The author brings to your attention a nice new review of The World is a Ball – “The World Is a Ball is a captivating and vastly entertaining read.”
The author hopes that with the Euros coming, The Champions League Final coming & a thrilling end to the club season in Europe, The World is a Ball will be noticed & read much in the next months… Continue reading
Is Chelsea’s Triumph Against Barcelona A Victory for English Football Or A Sign Of Its Decline? A good read here
Trapattoni: Looking towards Euro 2012. Photograph: Morgan Treacy / InphoIl Trap speaks – “…the Irish manager also cautioned about having too much young talent.”Il Trap speaks – “…the Irish manager also cautioned about having too much young talent.”
Il Trap speaks – “…the Irish manager also cautioned about having too much young talent.”
Ireland has an allegedly easy Group. Games against Croatia, Spain & Italy. No worries… Continue reading
Arrive Warsaw Thursday June 7 to cover EURO 2012 in Poland & Ukraine.
Remember EURO 2008…?
Republic of Ireland captain Robbie Keane celebrates the team's qualification for Euro 2012. Photo: Sportsfile
Crikey. The FIFA ranking are out, ahead of EURO 2012. Italy drop to 12. Rep of Ireland jump up, up… Continue reading
Torsten Frings to Toronna FC (also some Dutch bloke). I was there in the stadium in Munich to see Frings score this beauty…
With FIFA Women’s World Cup under way, the Book Club Reviews site highlights The World is a Ball…
Most excellent soccer weekend, my friends. UEFA Under-21 Final, Spain vs Switzerland, TSN, 2:30p.m. Saturday. Women’s World Cup, Germany vs Canada, Sunday, CBC 11:45 a.m… Continue reading
At FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Canada was losing 1-2 until the dying moments when goalkeeper Quillan Roberts delivered a goal from the gods…
The next Messi. Alexsi Sanchez. Age 22. At Udinese in Italy, 12 goals in Serie A last season, and 12 goals in 36 games for Chile. Off to one of the following – Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Intern… Continue reading
Vancouver Canucks’ Fans Riot Following Stanley Cup Finals Loss
I’ve covered World Cups, Euro’s, many other soccer games in 14 countries on 4 continents. Big games, vast crowds of the happy, the bitter fans. Worst I ever saw was a guy throw cup of beer at someone & get hustled away by cops. The next time some smartass uses the term “soccer hooligan”…
 … Continue reading
For a summer without a World Cup or Euro, this is one sizzling soccer summer. The UEFA Under 21 tournament is on, and on TV here.
Then…FIFA Women’s World Cup, June 26-July 17. And …all Copa América matches on TV here, July 1-24 from Argentina. 12 Countries. 26 Matches. Incl., Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico. Plus… FIFA Under 20 World Cup, from Colombia, July 29-August 20. Oh yes, and Toronto FC… Continue reading
If you missed this one, you missed a doozy. Ireland 2, Italy 0. International Friendly. But “friendly” my posterior. Essentially a second-string, young Irish team beating top-notch Italy with aplomb Continue reading
A number of Irish players were reluctant to show up for an end of season away game against Macedonia. Final result: Macedonia 0, Ireland 2. Ireland, Russia & Slovakia now tied in Qualifying Group for next year’s Euro 2012 tournament Continue reading
”Wembley was noisily registering its unrest with Capello and England.” The usual thing from England Continue reading
For my 1001st Tweet and to mark Saturday’s FA Cup Final I gave away a signed first edition of my book The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness & Meaning of Soccer. Took 2 mins on Twitter to get correct answer to “What is Rory Delap’s specialty?” I need a harder question next time…… Continue reading
Himself, with Maradona and Roy Keane in The Galway Advertiser, in advance of the Cúirt International Festival of Literature
In advance of appearing in Galway for the Cúirt International Festival of Literature to talk up The World is a Ball, talk soccer culture and such, the author gets a write-up in the Galway Advertiser, a fine publication. Continue reading
It has begun. The Major League Soccer season, with an all-Canadian clash – Vancouver Whitecaps 4, Toronto FC 2. Well done the Vancouver lads. Best moment: Dunfield disappearing into the Vancouver moshpit. A great match. From here on comes pain, heartbreak, glory and ignominy. Herewith, the heartfelt Red Patch Boys Hard Chorus.
The eternal argument: call it “football” or “soccer”? That arises immediately in the Comments on this History Of Soccer video, in which the very, very tired author of The World is a Ball makes an appearance…
John Doyle's latest book, The World is a Ball: The Joy, Madness and Meaning of Soccer is from Doubleday Canada.
Doyle is the Television Critic for The Globe and Mail. (click here for his official Globe and Mail Bio).
He also writes about soccer for The Globe and Mail and other publications. For the Globe he covered World Cup 2002 in Korea/Japan, Euro 2004 in Portugal, World Cup 2006 in Germany and Euro 2008 in Austria /Switzerland. He has also written extensively about soccer for The New York Times and The Guardian.
Doyle is author of A Great Feast of Light (Doubleday Canada) which received great acclaim and bestseller status in Canada in October, 2005. It has also been published in the U.S., United Kingdom and Ireland.
Doyle has won two internal Globe and Mail awards for his writing. His Globe columns have been reprinted in the U.S., the U.K. and in Australia.
Purchase both titles online at:
