Tales Of The Tartan Army

Tales of the Tartan Army is a glimpse into the occasionally surreal and often all-too-real ranks of a platoon of footsoldiers in the great and bravehearted Army's search to find a team to follow which is worthy of their support. These are the rampant guys and rare gals that you see screaming their allegiance in stadiums around the world, from Mexico to Croatia, via Iceland and Spain, usually imprisoned in a postage-stamp-sized section of the ground behind razor-wire, snarling security forces and killer dogs. These are the people who make Scotland famous the world over for their warmth, generosity and capacity for strong drink. They'll make you laugh and maybe once or twice they'll make you shed a furtive tear. Their clan slogan is 'We'll support you ever more! F*** the score!'. And once you've read about them, you'll want to join them. You'll be welcome.

The (Completely Unofficial) Tartan Army Songbook is the book that no self-respecting Scotland fan should be without.

The good, the bad, the beautiful game: a mix that few can explain and yet whenever football hooliganism breaks out, the government, the football authorities, the police and journalists are all too ready to offer quick-fix solutions - solutions that rarely consider the underlying causes of the violence. Is it about boys becoming men? Racism and the hatred of all things foreign? Or about a defence of territory and national pride? Hooligan Wars looks behind the easy answers by comparing England's fan culture to football supporters' experience in France, Germany and Holland. The role of fascist groups is investigated. The effect of media coverage of hooliganism is analysed. And the impact of all-seater stadiums reviewed. A separate chapter considers the fans' experiences at the recent World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Rivalry with 'the other lot' and winding up those we love to put one over on will always be a big part of what it means to be a football fan. Is the connection between this and violence something that can never be broken? What would football be like free of hooliganism? In trying to rid the game of its ugly underbelly, are we in danger of softening too many of those rough edges that makes it so special? This is a book that takes risks by asking awkward questions. Football violence is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's time to break the spell.

This book provides a broad range of international case studies to examine how sport has helped to shape national identities, and how national cultures have shaped sport.

This illustrated text introduces the reader to the mad-cap supporters of Scotland's national soccer team, the Tartan Army - a harder core, more eccentric type of travelling soccer fan - and follows the Army on their expeditions around the world during the 1990s.

Volume one of a bibliography documenting all that has been written in the English language on the history of sport and physical education in Britain. It lists all secondary source material including reference works, in a classified order to meet the needs of the sports historian.

This is the story of the greatest achievement in the history of international football. After decades of failure, Spain won the European Championship in 2008 andthen the World Cup in 2010. At Euro 2012 they became the first team to win three consecutive tournament titles. Graham Hunter was inside the dressing room as the players celebrated after the finals of the World Cup and Euro 2012. His access-all-areas pass at all three tournaments has resulted in remarkable eyewitness accounts and new interviews with star players and the men behind the scenes. Across every day of La Roja’s treble, the author takes you on to the training ground; on the team bus; into the canteen; inside the hotels and on to the pitch. You’ll hear the team talks that inspired Spain to victory plus the inside stories from Fernando Torres, Xavi, Iker Casillas, David Villa, Cesc Fàbregas, Andrés Iniesta, Gerard Piqué and the others behind an unprecedented era.