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WEST HAM BOOK SIGNING AT THURROCK
WEST HAM BOOK SIGNING AT THURROCK
Pitch authors Mike Miles, Paul Brand and Callum McNaughton will be signing copies of their West Ham United books at Waterstones at Thurrock on Friday 23rd August, from 6.30pm.
Click here for more information.
Mike is the author of Over Land and Sea, the story of West Ham’s journey across Europe, from success in the 1960’s, all the way through to winning the UEFA Conference League in 2023, exploring the rich history of the Hammers' European fixtures dating back more than a century.
Aside from winning two major trophies 58 years apart - the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965 and the UEFA Conference League in 2023 - West Ham have not exactly blazed a trail through Europe. But there's more to the club's connection with the continent than first meets the eye.
The Hammers have a rich tradition of playing friendlies against continental opponents, having travelled to Spain as long ago as 1921; while in the 1950s top European sides played under the new floodlights at Upton Park.
Although West Ham's success in Europe has largely been in competitions that no longer exist, there's a great deal to discover about their wider European story, as captured in this immersive book.
Paul Brand & Callum McNaughton are the co-authors of Inside the Academy, which tells the stories of a talented set of footballers spanning a quarter-century, exploring childhood aspirations and what became of them. It lifts the lid on teenage training grounds and what it takes to even come close to being a Premier League player.
From Bobby Moore to Declan Rice, West Ham United has a proud history of cultivating young talent. Yet their 2023 FA Youth Cup triumph came against a backdrop of complaints about congested pathways to first-team football and inflated pay packets quelling ambition. These concerns are not unique to West Ham; they are symptomatic of the modern game.
This book offers an insight into what life as a young footballer is really like, via interviews with people who've lived and breathed the game over the past 25 years. It's a must-read for anyone who wonders why child prodigies don't always become professionals and what happens to those who don't make it to the top.