-
The Club
- How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports
- Narrated by: Shaun Grindell
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $29.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Barcelona Complex
- Lionel Messi and the Making - and Unmaking - of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
- By: Simon Kuper
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF - and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams.
-
-
Amazing
- By Amazon Customer on 04-11-22
By: Simon Kuper
-
Soccernomics
- By: Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does England lose? Why does Scotland suck? Why doesn't America play the sport internationally... and why do the Germans play with such an efficient but robotic style? Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, Soccernomics reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer.
-
-
Interesting but older version of the book
- By Hansi on 05-08-13
By: Simon Kuper, and others
-
The Ball Is Round
- A Global History of Soccer
- By: David Goldblatt, David Goldblatt - foreword
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 38 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport - now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
-
-
Dry and Boring
- By Kyle on 05-25-22
By: David Goldblatt, and others
-
Wenger
- My Life and Lessons in Red & White
- By: Arsène Wenger
- Narrated by: Arsène Wenger
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Wenger: My Life and Lessons in Red and White, world-renowned and revolutionary soccer coach Arsène Wenger finally tells his own story for the very first time. Wenger opens up about his life, sharing principles for success on and off the field with lessons on leadership, personal development, and management.
-
-
Nostalgic but not overly compelling
- By Scott Shepherd on 11-25-20
By: Arsène Wenger
-
Reborn in the USA
- An Englishman’s Love Letter to His Chosen Home
- By: Roger Bennett
- Narrated by: Roger Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One-half of the celebrated Men in Blazers duo, longtime culture and soccer commentator Roger Bennett traces the origins of his love affair with America, and how he went from a depraved, pimply faced Jewish boy in 1980’s Liverpool to become the quintessential Englishman in New York. A memoir for fans of Jon Ronson and Chuck Klosterman, but with Roger Bennett’s signature pop culture flair and humor.
-
-
Oklahoma loves you brother
- By Anonymous User on 06-30-21
By: Roger Bennett
-
Inverting the Pyramid
- By: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe. Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work, we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon.
-
-
Mind Changing
- By Michael Williams on 01-04-19
By: Jonathan Wilson
-
The Barcelona Complex
- Lionel Messi and the Making - and Unmaking - of the World's Greatest Soccer Club
- By: Simon Kuper
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
FC Barcelona is not just the world’s highest grossing sports club, it is simply one of the most influential organizations on the planet. At last count, it had approximately 214 million social media followers, more than any other sports club except Real Madrid CF - and by one earlier measure, more than all 32 NFL teams combined. It has more in common with multinational megacompanies like Netflix or small nation-states than it does with most soccer teams.
-
-
Amazing
- By Amazon Customer on 04-11-22
By: Simon Kuper
-
Soccernomics
- By: Simon Kuper, Stefan Szymanski
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why does England lose? Why does Scotland suck? Why doesn't America play the sport internationally... and why do the Germans play with such an efficient but robotic style? Using insights and analogies from economics, statistics, psychology and business to cast a new and entertaining light on how the game works, Soccernomics reveals the often surprisingly counterintuitive truths about soccer.
-
-
Interesting but older version of the book
- By Hansi on 05-08-13
By: Simon Kuper, and others
-
The Ball Is Round
- A Global History of Soccer
- By: David Goldblatt, David Goldblatt - foreword
- Narrated by: Liam Gerrard
- Length: 38 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this extraordinary tour de force, David Goldblatt tells the full story of soccer's rise from chaotic folk ritual to the world's most popular sport - now poised to fully establish itself in the USA. Already celebrated internationally, The Ball Is Round illuminates soccer's role in the political and social histories of modern societies, but never loses sight of the beauty, joy, and excitement of the game itself.
-
-
Dry and Boring
- By Kyle on 05-25-22
By: David Goldblatt, and others
-
Wenger
- My Life and Lessons in Red & White
- By: Arsène Wenger
- Narrated by: Arsène Wenger
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Wenger: My Life and Lessons in Red and White, world-renowned and revolutionary soccer coach Arsène Wenger finally tells his own story for the very first time. Wenger opens up about his life, sharing principles for success on and off the field with lessons on leadership, personal development, and management.
-
-
Nostalgic but not overly compelling
- By Scott Shepherd on 11-25-20
By: Arsène Wenger
-
Reborn in the USA
- An Englishman’s Love Letter to His Chosen Home
- By: Roger Bennett
- Narrated by: Roger Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One-half of the celebrated Men in Blazers duo, longtime culture and soccer commentator Roger Bennett traces the origins of his love affair with America, and how he went from a depraved, pimply faced Jewish boy in 1980’s Liverpool to become the quintessential Englishman in New York. A memoir for fans of Jon Ronson and Chuck Klosterman, but with Roger Bennett’s signature pop culture flair and humor.
-
-
Oklahoma loves you brother
- By Anonymous User on 06-30-21
By: Roger Bennett
-
Inverting the Pyramid
- By: Jonathan Wilson
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inverting the Pyramid is a pioneering soccer book that chronicles the evolution of soccer tactics and the lives of the itinerant coaching geniuses who have spread their distinctive styles across the globe. Through Jonathan Wilson's brilliant historical detective work, we learn how the South Americans shrugged off the British colonial order to add their own finesse to the game; how the Europeans harnessed individual technique and built it into a team structure; how the game once featured five forwards up front, while now a lone striker is not uncommon.
