October 10, 2008
Buy this now!
Here’s a recommendation that you simply may not ignore.
“A Cultured Left Foot” by Musa Okwonga. (publisher’s page: http://www.ducknet.co.uk/general/title.php?titleissue_id=388 )
Okwonga is an Old Etonian. I used to work with an Old Etonian, and he was at once bright, eccentric, curious, hilarious. These qualities are in evidence in Okwonga’s prose. His writing is almost poetic, leading you to insights that had previously been just beyond your grasp. I’ve only read three chapters but this is a keeper, one to read and re-read down the line. It couldn’t be better.
In short, Okwonga is fascinated by greatness. What makes a great player? He has eleven themes to explore, the first three being feet, balance, and fun. A great player needs great feet, he suggests, so spends a chapter talking about footballers’ feet. A great footballer needs great balance, so he talks about that, colouring his ideas with examples from the real world, Ryan Giggs, Garrincha, Archie Gemmill. It’s just brilliant reading. He splices his thoughts and examples with discussions with experts, a ballerina (for balance), a foot specialist (for feet), and it’s never less than riveting. The third chapter is ‘fun’. Does a great footballer have to have, or be, fun? He talks about Brazilians and their extrovert play, contrasting this with the melancholic genius of Zinedine Zidane, the sad story of Paul Gascoigne and the madness of Roy Keane. He also quotes cricket’s Ed Smith, who is certain that most top sportsmen try too hard, rather than too little, as assumed by many of those watching them. That rings a bell, does it not?
I can’t recommend this enough. I couldn’t wish for a better book about football.
My copy came straight from Crockatt & Powell, Fulham Road. Independent booksellers rule, especially excellent ones like Matthew and Adam.
Email them at info at crockattandpowell dot com for your copy! It’s £7.99 in paperback, I think.
(the balance chapter talks about goals like these… drool)
