This book encompasses 14 seasons, 1958-59 through 1971-72, of English League First Division football. In those 14 seasons, 11 different teams won the championship, in order: Wolverhampton; Burnley; Tottenham; Ipswich Town; Everton; Liverpool; Manchester United; Liverpool; Manchester United; Manchester City; Leeds United; Everton; Arsenal; and Derby County.
Such parity, such diffusion of championship joy, such sticking of pins all over a map of England, from the big cities to the provinces, from one coast to the other, had never happened before. And almost certainly will never happen again, not with the dominance of a mere handful of wealthy clubs in the Premiership era.
This was a singular period of legendary players: Billy Wright. Jimmy Greaves. Danny Blanchflower. Dave Mackay. George Best. Bobby Charlton. Denis Law. Bobby Moore. Gordon Banks. Nat Lofthouse. Alex Young. Geoff Hurst. Martin Peters. Alan Ball. Peter Osgood. Tom Finney. Johnny Haynes. Stanley Matthews. Peter Shilton. Nobby Stiles. Tommy Smith. And so many more whose talents thrilled and galvanized football fans.
There were also storied managers in plenty: Matt Busby. Stan Cullis. Alf Ramsey. Bill Nicholson. Bill Shankly. Don Revie. Harry Catterick. Joe Mercer. Brian Clough.
There were differences in personality, in tactics, in relationships with their players, but all were managers of vision, ambition and savvy whose single-minded purpose was to bring glory and silverware to their respective clubs during a most entertaining, competitive and panoramic epoch.
Such parity, such diffusion of championship joy, such sticking of pins all over a map of England, from the big cities to the provinces, from one coast to the other, had never happened before. And almost certainly will never happen again, not with the dominance of a mere handful of wealthy clubs in the Premiership era.
This was a singular period of legendary players: Billy Wright. Jimmy Greaves. Danny Blanchflower. Dave Mackay. George Best. Bobby Charlton. Denis Law. Bobby Moore. Gordon Banks. Nat Lofthouse. Alex Young. Geoff Hurst. Martin Peters. Alan Ball. Peter Osgood. Tom Finney. Johnny Haynes. Stanley Matthews. Peter Shilton. Nobby Stiles. Tommy Smith. And so many more whose talents thrilled and galvanized football fans.
There were also storied managers in plenty: Matt Busby. Stan Cullis. Alf Ramsey. Bill Nicholson. Bill Shankly. Don Revie. Harry Catterick. Joe Mercer. Brian Clough.
There were differences in personality, in tactics, in relationships with their players, but all were managers of vision, ambition and savvy whose single-minded purpose was to bring glory and silverware to their respective clubs during a most entertaining, competitive and panoramic epoch.