-
-
Mind Changing
- By Michael Williams on 01-04-19
By: Jonathan Wilson
-
Quiet Leadership
- Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches
- By: Carlo Ancelotti
- Narrated by: Richard Lumsden
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers of all time, with five Champions League titles to his name. Yet his approach could not be further from the aggressive theatricals favoured by many of his rivals. His understated style has earned him the fierce loyalty of players like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.
-
-
Candy for any leader who also loves football.
- By Christopher on 05-27-16
By: Carlo Ancelotti
-
Zonal Marking
- From Ajax to Zidane, the Making of Modern Soccer
- By: Michael W. Cox
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A mazy dribble through the recent history of European soccer, showing how shifting styles and influence have shaped the game. In the early 1990s, the Dutch footballing philosophy was worshiped across the continent. Then the baton passed to the Italians, who clearly boasted Europe's strongest league. But when France started winning everything at international level its national academy became the template for others, until suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Europe's most revered player and manager both hailed from Portugal.
-
-
Historical perspective not tactical
- By Jon on 02-11-20
By: Michael W. Cox
-
The Fall of the House of FIFA
- The Multimillion-Dollar Corruption at the Heart of Global Soccer
- By: David Conn
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2015, FIFA - the multibillion dollar governing body of the world's most-loved sport - was brought down by allegations of industrial-scale bribes, kickbacks, money laundering, racketeering, and tax evasion. Beginning with early morning raids in Zurich and the indictment of 27 executives by the US Department of Justice, the rottenness at the core of FIFA seemed to extend throughout all of soccer, from the decision to send the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar to lesser known cases of embezzlement from Trinidad to South Africa.
-
-
quite good
- By kevin mercer on 12-14-17
By: David Conn
-
Done Deal
- By: Daniel Geey
- Narrated by: Simon Darwen
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether it is a manager being sacked, the signing of a new star player, television rights negotiations, player misconduct or multi-million-pound club takeovers, lawyers remain at the heart of all football business dealings. Written by leading Premier League lawyer Daniel Geey, who has dealt with all these incidents first hand, this highly accessible book explores the issues - from pitch to boardroom - that shape the modern game and how these impact leagues, clubs, players and fans.
-
-
Great book.
- By Amazon Customer on 01-07-22
By: Daniel Geey
-
Alex Ferguson
- My Autobiography
- By: Alex Ferguson
- Narrated by: James Macpherson, Alex Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Revised and updated with new material from the paperback edition. Includes a prelude read by Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex Ferguson's compelling story is always honest and revealing he reflects on his managerial career that embraced unprecedented European success for Aberdeen and 26 triumphant seasons with Manchester United.
-
-
If you want to understand management
- By Agnel on 02-11-16
By: Alex Ferguson
-
Leading
- Learning from Life and My Years at Manchester United
- By: Alex Ferguson, Michael Moritz
- Narrated by: James Macpherson, Simon Slater
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After an astonishing career-first in Scotland, and then over 27 years with Manchester United Football Club - Sir Alex Ferguson delivers Leading, in which the greatest soccer coach of all time will analyze the pivotal leadership decisions of his 38 years as a manager and, with his friend and collaborator Sir Michael Moritz, draw out lessons anyone can use in business and life to generate long-term transformational success.
-
-
Take a glimpse of the greatest sporting team on earth through the boss himself
- By Alex C. on 07-16-16
By: Alex Ferguson, and others
-
Jurgen Klopp
- By: Elmar Neveling
- Narrated by: Saul Reichlin
- Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jürgen Klopp is the charismatic German manager who single-handedly overthrew the accepted order in German football, taking Borussia Dortmund from nowhere to back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the Champions League final. He had long been admired in the Premiership and was finally wooed by Liverpool in the belief he could bring back the glory days to the Kop. Klopp is revered as a master tactician with his own unique playing philosophies.
-
-
Nice and historic
- By Jose de Leon on 03-22-20
By: Elmar Neveling
-
The Historian
- By: Elizabeth Kostova
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre, Paul Michael
- Length: 26 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor", and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of - a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious fate connect to an inconceivable evil hidden in the depths of history.
-
-
Vampires Done Right
- By Charles Bentley on 10-22-18
-
Showtime
- Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling sportswriter Jeff Pearlman draws from almost 300 interviews to take the first full measure of the Lakers’ epic Showtime era. A dazzling account of one of America’s greatest sports sagas, Showtime is packed with indelible characters, vicious rivalries, and jaw-dropping, behind-the-scenes stories of the players’ decadent Hollywood lifestyles. From the Showtime era’s remarkable rise to its tragic end - marked by Magic Johnson’s 1991 announcement that he had contracted HIV - Showtime is a gripping narrative of sports, celebrity, and 1980s-style excess.
-
-
Offended at the style used to voice black characters.
