- Table View
- List View
Fighting for My Life: A Prisoner’s Story of Redemption
by Billy Moore'The next round in Billy's fight is pain-racked, frank and reflective . . . an inspiring piece from a man who's been to hell and back and has the scars to prove it'JOE COLE'Brutally honest, dark and disturbing. A book that tells of the reality of drugs and a failing prison system'NEIL SAMWORTH, author of Strangeways: A Prison Officer's Story'His life may have had many ups and downs, but Billy is a wonderful example of never giving up'JAMES ENGLISH'A true story of forgiveness, not only learning to forgive others but also learning to forgive yourself. An incredibly emotional story about an incredible man who's had an incredible journey'LIAM HARRISON'This time I am telling the story of my life both before prison in Thailand and what followed once I was back in the United Kingdom, my cancer diagnosis, more prison time and, finally, redemption. I am trying to understand aspects of my childhood that had a role in my eventual downward spiral into addiction, pain, misery and loss'BILLY MOOREBilly Moore spent three years in Klong Prem prison in Thailand, popularly known as the 'Bangkok Hilton', where he witnessed acts of extreme violence and sexual assault. Eventually he found purpose through taking part in Muay Thai boxing tournaments in jail. Here, he found 'a wall of human community' amongst the elite boxers and regained his sobriety. He was granted early release by the King of Thailand having excelled as a Muay Thai boxer in inter-prison tournaments. But back in the UK and a decade later - with his demons resurfacing - Billy's past caught up with him. He was caught and convicted of a burglary and was despatched to HMP Walton under then home secretary Theresa May's three-strikes rule. Billy has spent almost twenty-two years in various prisons, but since then, he has not only survived cancer, but also gone on to become a powerful advocate of boxing and anti-knife crime initiatives in the Liverpool area, training young boxers.A Prayer Before Dawn was made into a film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and starring Joe Cole, of Peaky Blinders' fame. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, but by the time it went on general release, Billy was back in prison in the UK. In this follow-up to Billy's first international bestseller, an autobiography set largely in Thailand's infamous prison system, Billy sets out to explore his experience of childhood abuse that would lead to a life of drug addiction and near-constant incarceration. After Billy's sentence in Klong Prem prison was commuted as a result of his extraordinary success as a Muay Thai boxer, he returned to the UK.In this vividly told story, Liverpudlian Billy contrasts his first-hand experience of one of the cruellest prison systems in the world with his experience of UK prisons. The result is, in part, a shocking exposé of the inadequacy of care and the lack of humanity in British prisons. But Billy's story is mainly one of rehabilitation, recovery and redemption. Rich in detail, honesty and humour, his book is a fast-paced, unputdownable read which shows how the human spirit can endure and eventually thrive.
Fighting Spirit: The Autobiography of Fernando Ricksen
by Fernando Ricksen Vincent de VriesFernando Ricksen is a fighter. As a footballer, he carved out a fearsome reputation for Rangers, Zenit St Petersburg and the Netherlands. Throughout his time at Ibrox, his aggressive approach won him hero status among the Rangers fans, and off the field he was just as dynamic a force, finding himself on the front pages of the national newspapers as often as in the sports sections. After leaving the club in 2006 and signing for Zenit St Petersburg, he went on to defeat his former teammates in the final of the 2008 UEFA Cup and established as wild a reputation in Russia as he had in Glasgow. In a career that saw him win twelve caps for Holland and an array of silverware and titles for Fortuna Sittard, AZ Alkmaar, Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg, Ricksen has stood out both on and off the field with the sheer force of his personality and his never-say-die attitude. In late 2013, Ricksen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and here he candidly reveals his battle with the deadly disease, once again displaying the fighting spirit for which he is famed. He has experienced a rollercoaster of highs and lows in both his personal and professional life and now reveals all in this extraordinary story, an explosive exposé of football, alcohol, drugs, sex, violence and corruption.
