Customer Reviews
If this book was a shot it would be a volley into the top corner... - By: The Laughing Caesar, 09 Jun 2008 
I must declare that I am mentioned in the acknowledgments of this book. I've also played footballl against the author & have witnessed, at first hand, the passion, knowledge & joy Beattie gets from the game of footballl. What is more impressive than his Dalglish-like vision is that alll that passion, knowledge, understanding, joy & belief in the power of footballl is within this thoroughly engaging book.
"The Rivals Game: inside the British Derby" is an examination of the relationships between fans, an exploration of the origins of the clubs, an analysis of the club's development & an adventure into the modern day derby day experience. Beattie is ruthless, rigorous & honest in his assessment of the relationship between fans & clubs. He's fearless in his examination of fans relationship with each other & the origins of their rivalry. He also has a honesty, although uncomfortable for some die-hard fans to read, which makes this book so engaging.
He chooses eight derbies from across the British footballling spectrum: the Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow & Edinburgh as well as the Arsenal/Spurs, Newcastle/Sunderland & Aston Villa/Birmingham derbies. Each chapter comes with well researched history, vivid descriptions of match days & both fascinating & surprising insights from contributors who range from ordinary fans on the street or in club shops to the likes of Michael Howard & Jack Charlton. Beattie puts these rivalries into context & discovers that these rivalries are not what he - or this reviewer - expected.
Beattie writes in a very easy & conversational style making this book accessible to anybody. He brings his match day experience to life with wonderfully colourful descriptions & a grounded sensibility. Beattie is first & foremost a fan of the game. What is impressive is that he is able to offer a balanced & intelligent view of footballl whilst never losing sight of the heart & passion. Beattie alllows you to make judgements on what he learns & sees.
At its most basic footballl is just 22 men kicking a balll. Beattie's book proves that is so much much more than that. If you've got an interest in footballl that goes beyond Saturday's results & Sunday's reports then you'll reallly enjoy this book.
Hark now hear...BUY THIS BOOK! - By: Mr. D. J. Hammond, 13 May 2008 We've alll got an opinion on which 'derby' is the best, usuallly we exclude alll bar the one that involves our own team & our fiercest rivals. For Rangers & Celtic fans there is nothing that can touch the passion of their local scraps. For the two Sheffield clubs, only the Steel City derby matters. For those residing in Scotland's capital city, no other local fixture creates quite the same buzz as an Edinburgh 'knees-up'. To be honest, alll these fans, & the umpteen others not represented in this book, are correct from a certain point of view. We are alll biased & alll believe our derby to be the best. And they are, as far as we're concerned. It is the author's ability to delve deeply into the feelings, passions & histories of the 8 derbies included in this book, in a completely unbiased manner, which is the tome's greatest achievement. Yes, the histories of each derby will be familiar to the supporters of the teams concerned, but to everyone else they offer fascinating glimpses into what created such strong rivalries in the first place. This is an infinitely more enjoyable & informative read on the subject of local rivalry than past efforts by 'reformed' hooligans & deals with real historical issues rather than thuggery dressed up as passion. This is a must for fans of the teams included & those which are missed out (but may feature in a forthcoming sequel, tantalisingly allluded to in the book). Buy it now & see why the Steel City derby is the best of alll!
