In the 1980s, politicians declared war on football;
football supporters declared war on each other inside crumbling stadiums that
resembled bomb sites and the ’82 and ’86 World Cups were played against the
backdrop of the Falklands conflict. It was a decade in which some fans died
watching the game they loved, and at times, the ‘slum sport’ seemed set to
implode. Yet, remarkably, the game was on the cusp of morphing into the
behemoth it has become today.
Set against a backdrop of economic recession,
rampant hooliganism and suspect fashion, Go To War tells the story of
how triumph and tragedy shaped English football during the 1980s. Throughout
this explosive book, author Jon Spurling delves into the stories behind the
successes and strife.
Thirty years in the making, Go To War draws
on interviews conducted with ’80s icons including Terry Butcher, Graeme Sharp
and Ray Wilkins, managerial legends like Howard Kendall and Bobby Robson and FA
Cup heroes Ricky Villa and Norman Whiteside. Like its precursor, the
bestselling Get It On, Go To War provides a unique insight into a
pivotal footballing decade.
Review :
“Enthralling ... Another
tour de force.” Backpass magazine
“A tremendously readable
chronicle of English football in its darkest age, brimming with evocative
anecdotes. From the violence on the terraces to the high drama on the pitch, Go
To War perfectly captures the moodiness of the 1980s. I enjoyed it
enormously.” Dominic Sandbrook
“A beautifully crafted
book on a pivotal footballing era.” Jim Rosenthal
“Jon Spurling’s eye for
detail and character makes him the perfect writer to chronicle a decade when
football was about so much more than what happened on the pitch. Not just the
best book about ’80s football but one of the best books I’ve read about ’80s
Britain.” Josh Widdicombe