Fighting Talk: Flimsy Facts, Sweeping Statements and Inspired Sporting Hunches
by Colin Murray Johnny VaughnThe Sports Fact: the bedrock of any self-respecting fan, the trump card of the pub conversation. We cant quote Shakespeare or remember our loved ones birthdays - superfluous! - but we can list, in alphabetical order, the last three strikers for our teams to have a 20-goal season, together with the names of their wives, children, aunts, favourite TV shows, golf handicap...glory! And so it is that Fighting Talk, the Saturday morning bastion of world-class punditry, introduces five years of accrued knowledge, one liners, quips, and anecdote all gleaned from, or in the style of, the hugely popular show. Discover Sports Facts as pithy as what kind of chocolate bar Victoria Beckham was munching on as she gave birth to first son Brooklyn, or whether a World Cup victory have any effect on the victorious nations GDP, or even Also, be challenged by the divisive Defend the Indefensibles in which our crack team of writers support motions as scurrilous as the best thing about the Grand National is seeing a horse gets shot, or that its really true women really cant throw.
Figurational Research in Sport, Leisure and Health (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)
by Dominic Malcolm Philippa VelijaFigurational sociology offers an important set of conceptual and methodological tools for helping us to understand sport, leisure and health and their relationship to wider society. This book brings together an international team of scholars working within the figurational tradition to explain the significance of figurational sociology in the development of the sociology of sport and to provide empirical case studies of figurational sociology in action. Covering core concepts such as the civilizing process, and key methods such as interviewing and ethnography, the book presents contemporary research in areas as diverse as sport-related health, mixed martial arts, sports policy, gender relations and cycling. Figurational Research in Sport, Leisure and Health is an important resource for students of sport and social sciences, sociology, figurational sociology and sociology of sport and exercise.
Figurational Research in Sport, Leisure and Health (Routledge Research in Sport, Culture and Society)
by Dominic Malcolm Philippa VelijaFigurational sociology offers an important set of conceptual and methodological tools for helping us to understand sport, leisure and health and their relationship to wider society. This book brings together an international team of scholars working within the figurational tradition to explain the significance of figurational sociology in the development of the sociology of sport and to provide empirical case studies of figurational sociology in action. Covering core concepts such as the civilizing process, and key methods such as interviewing and ethnography, the book presents contemporary research in areas as diverse as sport-related health, mixed martial arts, sports policy, gender relations and cycling. Figurational Research in Sport, Leisure and Health is an important resource for students of sport and social sciences, sociology, figurational sociology and sociology of sport and exercise.
Final Countdown: Book 8 (Total Football #2)
by Alan GibbonsThe Rough Diamonds are a close knit team. Kev McGovern, their captain, makes sure they work hard and play hard. Kev has lived total football and worked the Rough Diamonds to the top - but will the ghosts from his past come back to haunt him, ruining all their chances and snatching victory from them?
The Final Innings: The Cricketers of Summer 1939
by Christopher SandfordThe declaration of war against Germany on 3 September 1939 brought an end to the second (and as yet, final) Golden Age of English cricket. Over 200 first-class English players signed up to fight in that first year; 52 never came back. In many ways, the summer of 1939 was the end of innocence. Using unpublished letters, diaries and memoirs, Christopher Sandford recreates that last summer, looking at men like George Macaulay, who took a wicket with his first ball in Test cricket but was struck down while serving with the RAF in 1940; Maurice Turnbull, the England allrounder who fell during the Normandy landings; and Hedley Verity, who still holds cricketing records, but who died in the invasion of Sicily. Few English cricket teams began their first post-war season without holding memorial ceremonies for the men they had lost: The Final Innings pays homage not only to these men, but to the lost innocence, heroism and human endurance of the age.
