Left Foot in the Grave

Garry Nelson’s diary of the highs and lows of a struggling third division football league club is an authentic and refreshingly vivid expose of English professional football, with an insight into the problems and day-to-day anxieties of players, backroom staff and management alike.

From the temperamental mini-star through to the no-hoper reject, from early season cheer to end of season gloom, from a glorious triumph to a struggle to put eleven players on the field, this portrayal of the life and times of Torquay United FC captures the essence of what football is all about.

The book also takes in the wider issues, such as the funding of soccer, FIFA and the British transfer system. Through it all, the former Torquay United player-coach never fails to illuminate his words with sharp comparisons and ironic contrasts that are part and parcel of the game in this country.

Following on from his first book, the bestselling Left Foot Forward , Garry Nelson has established himself as an excellent writer and a shrewd and thoughtful analyser of football.