Homepage
sports

BOOK REVIEW: Another Bloody Saturday by Mat Guy

Football is not just a game of 11 vs 11 bodies of flesh exhausting themselves physically and mentally for straight ninety minutes after a ball. There is football we watch on television, alone or with known ones, watching a nineteen year old whose market value is almost equivalent to the eleven players of opposition who are trying to get the ball off from his feet. At front of that television set we all are football pundits for ninety minutes. There is no denying in that.

If you are football fanatic, in ninety minutes you are going to feel each and every emotion inside us- anger, ecstasy, astonishment, aversion, admiration, vigilance and yet one game is not enough. Similarly, Mat Guy in the title Another Bloody Saturday expresses himself through the beautiful game in various anecdotes collected over his famous blog Dreams Victoria Park.

Football isn’t about the Premier League or the El Classico. Though that’s all we can watch on television but the world of football is much more vast than that. It’s a whole universe in itself. There are teams which are part of the sport for the passionate people who love it. Such teams and green fields are explored by Mat Guy in his book. He tells us about his experiences and match telecasts of teams such as Welsh Bangor City and Icelandic UMF Stjarnan.more

From Glasgow to Northern Cyprus, Bhutan to the Faroe Islands, Mat discovered the same hope, sense of community, and love of the game that first led him to a life in the stands at Salisbury FC’s Victoria Park, where his own passion for football was formed.

The most amazing thing about Mat’s journey is that he finds a football club that he can enjoy as a football club, for his love of the sport, regardless of the money the club spend on its players. Mat’s love for Accrington Stanely which he himself likes to call a ‘spiritual’ attachment, is more like finding a true essence, something very abstract but one feels attached to it.

I always believed that, in game of football, a passionate lover of this sport, is tend to follow two clubs. One he follows, and one he is spiritually attached. With latter one might end up enjoying more. Mat Guy’s book is a well written prose for the fans of the game.

4 out of 5!

View Comments

leeduigon says: December 8, 2015 at 3:46 AM For a moment there I thought you were talking about American football, and I said to myself, "Huh?" Our National Football League might be more aptly called the National Felons League. Then I realized you were talking about the sport which we Americans call soccer. Oh, well... I'm a sumo fan, myself.

For a moment there I thought you were talking about American football, and I said to myself, "Huh?" Our National Football League might be more aptly called the National Felons League. Then I realized you were talking about the sport which we Americans call soccer.
Oh, well... I'm a sumo fan, myself.

Aman(@amanhimself) says: December 8, 2015 at 10:35 AM I have never seen American Football, I mean live on tv. Felons League? Too much foul play?

I have never seen American Football, I mean live on tv. Felons League? Too much foul play?

leeduigon says: December 8, 2015 at 10:37 AM Not exactly. More like way too many players wind up charged with violent crimes. Seems to be endemic in the sport, these days. The Rutgers University football team, for instance, had a bunch of players who formed a home invasion gang. Very nasty.

Not exactly. More like way too many players wind up charged with violent crimes. Seems to be endemic in the sport, these days. The Rutgers University football team, for instance, had a bunch of players who formed a home invasion gang. Very nasty.

Aman(@amanhimself) says: December 8, 2015 at 11:39 PM That kind of thing is bad for the sport itself. I think every sport should be inspiring, to the viewers at most. In football/soccer, the thing I like is that some of the personalities are so gentlemanly both on and off the pitch and very hard working.

That kind of thing is bad for the sport itself. I think every sport should be inspiring, to the viewers at most. In football/soccer, the thing I like is that some of the personalities are so gentlemanly both on and off the pitch and very hard working.

leeduigon says: December 8, 2015 at 11:40 PM American football isn't much for personalities that can be described as "gentlemanly." It wasn't always so.

American football isn't much for personalities that can be described as "gentlemanly." It wasn't always so.

BOOK REVIEW: Elephants in the Room by Suraj Laxminarayanan What is a better crime fiction novel where a crime revolves around not the detective…
BOOK REVIEW: Unforeseen by Chandan Sen Gupta Cleverly woven plots are often a delight for me to read. There are many factors…
#BookReview: Dystopia by Manoj Jain With a peculiar cover Manoj Jain, this is his 5th book release. I have read some…

What is a better crime fiction novel where a crime revolves around not the detective…

Cleverly woven plots are often a delight for me to read. There are many factors…

With a peculiar cover Manoj Jain, this is his 5th book release. I have read some…

BOOK REVIEW: Elephants in the Room by Suraj Laxminarayanan

What is a better crime fiction novel where a crime revolves around not the detective who tries to fit pieces…

Book Reviews
Books

BOOK REVIEW: Unforeseen by Chandan Sen Gupta

Cleverly woven plots are often a delight for me to read. There are many factors why I like these type…

Book Reviews
Books
Fiction

#BookReview: Dystopia by Manoj Jain

With a peculiar cover Manoj Jain, this is his 5th book release. I have read some of his work in the…

Books

#BookReview: Influencer by Brittany Hennessy

Brittany Hennessy does a great job on writing a book about that targets Instagram as the platform to promote your…

Book Reviews
Books
Non-Fiction

#BookReview: How To Earn $10,000 While Learning To Code by Rob Percival

Learning how to code is a common asset these days for the interested ones. As a full-time software engineer and…

blog
Blogging Tips
Books

Ten Day Book Blog Posts Challenge #1

One of the hardest thing about blogging is consistently writing and publish blog posts and for that, you have to…

BOOK REVIEW: Another Bloody Saturday by Mat Guy - Confessions of a Readaholic