The Final Move (Hometown Players #3)
by Victoria DenaultHockey legend Devin Garrison thought he blew his shot. But his relationship with Callie Caplan just went into overtime.Sexy, rich, and one of the biggest stars in the NHL, Devin Garrison has always been the one who had it all. That is until his marriage falls apart and he realizes he has to start over. If he's honest, there has only been one woman who ever really excited him-Callie Caplan. They shared a night that was hotter than the late-summer sun, but in an instant-Callie was gone, pretending it never happened.Callie Caplan isn't the wild child people think she is. It's true she's avoided relationships, but only because she's seen how crazy love can be. And her messy, imperfect life is crazy enough without opening her heart to a man-even one as picture perfect as Devin. But when fate brings them back together-just as they need each other most-Devin is determined to convince Callie that what she's feeling is real. And this final play may be their chance at forever . . .
The Final Play
by David BaldacciFrom the international number one bestselling thriller writer, David Baldacci, comes a gripping mystery about a college football player’s investigation into the unsolved disappearance of a fellow player who seemingly vanished into thin air.Previous published as The Mighty Johns, The Final Play is an ebook novella from bestselling author David Baldacci.Forty years ago, Herschel Ruggles, a legend on the Mighty Johns football team at Draven University, disappeared after scoring a record-breaking touchdown in front of 25,000 spectators. Ruggles, instead of celebrating, continued running, ball in hand, into a passageway that led under the field. He was never seen again.His disappearance had mystified the community for decades until another player, brilliant physics major, Merlin North, turns detective and becomes fixated on discovering what happened to Herschel Ruggles.As North’s investigation deepens, he uncovers evidence which suggests that dark forces played a hand in Ruggles’ fate, revealing a truth even more extraordinary than he could ever have anticipated.
The Final Season: The Footballers Who Fought and Died in the Great War
by Nigel McCreryA moving narrative history of the professional footballers who fought and died in World War I, with a foreword by Gary Lineker.In 1914, as today, successful footballers were heroes and role models. They were the sporting superstars of their time; symbols of youth, health and vigour. Naturally enough, when war broke out they felt it was their duty to join up and fight. Between 1914 and 1918, 213 professional players fell in action. Some teams lost half their players, either killed or else so badly injured in mind and body that they were never to play again. The Final Season is the powerfully moving account of these young men who swapped the turf of the pitch and the cheers of the fans for the freezing mud of the battlefield and the terrible scream of shell fire. It follows them as they leave their fans and families behind, undergo training and then travel on to the bloody arenas of war: Ypres, Gallipoli, the Somme, Passchendaele. Nigel McCrery paints these men in vivid detail. From their achievements on the football pitch to their heroic conduct on the battlefield, we will learn of the selfless courage and determination they displayed in the face of adversity. For far too many, we will also learn when, and how, they made the ultimate sacrifice.
Final Whistle: The Paddy Russell Story
by Jackie Cahill Paddy RussellTipperary native Paddy Russell has been one of the leading referees in the GAA for the past 30 years. His story is a remarkable one, following his rise from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of two All-Ireland finals.Inspired by the late, great John Moloney, Russell took his first steps in refereeing in 1976. He quickly emerged as a leading light and rapidly worked his way to the top of his profession.Russell has enjoyed a successful career but it is also one laced with drama, most notably that arising from the 1995 All-Ireland senior football final between Tyrone and Dublin. Russell later took charge of the tempestuous National Football League clash between Dublin and Tyrone in 2006, which became known as 'The Battle of Omagh', and the stormy showdown between Leinster rivals Dublin and Meath in April 2008. Just two months later, Russell was in charge of the Munster senior football championship tie between All-Ireland champions Kerry and Clare when Kerry captain Paul Galvin slapped the referee's notebook from his hands, earning a three-month suspension.In Final Whistle, Russell reflects on his eventful journey, including these controversial matches, and describes vividly the stresses and strains of refereeing modern-day Gaelic games.
Final Whistle (Jamie Johnson Series #6)
by Dan FreedmanIt's the final whistle for Jamie Johnson! After leading Scotland to near-victory in the World Cup, Jamie has landed his ultimate dream job: playing for one of the best teams in the world, Barcelona. But when disaster strikes and his days of football glory feel like a distant memory, Jamie's future will begin exactly where everything first kicked off... Join Jamie in his last adrenaline-fuelled adventure, which captures all the intense highs and lows of the beautiful game!
