Forgive Us Our Press Passes: An Anthology of Modern Football Writing - Tapa dura

Forgive Us Our Press Passes is a seam full of rich nuggets, from the achievements of Sir Alex Ferguson to those of Hartlepool United. They've even got Gary Lineker to pick his best-ever team from the recipients of the FWA's Footballer of the Year Trophy. As Davies says in his introduction, there has literally never been a book like it. Proceeds are going to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, and three cheers for that - Anton Rippon - Sports Journalists' Association.

Thousands of column inches are written about what Pele called "The Beautiful Game" every day in the UK, avidly devoured by millions of football fans. In "Forgive Us Our Press Passes", the Football Writers' Association (FWA), the body which represents football journalists at every level across Britain, has asked 75 of their number to pen unique articles on a range of subjects - some historical, some contemporary. The journalists chosen are some of the most widely read and respected in the land and have decades' worth of experience to bring to bear on an insight on subjects ranging from the passion of the FA Cup final in the 1950s and 60s to an examination of David Beckham's free-kick taking to why England does not produce great goalkeepers any more to a piece about what it is like to cover a modern international tournament such as the World Cup to the joys of watching Torquay versus Aldershot on a freezing cold night!The contributors include: Patrick Barclay ("Sunday Telegraph"); Brian Woolnough ("Daily Star"); Oliver Holt & Martin Lipton ("Daily Mirror"); Christopher Davies & Henry Winter ("Daily Telegraph"); Paul Hayward, Matt Lawton and Jeff Powell ("Daily Mail"); Ian Ridley, "Mail on Sunday"; Joe Lovejoy ("Sunday Times"), Jon Brodkin ("The Guardian"); Andy Dunn ("News of the World"); Shaun Custis ("The Sun"); Steve Bates & Neil Silver ("The People"); Martin Samuel & Matt Dickinson ("The Times"); Sam Wallace, ("The Independent"); Peter Drury ("ITV Sport"); Mick Dennis ("Daily Express") and Malcolm Brodie ("Belfast Telegraph"), including in their number local journalists from newspapers as far afield as Glasgow, Liverpool, Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester & Cardiff. It includes a foreword by Gary Lineker.