Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A smart and irreverent guide to running a football club, brought to you by the team behind the acclaimed The Price of Football podcast
Imagine setting up your own Sunday League football club and seeing it rise to the lofty heights of the Champions League, taking all the risky, rewarding, sometimes dodgy and increasingly big money decisions along the way. Comedian and financial idiot Kevin Day and Kieran Maguire, a football accountant and financial expert, have imagined just that with all the humour and savage insight of their massively popular The Price of Football podcast.
As (the made up) West Park Rovers rise through the divisions, towards the Premier League and Europe, Kevin and Kieran take readers on a rollercoaster ride through the often murky - and frequently bizarre - world of football finance. Along the way to hopefully making a fortune (albeit an imaginary one), they outline the challenges, opportunities and pitfalls their club encounters, while Kieran attempts to stop Kevin bankrupting them both in the (fortunately fictional) process.
Their preposterous but somehow believable journey uses meticulously researched examples from football's rich history of financial chaos (like the chairman who set fire to his own ground to claim the insurance), interviews with big names and anecdotes from their own lives (like Kevin bumping into Sylvester Stallone at Everton and Kieran doing the accounts for the Russian mafia) as well as contributions from those in the know, including Gary Lineker, Gary Neville, Stephen Fry, Henry Winter, Karen Brady and Delia Smith (to name just a few), to follow the money and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Synopsis
A smart and irreverent guide to running a football club, brought to you by the team behind the acclaimed The Price of Football podcast
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the FA's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the popular podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Proper Persons they take West Park Rovers* on a journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: no-one else does.) What's the best way to avoid money laundering charges? And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
With contributions from those in the know and celeb fans, including Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Ainsley Harriott and Jo Brand, Unfit and Proper Persons lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance, and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
*Merch available
Synopsis
Ever dream of setting up your own football club? Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they set up a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the FA's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the popular podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers* on a journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: no-one else does.) What's the best way to avoid money laundering charges? And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
With contributions from those in the know and celeb fans, including Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Ainsley Harriott and Jo Brand, Unfit and Improper Persons lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance, and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
*Merch available
Synopsis
'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies
'I loved this book ... Great authors, terrible football club owners.' Josh Widdicombe
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Ever dream of setting up your own football club?
Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they set up a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the FA's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers* on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: no-one else does.) What's the best way to avoid money laundering charges? And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
With contributions from those in the know and celeb fans, including Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Ainsley Harriott and Jo Brand, Unfit and Improper Persons lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance, and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
*Merch available
Synopsis
'A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues.' Gary Lineker
'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies
'I loved this book ... Great authors, terrible football club owners.' Josh Widdicombe
---
Ever dream of setting up your own football club?
Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they set up a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the FA's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers* on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: no-one else does.) What's the best way to avoid money laundering charges? And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
With contributions from those in the know and celeb fans, including Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Ainsley Harriott and Jo Brand, Unfit and Improper Persons lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance, and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
*Merch available
Synopsis
'A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues.' Gary Lineker
'Witty and wise.' Clare Balding
'Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful.' Alan Davies
---
Ever dream of setting up your own football club?
Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they set up a (fictional) football club and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but you've also got to pass the FA's 'fit and proper persons test'. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead.
In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers* on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe.
At least that's the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor? What should the mascot be - is a dog called Rover too obvious? Can they pay the women's team the same as the men's team? (Spoiler alert: no-one else does.) What's the best way to avoid money laundering charges? And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans?
Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation - owning a football club isn't all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors' box.
With contributions from those in the know and celeb fans, including Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Ainsley Harriott and Jo Brand, Unfit and Improper Persons lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance, and discover what's really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game.
*Merch available