Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football uncovers the hidden history of Barcelona ‘36 When the Rio Olympics begin tonight beyond the glitz and the glamour of the opening ceremony spectacle there will be popular protests right across the city. It was the same at London 2012 and the Vancouver Winter Games of 2010. Throughout the build […]
Posts Tagged ‘Philosophy Football’
Forget the whitewash: was the miners’ strike modern politics in action?
Feb 27th, 2014 by Mark Perryman.Philosophy Football have produced a T-shirt to raise funds for the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign. MARK PERRYMAN explains why the miners’ strike still matters 30 years on. Do you remember 1984-85? Digging deep for the miners. Frankie Goes to Hollywood at number one. Everton win the league championship. And a medium-sized T-shirt was ample […]
Books for a season of rain and grey skies
Nov 25th, 2013 by Mark Perryman.Mark Perryman of Philosophy Football reviews an autumn of sports books. It was three decades ago, in 1983, that Garry Whannel wrote the pioneering book Blowing the Whistle: The Politics of Sport. The book was part of a series ‘Arguments for Socialism’, created by The Socialist Society, an alliance of Left-wing thinkers writers and campaigners, […]
We’re all Ralph Miliband now
Oct 5th, 2013 by Mark Perryman.The treatment of Ralph Miliband by the Daily Mail has appalled the right-thinking all and sundry – even the likes of Michael Heseltine and Zac Goldsmith. Yet it is reassuringly pleasing to read reports that sales of Ralph’s books have soared since the Mail published that fateful essay last Saturday. And as a tribute to […]
England should play a game of low expectations
Feb 6th, 2013 by Mark Perryman.Tonight England vs Brazil at Wembley marks the start of the FA’s 150th Anniversary Celebrations. Philosophy Football’s Mark Perryman argues that it is the perfect time to lower our expectations of England’s chances. England vs Brazil, friendly or no friendly, is a tasty international fixture to mark the start of the Football Association’s 150th birthday […]
Why Stalingrad still matters 70 years on
Feb 1st, 2013 by Mark Perryman.Seventy years ago, 2 February 1943 is the date of the Red Army victory at Stalingrad. From the moment of near-certain defeat the previous year the siege of the city, Hitler’s gateway to success on the Eastern Front, had been turned into an encirclement of the German forces and their eventual, and humiliating surrender. Up […]
The FA: a century and a half not so sweet
Jan 1st, 2013 by Mark Perryman.Throughout 2013 the Football Association will be celebrating its 150th anniversary. Philosophy Football’s MARK PERRYMAN reflects on the organisation’s failings. 26th October 1863. The great and the good of nineteenth century English Football gathered at the Freemasons’ Arms in Covent Garden to codify their sport. The rest is history, as will be frequently pointed out […]
A mountain of bike books for Christmas
Nov 27th, 2012 by Mark Perryman.Philosophy Football’s MARK PERRYMAN declares Cycling ‘Sport of the Year’ and chooses his favourite books from 2012 inspired by life on two wheels Never mind the BBC hyped-up hoopla of ‘Sports Personality of the Year’, for most successful British sport of 2012 surely nothing comes close to cycling. An extraordinary first, and second, places for […]
A formation for the Christmas tree: 2012’s best football books
Nov 16th, 2012 by Mark Perryman.Philosophy Football’s MARK PERRYMAN reveals the football books any fan would welcome as an addition to their bookshelf this Christmas Twenty years on from the 1992 publication of Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch it might be assumed that there wouldn’t be any subjects football-wise remaining to write a half-decent book about. It is true there’s a […]
Stalingrad 1942 : The hour of courage had struck the clock
Sep 5th, 2012 by Mark Perryman.We know what’s at stake and how great the foe’s power, And what is now coming to pass. The hour of courage has struck on the clock And our courage will hold to the last. The bullets can kill us, but cannot deter; Though our houses will fall, we shall remain. 13 September, 06.45, 1942 […]