotland to successive generations of myopic underachievement? Michael McEwan, author of The Ghosts of Cathkin Park, returns to 1967 to explore a crucial ninety minutes in the rebirth of a nation.
Download or read book World in their Hands written by Martyn Thomas and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2022-09-15 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Rugby Book of the Year 2023 World in their Hands recounts the remarkable events that led to a group of friends from south-west London staging the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup in 1991. The tournament was held just 13 years after teams from University College London and King's contested a match that catalysed the growth of the women's game in the UK, and the organisers overcame myriad obstacles before, during and after the World Cup. Those challenges, which included ingrained misogyny, motherhood, a recession, the Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, provide a fitting framing device for a book that celebrates female achievement in the face of adversity. Although ostensibly a story about women's rugby, this is a tale that has rare crossover appeal. It is not only the account of a group of inspirational women who took on the institutional misogyny that existed in rugby clubs across the globe to put on a first ever Women's Rugby World Cup. It is also the compelling and relatable tale of how those women, their peers and others in the generations before them, reshaped the idea of what it means to be a woman, finding acceptance and friendship on boggy rugby pitches. At the time, with the men's game tying itself up in knots about professionalism and apartheid, these women were a breath of fresh air. Three decades on, their achievements deserve to be highlighted to a wider audience.
Download or read book Winning the Fight written by Maggie Alphonsi and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-08-31 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Maggie has changed the way the game is played forever' - The Sunday Times Maggie Alphonsi is not only a national sporting icon, the face of international women's rugby and star player of the England side that won the World Cup in 2014. She is also an inspirational and totemic figure who transcends sport. The compelling story of her life makes her achievements even more extraordinary. Hers is an against-all-the-odds tale, becoming the best player in the world despite having to battle against racism, sexism, and prejudice. It is a book forged from the raw emotion, passion, and testimony of an iconic player, who rose to the elite of world sport when the world was seemingly stacked against her. It is a moving and revealing story of a woman who was not prepared to be defined by anyone but herself and gives the reader a unique insight into how she met her goals.
Download or read book Superbook written by John Rain and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-11-09 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THIS IS THE GUIDE TO CLASSIC SUPERHERO MOVIES YOU NEVER KNEW YOU NEEDED. If you mention the word 'superhero' these days, the mind is immediately bombarded by visions from the MCU, DCU and all the numerous phases, extended TV series and animated side-specials that combine to make our eyes bleed with a barrage of different characters fighting each other. But before 1997 people would generally only think of a few things: Christopher Reeve smiling as his Superman kept a watchful eye over Earth's atmosphere, Michael Keaton's Batman running around Gotham dressed in moulded rubber, Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man being hauled up a wall on a rope, Bill Bixby trying not to unleash his inner Hulk and Flash Gordon camply swashbuckling his way around another galaxy. It's time to don your cowl, cape, shredded jeans and Vultan leatherwear and join John Rain as he wades his way through twenty classic superhero films that stunned, amazed and baffled the world from 1978 to 1997. IS IT A BIRD? IS IT A PLANE? NO, IT'S SUPERBOOK! 'The perfect way to enjoy the best and worst films of your childhood' - Ed Byrne
Download or read book The Dream Factory written by Ryan Baldi and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2021-08-26 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Football Book of the Year 2022 'A forensic insight into how our football academies operate. Every angle covered by a splendid author' - Daniel Taylor, The Athletic With unparalleled behind-the-scenes access to academies at all levels of English football, The Dream Factory: Inside the Make-or-Break World of Football's Academies is a journey deep into the heart of youth football, revealing in gripping detail how home-grown Premier League stars such as Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold are created, and at what cost. The Dream Factory introduces a rich array of characters – players, coaches, directors – behind talent production lines at several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City, zooming in on the stories of Alexander-Arnold's unique development, how Rashford's sense of social responsibility was nurtured, and how Phil Foden has become a beacon to City's young hopefuls.
Download or read book They Always Score written by Ryan Baldi and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-10-05 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Fascinating and original ... will tell you things even the most ardent United fan will not know' - Jim White, The Telegraph On 26 May 1999, Manchester United sealed their historic Treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, scoring twice in stoppage time to snatch an unthinkable victory from Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The story of what happened on the pitch is well known, enshrined in the annals of football history. But less in known about how this rollercoaster campaign played out behind the scenes. Thanks to unparalleled insight gleaned from hundreds of exclusive interviews, with United players, coaches, opponents, backroom personnel, club staff, journalists and commentators , They Always Score: The Unforgettable, Improbable, Iconic Story of Manchester United's Treble Winners peels back the curtain to give readers the most comprehensive, illuminating and entertaining picture ever painted of one of the all-time great sports teams.
Download or read book Arsenal 101 written by Rab MacWilliam and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2021-08-13 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arsenal 101 is an entertaining compendium of Arsenal's fascinating history, facts, games, stories, personalities, legends and footballing adventures. Rab MacWilliam has revisited the club's history from its early years as Woolwich Arsenal at the end of the nineteenth century to its status as one of the leading European teams of the present day. Rab has distilled Arsenal's history into 101 facts, moments and stories, examining many of the key characters, matches, controversies, innovations, and dazzling instances of brilliance that have illuminated the proud history of this great, if occasionally erratic, club. Funny, irreverent, fascinating and insightful, Arsenal 101 is the ideal handbook for Gunners fans of all ages.
