The beautiful game - Alan Gibbons

Fact and fiction intertwine in this heartfelt tribute to football, honouring victims of Hillsborough and other disasters, and celebrating trailblazing black players.

Football is Lennie's life, like his dad and grandad before him. But then Lennie gets involved with some fans who want to cause trouble at a game.

Dad and Grandad understand only too well the cost of fan violence, official neglect and racism in football, and they take Lennie on a whistle-stop tour of the dark side of the beautiful game.

Packed with facts about football disasters and controversies, this passionate and timely book charts the highs and lows of our national obsession.

Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.