Final Whistle

WINNER OF THE BRITISH SPORT BOOK AWARDS - RUGBY BOOK OF THE YEAR This is the story of 15 men killed in the Great War. All played rugby for one London club; none lived to hear the final whistle. Rugby brought them together; rugby led the rush to war. They came from Britain and the Empire to fight in every theatre and service, among them a poet, playwright and perfumer. Some were decorated and died heroically; others fought and fell quietly. Together their stories paint a portrait in miniature of the entire War. The Final Whistle plays tribute to the pivotal role rugby played in the Great War by following the poignant stories of fifteen men who played for Rosslyn Park, London. They came from diverse backgrounds, with players from Australia, Ceylon, Wales and South Africa, but they were united by their love of the game and their courage in the face of war. From the mystery of a missing memorial, Cooper’s meticulous research has uncovered the story of these men and captured their lives, from their vanished Edwardian youth and vigour, to the war they fought and how they died.

Tipperary native Paddy Russell has been one of the leading referees in the GAA for the past 30 years. His story is a remarkable one, following his rise from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of two All-Ireland finals. Inspired by the late, great John Moloney, Russell took his first steps in refereeing in 1976. He quickly emerged as a leading light and rapidly worked his way to the top of his profession. Russell has enjoyed a successful career but it is also one laced with drama, most notably that arising from the 1995 All-Ireland senior football final between Tyrone and Dublin. Russell later took charge of the tempestuous National Football League clash between Dublin and Tyrone in 2006, which became known as 'The Battle of Omagh', and the stormy showdown between Leinster rivals Dublin and Meath in April 2008. Just two months later, Russell was in charge of the Munster senior football championship tie between All-Ireland champions Kerry and Clare when Kerry captain Paul Galvin slapped the referee's notebook from his hands, earning a three-month suspension. In Final Whistle, Russell reflects on his eventful journey, including these controversial matches, and describes vividly the stresses and strains of refereeing modern-day Gaelic games.

When one talks about the game of hockey the name of K D Singh 'Babu' leaves all others behind. 'The Final Whistle' covers his life on and off the field right from his early days. He was a hockey player who had no parallel. This biography is all about what went through his life, a life full of dramatic events. No hockey player in the world caught the attention of sports critics as he did. He had magic in his stick and most often sports commentators were at a loss of words to describe his superlative game. His game was a commentator's delight. When unable to describe his wizardry a sports reporter could only express 'But the best brains of the FBI, if enlisted, would have been unable to put manacles on this all time great inside forward'. Former New Zealand Captain C V Walter was more candid when he wrote ' So Great was 'Babu' that not even the umpires could stop him, desperately hard though they tried at times'. The mere news of his participation in any match used to spread like wildfire and fans would rush and swarm the arena to see him play. Right from 1937 when he made his first public appearance he dominated the headlines for more than twenty years. He was the main architect of the 1948 and 1952 Olympic Gold's and in recognition of his wizardry he was awarded the coveted 'World Helms Trophy' for being the best athlete of Asia and best hockey player of world. He was the first Indian to be honoured so. He was a multi-talented sportsman and a big game hunter who knew the ways of a tiger as well as how to pierce through a packed defense. Likened to the great magician Harry Houdini for his great escapes through tightest rings of defenders 'The Final Whistle' is a graphic narration of his unbelievable game that dazzled world opponents.

When Britain's empire went to war in August 1914, rugby players were the first to volunteer: they led from the front and paid a disproportionate price. When the Armistice came after four long years, their war game was over; even as the last echo of the guns of November faded, it was time to play rugby again. As Allied troops of all nations waited to return home, sport occupied their minds and bodies. In 1919, a grateful Mother Country hosted a rugby tournament for the King's Cup, to be presented by King George V at Twickenham Stadium. It was a moment of triumph, a celebration of military victory, of Allied unity and of rugby values, moral and physical. Never before had teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Britain and France been assembled in one place. Rugby held the first ever 'World Cup' – football would not play its own version until 1930. In 2015 the modern Rugby World Cup returns to England and Twickenham as the world remembers the Centenary of the Great War. With a foreword by Jason Leonard, this is the story of rugby's journey through the First World War to its first World Cup, and how those values endure today.

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