Backpage Sports Stories

Secret Diary of a Sports Publisher

Secret Diary of a Sports Publisher #1 A Week in the Life

In the first of a new series, Martin BackPage takes us through a week – this week – in his working life… it involves planes, trains, Bluetooth speakers… Hugh MacDonald and Graham Hunter. Read More →

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Sport books to read on the beach

A few years ago I read a survey on where people take their book recommendations from. Social media was bottom of the list. Word of mouth was top. Tips from friends – or like-minded acquaintances – remain the most powerful means of spreading the word about a book. In an algorithm-driven world, there is something comforting in that. Read More →

My favourite sports book

Matthias Hahn on The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Football is Wrong

Matthias Hahn talks about ‘The Numbers Game: Why Everything You Know About Football is Wrong’, by Chris Anderson and David Sally. “By any standards a landmark book.” Read More →

My favourite sports book

Jonathan Earle on The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro

Jonathan Earle talks about ‘The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro’ by Joe McGinniss. The extraordinary story of an Italian village team’s rise against seemingly impossible odds. “A gripping, engaging tale.” Read More →

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Forever Young: The Story of Adrian Doherty, Football’s Lost Genius

They say everyone has a book in them… and in most cases that’s where it should stay. Cruel, perhaps, but the reality is that most people don’t see book projects through to the end. Finishing a book is extremely hard. Read More →

My favourite sports book

Ryan Kirkman on Inverting the Pyramid

Ryan Kirkman talks about ‘Inverting the Pyramid’ by Jonathan Wilson. This book pulls apart the finer details of the world’s game, tracing the global history of tactics, from modern pioneers right back to the beginning when chaos reigned. “A masterful work.” Read More →

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When BackPage missed Pirlo and met Xavi instead

In 2014, I travelled to Madrid for two purposes. The first was to film some video diaries with Graham Hunter to accompany his ‘Spain’ book. This first part was successful – and can be found here. Take your time to watch some. We’re very proud of them. Read More →

My favourite sports book

Kevin McCluskie on Football Against The Enemy

Kevin McCluskie talks about ‘Football Against The Enemy’ by Simon Kuper. The author travelled to 22 countries from South Africa to Italy, from Russia to the USA, to examine the way football has shaped them. “A groundbreaking sports book.” Read More →

My favourite sports book

James Rendall on Calcio’s Greatest Forwards

James Rendall talks about ‘Calcio’s Greatest Forwards: Serie A’s Finest Attackers’ by George Rinaldi. The book devotes a chapter to each of the 21 best strikers to have graced L’Italia since 1929, delving deep into the back stories of Serie A’s finest attackers. “A great book, fantastic players and excellent artwork.” Read More →

My favourite sports book

Michael Tierney on The Fight

Michael Tierney talks about ‘The Fight’ by Norman Mailer, a non-fiction book about the boxing title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman at Kinshasa in Zaire in 1974. “This book is a masterpiece of the literature of sport.” Read More →