The Lost World of Football

The Lost World of Football, yesterday.

Look over there, to your right >>>

No, not over there - that's your dog*. I mean, stay looking at the screen. Just there. It's the Got, Not Got blog, written by Derek Hammond and Gary Silke. There's probably something interesting to read on there right now. Possibly a snippet from one of their new books - they've just released 5 (five) in time for Christmas. I've seen two of them, and they're both tremendous reads.

The big one is The Lost World of Football - 200+ pages of nostalgia for the period between 1966 and the year that football was ruined forever (that'd be 1992). It's the follow-up to Got, Not Got, which some of you may have had in your stockings on Christmas morning two years ago. If you think The Lost World is going to be more of the same, but not quite as good - well, you'd be right about it being more of the same, but it's the football book equivalent of The Godfather II or Toy Story 2 - the same, but arguably even better than the original.

And there's lots of me in there...

GASP! As you read about me invading the Fratton Park pitch in 1978!

SWOON! As you see me sat on some bricks at Blantyre Victoria!

ROLL YOUR EYES! As you read about me wasting my life playing LogActa dice!

*Or cat. Other pets are available.

And here's What A Shot!

But it's not all me. You can also reminisce about Chris Waddle's Super Cup Football game; the misery of your favourite comics merging (Shoot! incorporating Goal); players with socks around their ankles...

There's a ton of stuff to read. It took me over a week of ten minutes here, ten minutes there, in between doing all the living of life things. On every page, there was something to remember or something I'd never heard of but wish I'd owned back in the day. On every page a gasp or a titter. And lots of me.

Lavishly illustrated, brilliantly written, The Lost World of Football is a thoroughly engrossing read from cover to shining cover (I really should go into the blurb-writing business).

Petersfield Town - you're in both books!

The other book I've seen by Derek and Gary is What A Shot! I've contributed a few pictures - the one above from Petersfield Town looks particularly splendid. There's others from Glasgow, Hampshire and Bognor Regis which all look terrific in book form.

What A Shot! is mostly photos taken by contributors from inside the crowd - many from the 1980s. There are plenty of blurry snaps of the backs of people's heads, others are scoffing burgers. Look at the cover in the picture above and you'll get a flavour of what to expect. Pompey and Saints from 25 years ago are both featured, as well as my more recent pics from Petersfield and Aldershot.

It's another lovely thing to hold and to browse. Drop a few hints and you might get both books for Christmas!

Oh, and I don't know if Dave or Eddie read this blog, but if you take a peek at The Lost World, you might see some Baralian stuff! Nobody else will know what that means...