Final Whistle (Jamie Johnson Ser. #6)
by Dan FreedmanIt's the final whistle for Jamie Johnson! After leading Scotland to near-victory in the World Cup, Jamie has landed his ultimate dream job: playing for one of the best teams in the world, Barcelona. But when disaster strikes and his days of football glory feel like a distant memory, Jamie's future will begin exactly where everything first kicked off... Join Jamie in his last adrenaline-fuelled adventure, which captures all the intense highs and lows of the beautiful game!
Final Whistle (Jamie Johnson Ser. #6)
by Dan FreedmanIt's the final whistle for Jamie Johnson! After leading Scotland to near-victory in the World Cup, Jamie has landed his ultimate dream job: playing for one of the best teams in the world, Barcelona. But when disaster strikes and his days of football glory feel like a distant memory, Jamie's future will begin exactly where everything first kicked off... Join Jamie in his last adrenaline-fuelled adventure, which captures all the intense highs and lows of the beautiful game!
Finally Free: An Autobiography
by Michael VickOne of the most talented and polarizing athletes of our generation, Michael Vick's stunning story has captured news headlines across the nation. From his poverty-stricken youth, to his success on the field in high school and college, to his rise to NFL stardom and his fall from grace, Finally Free shows how a gifted athlete's life spiraled out of control under the glare of money and fame, aided by his own poor choices. In his own words, Vick details his regrets, his search for forgiveness, the moments of unlikely grace-and the brokenness that brought his redemption on the way to a surprising, fairy-tale season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010.
Finance for Sport and Leisure Managers: An Introduction
by Robert Wilson John JoyceSport and leisure managers need to understand the financial side of their industry to offer the most cost-effective facilities and to make sound business decisions. However, to the non-expert the language and practice of finance is often bewildering and perceived as complicated, difficult and impenetrable. This textbook guides the reader throu
Finance for Sport and Leisure Managers: An Introduction
by Robert Wilson John JoyceSport and leisure managers need to understand the financial side of their industry to offer the most cost-effective facilities and to make sound business decisions. However, to the non-expert the language and practice of finance is often bewildering and perceived as complicated, difficult and impenetrable. This textbook guides the reader throu
Financial Management in the Sport Industry
by Matthew T. Brown Daniel A. Rascher Mark S. Nagel Chad D. McEvoyNow in a fully revised and updated third edition, this essential textbook introduces the fundamentals of sport finance and sound financial management in the sport industry. It is still the only textbook to explain every aspect of finance from the perspective of the sport management practitioner, explaining key concepts and showing how to apply them in practice in the context of sport. The text begins by covering finance basics and the tools and techniques of financial quantification, using industry examples to apply the principles of financial management to sport. It then goes further, to show how financial management works specifically in the sport industry. Discussions include interpreting financial statements, debt and equity financing, capital budgeting, facility financing, economic impact, risk and return, time value of money, and more. The final part of the book examines financial management in four sectors of the industry: public sector sport, collegiate athletics, professional sport, and international sport. It provides an in-depth analysis of the mechanics of financial management within each of these sport sectors. Useful features, such as sidebars, concept checks, practice problems, case analysis and case questions will help students engage more deeply with financial techniques and encourage problem-solving skills. This new edition includes a completely new chapter on international sport, reflecting the globalized nature of the modern sport industry, as well expanded coverage of current issues such as digital media finance, recent legal cases affecting collegiate sport, and the central importance of collective bargaining. Financial Management in the Sport Industry is an essential textbook for any undergraduate or postgraduate course in sport finance, and an invaluable supplement to any course in sport business or sport management. It is also an important reference for all sport management practitioners looking to improve their understanding of finance. The book is accompanied by updated and expanded ancillary materials, including an instructor’s manual, PowerPoint slides, and an image bank.
