Desert Island Books: 89 books

Rainstorms at Grays, snow at Eastbourne, freezing sleet at Histon. The 2009-10 season was the weirdest ever for Luton Town and its army of fans, plunged into the mysterious world of non-league football thanks to massive points deductions. Life-long supporter Rob Hadgraft kept a diary of this odyssey...

The whole world knows Russian linesman Tofik Bakhramov got it wrong in 1966. There are good places to make a mistake and bad places, and the World Cup final with millions watching around the globe is not a good place. With England drawing 2-2 with West Germany in the World Cup final at Wembley, Geoff...

In 1909 when Arthur Joscelyne was six his father emptied the family savings from the jug on the mantelpiece to buy 200 yards of beach on the north shore of the River Thames. Arthur helped run Joscelynes Beach for 20 years. His boyhood reminiscences vividly bring to life a world long disappeared. The...

In 1975 Eddie and the Hot Rods burst onto the music scene and quickly built up a massive following. The band from south Essex were young, full of energy ... and the singer 'shook his ass'. For a time they were arguably the biggest live band in the UK. Hit singles and albums followed; they filled clubs...

Steve Tilson's back-to-back promotions with the same club, first as player, then as manager, are unprecedented in English football. With perfect timing, Southend United celebrated its centenary with the biggest prize in its history - the championship of League One (the old Third Division). But the preceding...

Although it took Ipswich Town FC many years to take the plunge and turn professional, once they did so they quickly prospered. Town joined the Football League in 1938, and, before 20 seasons had elapsed, had three divisional championships in the bag - including, astonishingly, the League title at the...

Roy Keane was controversial as a player, but was undeniably a great one. He was controversial as a manager, and might yet become a great one. He had already touched the heights and the depths in charge at Sunderland. He then arrived at Ipswich Town, a family club, taking on the role once filled by Sir...

British author Rob Hadgraft specialises in biographies of marathon and ultra-distance runners. All are available worldwide as ebooks. His five subjects to date are:1. The Little Wonder: The Untold Story of Alfred Shrubb - World Champion Runner.2. Beer and Brine: The Making of Walter George - Athletics'...

What links the studio-set for BBCs Match of the Day and the titlesequence of the comedy quiz-show They Think Its All Over? And whatconnects JK Rowlings Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and DavidBeckhams biography, My Side? In every case, football floodlights (or inRowlings case a magical Quidditch...

Manchester United were a dominant force in English football in the decades after World War Two. They were League champions five times, FA Cup winners twice, and runners-up in both competitions on numerous occasions. Managed by the legendary Matt Busby, United were the first English club to participate...

The achievements of Dundee United in the early 1980s are astonishing. During that period manager Jim McLean believed that to compete with Rangers and Celtic was a bit like a corner shop successfully taking on Tesco. But in season 1982-83 the men from Tannadice did just that and won. United hadnt won...

One newspaper called it the most dramatic moment Scottish football had ever seen. In 1965, little Kilmarnock, never before champions, clinched the Scottish League title in astonishing circumstances, from under the noses of their chief rivals, and by the slimmest of margins on the seasons final day. Told...

After years as a lower division cup giant-killer, Norwich City finally burst into football's elite in the 1970s. Theres rarely been a dull moment since. The Canaries have since experienced four cup finals, five losing semi-finals and a play-off final. By 2010 they had relished five promotions, suffered...

1961-62 was a golden season for Dundee Football Club. They became Champions of Scotland by winning the Scottish League title for the first and, to date, only time in their history. They then became princes of Europe the following year with their fabulous European Cup adventure. For any club outside the...