Download or read book Stand Up and Fight written by Alan English and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-10-05 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A modern classic . . . Absolutely riveting and frequently moving' – The Telegraph 'Among the best books ever written on Irish sport' – Sunday Tribune 'Brilliant . . . Stand Up and Fight is the definitive account. It captures the essence of what makes Munster rugby and its provincial team so unique' – Tony Ward, Irish Independent 'A terrific combination of intelligent reportage and open-eyed mythmaking' – Sunday Times 'A seminal account' – New Zealand Herald 'Irresistible' – Guardian 31/10/1978, Thomond Park. On one of the greatest days in rugby history, Munster beat the All Blacks. More than 100,000 people claimed to have watched the game, even though the ground could only hold 12,000. Now, fully updated for the 45th anniversary of the match, Alan English tells the true story.
Download or read book Batting written by James Knott and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2022-04-07 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is aimed at players and coaches (male & female) of all levels. James Knott and Andrew O'Connor have created a comprehensive and up to date guide to batting for coaches, players and parents featuring photographs and diagrams along with sixty accessible drills. This is an essential guide to the intricate skills required to become a successful batter for both players and coaches. With input from a wide range of elite players and coaches, past and present, this is an invaluable guide to developing batting skills for young and old alike.
Download or read book An Illustrated History of Rugby Rebels Role Models and Giant Killers written by James Stafford and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-09-07 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn all about the players, characters and teams that shaped rugby and inspired millions. From 19th century innovators to 21st century superstars, the latest book in the Illustrated History of Rugby series examines players who overcame the odds to beat everything from injury and illness to racism and sexism to excel and thrill followers of our great game. It also tells the stories of giant killing teams who shocked the world and took the scalps of heavily favoured opponents. From the Tonga team that beat Australia in the 1973 to the 'Miracle in Brighton' which saw Japan topple the mighty Springboks, James Stafford and Raluca Moldovan bring to life some of the most thrilling moments in rugby history.
Download or read book Fergie Rises written by Michael Grant and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-10-05 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FULLY REVISED AND UPDATED 'The finest Fergie book of them all' – Tom English, BBC Sport When Sir Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2013 season he was the most successful football manager Britain had ever seen, having won twice as many trophies as his nearest rival. But that success had not come easily. Thirty-five years previously he had arrived at the rain-swept training ground at Aberdeen F.C. as the recently sacked manager of St Mirren. Already a divisive figure, this Alex Ferguson came with a reputation for trouble and a lot still to prove. Not for nothing, many thought he was a risky choice. Fergie Rises returns to a time when Ferguson was lucky to get Aberdeen, not the other way around. It's the story of an eight-year revolution that saw the Dons and their ambitious young manager knock the Old Firm off their perch, taste victory in Europe for the first time, and electrify Scottish football. When Ferguson finally left the club for Manchester United, in 1986, fans and rivals were unanimous in believing he had engineered one of the most astonishing upheavals in the game's history. The author also examines the personal tragedies Ferguson overcame – the deaths of his father and his mentor Jock Stein – and the rivalries, setbacks and triumphs that shaped a sporting genius. 'A masterful retelling of how Ferguson was "made" at Aberdeen' – Alan Pattullo, The Scotsman
Download or read book Timeless Adventures written by Brian J. Robb and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2023-10-05 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This critical history of Doctor Who covers the series 60 years, from the creation of the show to its triumph as Britain's number one TV drama. Opening with an in-depth account of the creation of the series within the BBC of the early 1960s, each decade of the show is tackled through a unique political and pop cultural historical viewpoint, exploring the links between contemporary Britain and the stories Doctor Who told, and how such links kept the show popular with a mass television audience. Timeless Adventures reveals how Doctor Who is at its strongest when it reflects the political and cultural concerns of a mass British audience (the 1960s, 1970s and 21st Century), and at its weakest when catering to a narrow fan-based audience (as in the 1980s). The book also addresses the cancellation of the show in the late 1980s (following the series becoming increasing self-obsessed) and the ways in which a narrowly-focused dedicated fandom contributed to the show's demise and yet was also instrumental in its regeneration for the 21st Century under Russell T. Davies, and analyses the new series to reveal what has made it so popular, reflecting real world issues like consumerism and dieting.
Download or read book Rugby Law Explained written by Mike Mortimer and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Break the Line written by Rick Ferrara and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-04 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a comprehensive book of tactics for attacking in either the fifteens or sevens format of rugby union, dedicated in its entirety to the tricks and tips needed to defeat defenses in open-field play while keeping the ball in hand.With a new take on rugby diagramming, the author breaks down each rugby movement and its important steps, using color diagrams that clearly show the reader how to win each type of encounter. By being so ultra-focused, Break the Line is a guide for players of all skill levels who wish to gain some advantage in understanding what makes for sharp, efficient, and winning offense. From Simple to Complex Open-Field Tactics & Methods; Notes and Tricks to Winning Situations; "Spoilers" that Ruin Offensive Attacks; Tips for Applying Open-Field Tactics and Philosophy to Structured Play; Strategies for Reading Defensesand Establishing Field Vision
Download or read book Exe Men written by Rob Kitson and published by Birlinn Ltd. This book was released on 2020-11-26 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Telegraph Sports Book Awards Rugby Book of the Year Among the best stories in modern British team sport has been the rise of Exeter Chiefs. How, exactly, did an unfashionable rugby team from Devon emerge from obscurity to become the double champions of England and Europe? What makes them tick? What are their secrets? Exe Men is a compelling story of regional pride, fierce rural identity, larger-than-life local heroes, remarkable characters, epic resilience, big city snobbery, geographical separation, steepling ambition and personal sacrifice which will strike a chord with anyone who enjoys a classic underdog story. This is not any old rugby book, it is the inside story of Exeter's incredible journey from the edge of nowhere to the summit of the English and European club game.
