The Silence of the Stands

Name: The Silence of the Stands
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781399404068
Price: 39.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

Finding the Joy in Football's Lost Season

By Daniel Gray

0.0 (0 reviews)

3.81

( 98 ratings, 25 reviews)

Summary

The Silence of the Stands chronicles the unique 2020 football season when games were played without fans due to the pandemic. Writer and broadcaster Daniel Gray reflects on the profound meaning of football during this surreal period, charting his travels to remote matches in Kendal, Workington, and beyond. This heartfelt travelogue combines social history with poignant observations from behind closed doors and socially distanced queues, capturing the spirit and resilience of the sport in extraordinary times.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for football fans and readers interested in sports history, social impacts of the pandemic, and evocative travel writing.

When football disappeared in March 2020 Daniel Gray pledged that whenever and wherever fans were allowed to return, he would be there. A moving, heartfelt and amusing account of a unique season that no one wishes to repeat.

Description

Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2023
Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Sports Book Awards 2023 - Football Book of the Year

‘Powerful and poignant’ Henry Winter
‘Empathetic and poignant … the game’s answer to A Journal of the Plague Year’ Harry Pearson

‘The Durham City midfielder wore the resigned look of a man trying to find a jar of harissa in Farmfoods. Up front for Jarrow, a centre-forward darted around frenetically, as if chasing a kite during a hurricane...’

When football disappeared in March 2020, writer and broadcaster Daniel Gray used its absence to reflect on everything the game meant to him. That bred a pledge: whenever and wherever fans were allowed to return, he would be there.

The Silence of the Stands is the result of that pledge: a joyous travelogue documenting a precarious season, in which behind-closed-doors matches and travel restrictions combined to make trips to Kendal and Workington seem impossibly exotic.

Offering a poignant peek at a surreal age and a slab of social history from the two-metre-distanced tea bar queue, this is the moving, heartfelt and surprisingly uplifting story of a unique season that no one wishes to repeat.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as powerful and poignant by Henry Winter and described as football’s answer to A Journal of the Plague Year by Harry Pearson, the book has garnered acclaim for its empathy and sharp observation. The Sunday Times highlights Gray’s joy in the little dramas of football, while The Times and BBC Radio commend his masterful and authentic writing style. Four Four Two calls it a moving, heartfelt and surprisingly uplifting account of a rocky season.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781399404068

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 10 November 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Sport

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 134.0mm

Height: 214.0mm

Weight: 200g

Pages: 176

Collections

Daniel Gray History & Archaeology History & Military Humour Non-Fiction Soccer Sports

About the Author

Daniel Gray is the author of Extra Time, Black Boots and Football Pinks, Saturday, 3pm and Scribbles in the Margins. He has written eight other books on football, politics, history and travel. His recent work has included screenwriting, presenting social history on television, editing a football magazine and writing across a number of national titles. He also presents the When Saturday Comes podcast.