- By Anonymous User on 01-15-22
By: Jeff Pearlman
-
Pep Guardiola
- The Evolution
- By: Marti Perarnau
- Narrated by: Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For three extraordinary seasons at Bayern Munich, Marti Perarnau was given total access around the German super club - to its players, its backroom staff, its board members and, above all, its manager, Pep Guardiola. In the follow-up to his critically acclaimed account of Guardiola's first full season at Bayern, Pep Confidential, Perarnau now lifts the lid on the Catalan's whole tenure in Bavaria.
-
-
Total story. Total football. Total Pep.
- By Michal Kuczek on 08-01-17
By: Marti Perarnau
-
Masters of Modern Soccer
- How the World's Best Play the 21st-Century Game
- By: Grant Wahl
- Narrated by: Grant Wahl
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Masters of Modern Soccer, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl asks: How do some of the game's smartest figures master the craft of soccer? By profiling players in every key position (American phenomenon Christian Pulisic, Mexican superstar Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, Belgium's Vincent Kompany, Spain's Xabi Alonso, Germany's Manuel Neuer) and management (Belgium coach Roberto Martínez and Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc), Wahl reveals how elite players and coaches strategize on and off the field and execute in high pressure game situations.
-
-
Great for coaches!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-29-18
By: Grant Wahl
-
On Writing
- A Memoir of the Craft
- By: Stephen King
- Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy best seller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.
-
-
Who needs a print edition when King reads King?
- By Cather on 11-18-05
By: Stephen King
Publisher's Summary
This is a sports and business tale of how money, ambition, and 25 years of drama remade an ancient institution into a 21st-century entertainment empire.
No one knew it when their experiment began, but without any particular genius or acumen, the motley cast of billionaires and hucksters behind the modern Premier League struck gold. Pretty soon, everyone wanted to try their luck, from Russian oligarchs to Emirati sheikhs, American tycoons, and Asian Tiger titans. Some succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Some lost everything. Today, players are sold for tens of millions, clubs are valued in the billions, and games are beamed out to nearly 200 countries, all while the league struggles to preserve its English soul.
Deeply researched and drawing on 100 exclusive interviews, including the key decision makers at every major English team, The Club is the definitive and wildly entertaining narrative of how the Premier League took over the world.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Club
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JR3
- 01-23-19
Read don't listen
Love the anecdotes and history, which are well-written. It takes a lot for me to write a negative review, and as a life-long anglophile, I'm sorry to say this narrator's sing-song style is hard to listen to and detracts from the material. Would recommend reading the book instead.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Manuel
- 09-09-19
Sausage-making self indulgence
I picked this book based on its title and publisher’s summary, looking to hear a good story about the Premier League. While absolutely aligned to the title, the narrative itself went into minutiae to be enjoyed mostly the authors. It’s as if the book promised a good story on how sausage became a favorite for breakfast, only to dedicate most of the narrative to the exacting science of optimizing every ounce of edible (and not so edible) raw ingredient.
The narrator of this version made matters worse with his awkward intonation and cadence, which for someone who is partially deaf and wears hearing aids, means I enjoyed every other word.
Certainly worth reading if you a) have the right expectations, and b) have perfect hearing.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Engine4178
- 02-18-19
This is for diehard fans only
I was hoping this would help solidify my understanding of the EPL and what makes it tick. Instead, I learned about specific details dating back 20+ years. I am sure this is a great book for the diehard soccer fan. As for me, I will keep searching for a better understanding of the EPL.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 01-06-19
Great Read
As an American who got into the EPL four years ago and a big Liverpool fan, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lots of great facts and fun stories.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Thomas H
- 11-26-20
The worst narration possible!
The content is only average. It feels like it’s aimed at an American who’s noticed more PL matches are showing up on TV. If you follow European soccer you’ll learn very little.
The audiobook, however, is a disaster. It’s almost like the narrator is trying to read this as poorly as possible. Speeding him up to 1.5x helped a little.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Aggressive Joe
- 01-27-22
Very dry story with a very dry narrator.
Thought this would be a lot more fun, talking about eccentric billionaire owners and funny antidotes. I hung in for a long time but it was too dull.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- P. M. Galloway
- 01-04-22
Great Story for Any EPL Fan
Loved the content; really fascinating. Definitely a book I could return to just to take in content I missed but probably won’t just because it’s a marathon. Happy to have read it! My one critique was the reader. His cadence, or pacing, was awful. I listened on 1.5 speed and still he sounded like he was taking a long pause between every sentence or two. It was very irritating once I realized he was doing this. Just read the book dude.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Findschuster
- 11-11-21
Awesome and fascinating book!
I love European football and learned more than I could have imagined from The Club. If you like Premier League football or enjoy Ted Lasso, read this book!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A. Visserman
- 07-07-21
Irritating
An irritatingly superficial history of the Premier League read in a very irritating manner. The book delves no further into the behind-the-scenes goings-on than a summary lead in a tabloid. Disappointing.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 12-09-20
Great book ruined by atrocious performance
Well researched and written book but the narrator completely ruins the audio format. Very unusual cadence.