The Wizard

The Life of Stanley Matthews

Jon Henderson

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Paperback

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English

Yellow Jersey Press
15 April 2014

Biography: sport

The first full and objective autobiography of a sporting legend, revealing the professional and private lives of one of the world's greatest ever footballers

'Stanley Matthews taught us the way football should be played' Pele

'I couldn't believe he was just a man. He was the best player in the world' Bobby Charlton

'He told me that he used to play for just twenty pounds a week. Today he would be worth all the money in the Bank of England' Gianfranco Zola

Stanley

Matthews is one of the most famous footballers ever to play the

beautiful game. Nicknamed 'The Wizard of Dribble' for his deadly skills,

he made fools of defenders around the world. He played 84 matches for

England in a career that spanned an extraordinary 33 years and such was

his popularity that attendance for his club teams, Stoke City and

Blackpool, more than doubled when he played. He was a global superstar

decades before Beckham, Ronaldo or Messi, yet what do we really know

about this legendary man?

This first full and objective

biography looks beyond the public face of the 'first gentleman of

soccer' to explore a life not without controversy. This was a player who

clashed with his managers, who felt undervalued in the age of the

maximum wage - leading to a charge of blackmarketeering - and who was

criticised for his showmanship and perceived lack of team spirit. There

were private dramas too - an unhappy first marriage that produced two

beloved children, and a second, to the love of his life, a Czech with a

dark secret even Matthews never knew and which acclaimed biographer Jon

Henderson reveals for the first time.

Recreating the magic

on the pitch and analyzing the key moments that made Matthews great,

this is a meticulously researched story of a national hero and a

fascinating insight into English football in the 20th century.

By: Jon Henderson
Imprint: Yellow Jersey Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 299g
ISBN: 9780224091855
ISBN 10: 0224091859
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 15 April 2014
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Jon Henderson, a sportswriter for more than 45 years, has reported on events from around the world working for Reuters and national newspapers, including the Observer and Guardian. His assignments included five Olympic Games and two World Cups. He is the author of two previous books, Best of British and The Last Champion The Life of Fred Perry.

Reviews for The Wizard: The Life of Stanley Matthews

Portrays a lost world of heavy balls, burly strikers, fog-bound pitches, £20-a-week wages, and teams who would travel to away matches by train and walk to the ground from the station -- Blake Morrison * Guardian * The book portrays a lost world of heavy balls, burly strikers, fogbound pitches, £20-a-week wages, and teams who'd travel to away matches by train then walk to the ground from the station -- Blake Morrison * Guardian * A marvellous, well-written biography that doesn’t shirk from exploring controversial episodes in Sir Stan’s life * Press Association * Henderson succeeds in digging deeper, revealing a more complex character. Fallouts with managers, private dramas. It’s fascinating stuff! * Four Four Two * Conveys the ethos of football in a bygone age, when money was secondary to sportsmanship and even world-famous players would take the bus to the ground -- David Robson * Sunday Telegraph *

Short-listed for British Sports Book Awards: Football Book of the Year 2014
Short-listed for British Sports Book Publishing Awards 2014 (UK)
Short-listed for The British Sports Book Awards: Football Book of the Year 2014 (UK)
Shortlisted for British Sports Book Awards: Football Book of the Year 2014.