The Mavericks: English Football When Flair Wore Flares

by Robert Steen

Book Overview

Artfully combining sports journalism with social history and sharp pop culture references, The Mavericks explores 1970s football when a cult group of footballers delivered flair on the pitch and flamboyance off of it.

Cocky, coiffured strikers meet David Bowie and Alvin Stardust; Gola boots exchange kicks with A Clockwork Orange and The Likely Lads; Admiral sock tags, platform heels and kipper ties mingle with...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1472974859
• ISBN13: 9781472974853
• Release Date: June 2020
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Sport
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 2.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

The Mavericks: Why English Football went wrong

An interesting look at the development of hard-tackling, work ethic football in England and how it marginilized the truly gifted players. The author points to Ramsey's '66 Cup team as the beginning of the problem when Jimmy Greaves was excluded from the side. The author tells the story of Charlie George at Arsenal, Peter Osborne at Chelsea, Rodney Marsh at QPR and so on and why these players were rarely selected to play for England in internationals. England's total lack of sucess in the 70's can be chalked up to Don Revie and Joe Mercer's refusal to select these unique footballers. His traces the career of each man as they were tranfered to the smaller clubs and labelled as "lazy" and "undisiplined". The author tracks down each individual he talks about in the book and tells their story up to 1994 (when the book was written). A great book for any football fan especially those who love the English game.

Sunshine in a grey era

Covers the true flashy stars of '70s English soccer--George Best, Rodney Marsh, Charlie George, Alan Hudson, Peter Osgood, Frank Worthington, Stan Bowles and Tony Currie. A fun read as it was the '70s after all.