Financial Management in the Sport Industry
by Matthew T. Brown Daniel A. Rascher Mark S. Nagel Chad D. McEvoyNow in a fully revised and updated third edition, this essential textbook introduces the fundamentals of sport finance and sound financial management in the sport industry. It is still the only textbook to explain every aspect of finance from the perspective of the sport management practitioner, explaining key concepts and showing how to apply them in practice in the context of sport. The text begins by covering finance basics and the tools and techniques of financial quantification, using industry examples to apply the principles of financial management to sport. It then goes further, to show how financial management works specifically in the sport industry. Discussions include interpreting financial statements, debt and equity financing, capital budgeting, facility financing, economic impact, risk and return, time value of money, and more. The final part of the book examines financial management in four sectors of the industry: public sector sport, collegiate athletics, professional sport, and international sport. It provides an in-depth analysis of the mechanics of financial management within each of these sport sectors. Useful features, such as sidebars, concept checks, practice problems, case analysis and case questions will help students engage more deeply with financial techniques and encourage problem-solving skills. This new edition includes a completely new chapter on international sport, reflecting the globalized nature of the modern sport industry, as well expanded coverage of current issues such as digital media finance, recent legal cases affecting collegiate sport, and the central importance of collective bargaining. Financial Management in the Sport Industry is an essential textbook for any undergraduate or postgraduate course in sport finance, and an invaluable supplement to any course in sport business or sport management. It is also an important reference for all sport management practitioners looking to improve their understanding of finance. The book is accompanied by updated and expanded ancillary materials, including an instructor’s manual, PowerPoint slides, and an image bank.
Financial Management in the Sport Industry
by Brown T MatthewFinancial Management in the Sport Industry provides readers with an understanding of sport finance and the importance of sound financial management in the sport industry. It begins by covering finance basics and the tools and techniques of financial quantification, using current industry examples to apply the principles of financial management to sport. It then goes beyond the basics to show how financial management works specifically in sport - how decisions are made to ensure wealth maximization. Discussions include debt and equity financing, capital budgeting, facility financing, economic impact, risk and return, time value of money, and more. The final section focuses on sport finance in three sectors of the industry - public sector sports, collegiate athletics, and professional sport-providing in-depth analysis of financial management in each sector. Sidebars, case studies, concept checks, and practice problems throughout provide practical applications of the material and enable thorough study and practice. The business of sport has changed dynamically since the publication of the first edition, and this second edition reflects the impact of these changes on financial management in the sport industry. New to this edition are changes to reflect the global nature of sport (with, for example, discussions of income tax rates in the Premiere League), expanded material on the use of spreadsheets for financial calculations, a primer on accounting principles to help students interpret financial statements, a valuation case study assignment that takes students step by step through a valuation, a new stadium feasibility analysis using the efforts of the Oakland Raiders to obtain a new stadium, a new economic impact example focusing on the NBA All Star game, and much more.
Financial Management in the Sport Industry
by Brown T MatthewFinancial Management in the Sport Industry provides readers with an understanding of sport finance and the importance of sound financial management in the sport industry. It begins by covering finance basics and the tools and techniques of financial quantification, using current industry examples to apply the principles of financial management to sport. It then goes beyond the basics to show how financial management works specifically in sport - how decisions are made to ensure wealth maximization. Discussions include debt and equity financing, capital budgeting, facility financing, economic impact, risk and return, time value of money, and more. The final section focuses on sport finance in three sectors of the industry - public sector sports, collegiate athletics, and professional sport-providing in-depth analysis of financial management in each sector. Sidebars, case studies, concept checks, and practice problems throughout provide practical applications of the material and enable thorough study and practice. The business of sport has changed dynamically since the publication of the first edition, and this second edition reflects the impact of these changes on financial management in the sport industry. New to this edition are changes to reflect the global nature of sport (with, for example, discussions of income tax rates in the Premiere League), expanded material on the use of spreadsheets for financial calculations, a primer on accounting principles to help students interpret financial statements, a valuation case study assignment that takes students step by step through a valuation, a new stadium feasibility analysis using the efforts of the Oakland Raiders to obtain a new stadium, a new economic impact example focusing on the NBA All Star game, and much more.
