Thomas Taw: 5 books

By 1919 it seemed West Bromwich Albion would never win the Championship. The League founder-members were renowned Cup-fighters, and had squandered the promise of a bright young team by failing to take the title before the First World War. Football was starting up again, amid a country in crisis. 1919-20...

In 1888 twelve clubs formed the Football League, a ground-breaking mission for which they were called Apostles. Afterwards the world followed. Football in the 1880s was wildly exciting and teeming with personalities. Beneath the Victorian veneer, its participants fought furiously with each other: players,...

In its infancy Manchester United had a great team. Promotion, then five trophies in three years. That team created an expectation of success that survived a drought of 40 years until the Busby era. Dick Duckworth was the only one to play throughout the club's Golden Age, from the phoenix-rise from the...

The Second World War is over. It took time and struggle to kick-start League football back to normal. 1946-47 became the first modern season. Footballers emerged from the perils of combat - escaping from torpedoed ships or burning bombers - to entertain the unruly, angry crowds of austerity Britain....

Third Lanark no longer exist. The only League champions in Britain ever to go bust. The end was ignominious: Third could not even afford to buy footballs. But once, they defied all the odds to become Scottish champions. Third Lanark was a club of proud origins, a proud history and a sad ending. Third...