Product Description
Why is a left foot either trusty or educated, but a right foot is neither?
Why is a bad back pass almost invariably suicidal?
Why can you score from a corner with a free header, but never with a free shot?
Why are hooligans always a tiny minority even when there seem to be hundreds of them throwing seats across Kenilworth Road?
Discover how stock phrases - schoolboy howler, sweeper system - are only part of the story in the artfully twisted language of football. Let Leigh and Woodhouse take you on a journey, from the top-flight vocabulary of commentators to the more speculative efforts of footballers, from the Champions League circus to a Wednesday night in Rochdale. And prepare to be very entertained.
'The boys done terrific. A work of genius.' Martin Kelner
'This book is pure kwolity. And I mean kwolity with a capital K.' Graham Spiers
A sort of Robbie Fowler's Modern English Usage, the Football Lexicon provides an A to Row Z of the language of football, with over 800 examples of the set phrases we use to talk and write about the beautiful game.
Altercation: A rather euphemistic way of describing a bust-up, a dust-up, a situation where players square up, as in: 'Bit of an altercation off the ball there.' See also handbags.
Z: Row Z is a long way from the pitch and so, by inference, the hypothetical destination of any no-nonsense clearance. Defenders who put safety first by playing within their limitations can be praised, but a reference to the back of the stand may also depict a badly over-hit pass: 'He tried to find Fredgaard on the other wing, but that's gone straight into Row Z.' Old-school managers may even condone their players putting the opposition into the stands along with the ball: 'County boss Billy Dearden was left fuming: 'O'Driscoll should have finished in Row Z but we were too nice.''
All of our books are second hand, and while you may not get the exact copy shown in the picture, all of our books are in very good condition. Removing stickers from a book may damage it, so we refrain from doing so. If you see a price sticker on a book, please ignore it.