Find a Way: One Untamed and Courageous Life
by Diana NyadWinner of the Cross Sports International Autobiography of the Year award.In the 1970s, Diana Nyad was widely regarded as the greatest long-distance swimmer in the world and set many world records, such as circling Manhattan Island and crossing the 102.5 miles between the Bahamas and Florida. But one record continually eluded her: becoming the first woman to swim between Cuba and the Florida Keys without a shark cage. Finally, in September 2013, after four failed attempts and at the age of sixty-four, Diana completed the crossing after two days and two nights of continuous swimming - 53 consecutive hours, 110 miles.Millions of people watched her and cried and cheered and were dazzled and amazed by her tenacity and courage. Her memoir, Find a Way, is a dramatic, page-turning account of the epic endurance quest that led to that moment, and is also a galvanizing call to live life boldly, in-the-moment, fearlessly, passionately, with no regrets.What makes this book special is that it not only recounts an astonishing and hard won triumph, though it does tell the story of an extraordinary and improbable victory. What makes this book, and Nyad herself, so incredible is the fact of her monumental courage in the face of failure. Nyad failed, and failed, and failed, and failed, but never gave up, and this memoir shows her unwavering belief in the face of overwhelming odds. It is about perseverance, tenacity and commitment on an epic scale.
Finding Baseball's Next Clemente: Combating Scandal in Latino Recruiting (Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture)
by Roger BrunsThis book examines what it takes for Latino youngsters to beat the odds, overcoming cultural and racial barriers—and a corrupt recruitment system—to play professional baseball in the United States.Latin Americans now comprise nearly 30 percent of the players in Major League Baseball (MLB). This provocative work looks at how young Latinos are recruited—and often exploited—and at the cultural, linguistic, and racial challenges faced by those who do make it. There are exposés of baseball camps where teens are encouraged to sacrifice education in favor of hitting and fielding drills and descriptions of fraud cases in which youngsters claim to be older than they are in order to sign contracts. The book also documents the increasing use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs by kids desperately trying to gain an edge.In addition to discussing the hard road many Latinos follow to MLB, the work also traces the fascinating history of baseball's introduction in Latin American countries—in some cases, more than a century ago. Finally, there are the stories of great Latino players, of men like Roberto Clemente and Carlos Beltran who made it to the majors, but also of men who were not so lucky. Through their tales, readers can share the dreams and expectations of young men who, for better or worse, believe in "America's pastime" as their gateway out of poverty.
Finding Baseball's Next Clemente: Combating Scandal in Latino Recruiting (Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture)
by Roger BrunsThis book examines what it takes for Latino youngsters to beat the odds, overcoming cultural and racial barriers—and a corrupt recruitment system—to play professional baseball in the United States.Latin Americans now comprise nearly 30 percent of the players in Major League Baseball (MLB). This provocative work looks at how young Latinos are recruited—and often exploited—and at the cultural, linguistic, and racial challenges faced by those who do make it. There are exposés of baseball camps where teens are encouraged to sacrifice education in favor of hitting and fielding drills and descriptions of fraud cases in which youngsters claim to be older than they are in order to sign contracts. The book also documents the increasing use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs by kids desperately trying to gain an edge.In addition to discussing the hard road many Latinos follow to MLB, the work also traces the fascinating history of baseball's introduction in Latin American countries—in some cases, more than a century ago. Finally, there are the stories of great Latino players, of men like Roberto Clemente and Carlos Beltran who made it to the majors, but also of men who were not so lucky. Through their tales, readers can share the dreams and expectations of young men who, for better or worse, believe in "America's pastime" as their gateway out of poverty.
Finding Gobi (Main Edition) (Main Edition) (Main Edition) (Main Edition): The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey: The True Story Of A Little Dog With A Lot Of Stamina
by Dion LeonardTHE SUNDAY TIMES NO.2 BESTSELLER Like A Streecat Named Bob before it, Finding Gobi is a truly heart-warming story for animal lovers worldwide…