FIELDS OF GREEN, Roddy Forsyth

BLUE AND TRUE, Roddy Forsyth

Three books, three teams, one formula, one review. The idea here is that eleven players from each of three teams (Manchester City, Celtic and Rangers respectively) each recall their own personal favourite match from their lengthy and illustrious playing careers. While the books go to some length to point out that the eleven players in each book aren't meant to constitute any kind of a team, they all coincidentally feature a single goalkeeper and a convenient arrangement of outfielders fit to make up a plausible and balanced side. (In fact, try this modern-times lineup, selected at random from all three: Joe Corrigan; Danny McGrain, Niall Quinn, Roy Aitken, Terry Butcher; Asa Hartford, Colin Bell, Jim Baxter; Ally McCoist, Charlie Nicholas, Derek Johnstone (4-3-3, obviously, with Pat Bonner, Richard Gough and John Greig on the bench. Not much silky skill on display, but you wouldn't want to meet them on a dark Coca-Cola Cup semi-final night in October.))

As you might expect, the quality is mixed. (In the Rangers book, for example, Ally McCoist's piece is surprisingly dull, whereas Richard Gough bizarrely comes across as less than a complete tosser. Well, it's bizarre if you've ever read his own book, anyway). But the level of writing is somewhat above the usual standard we see here at TF (both of the authors, Lord have mercy, are professional broadcasters/journalists, which makes a nice change), and the more colourful players (by which I mean, frankly, Jim Baxter), have some predictably entertaining anecdotes to recount.

There are a couple of drawbacks - the Old Firm books boast a distressing number of players happy to act as apologists for the grotesque bigotry surrounding Glasgow football, in the name of "tradition", and it's a shame, though understandable, that the players are restricted to games played for their clubs (what tales could Asa Hartford have told from the 1978 World Cup, for example?). But basically, these are pleasantly diverting books for fans (especially, obviously) and neutrals alike, and the Celtic one is almost worth the money for the Danny McGrain chapter alone. What did you expect?

VERDICT: They're alright, y'know?