It's that time of year when publishers are releasing their annual football books. Here, givemefootball's Ian Clarkson brings you his guide to what he believes is one of the best…
It might be in only its second season, but already the Times Football Yearbook feels like an old friend. Not only does it have a comprehensive record of every game played in the Premiership last season, but it also has that added x-factor that sets it apart from other run-of-the-mill publications of this kind.
News from all three divisions of the Coca-Cola Championship (or Nationwide League as it was), Euro 2004, the four home nations and women's football ensures that you won't miss a cough, spit or splutter from last season.
However, the key to this book is the quality of the writing. For instance, every team has their 'Match of the Season' and the Times match report for that game is reproduced in full. This has the attraction of adding colour to a subject - statistics - that can be often be dull by its very nature.
Heavyweight scribes such as Martin Samuel, Simon Barnes and Matt Dickinson all contribute meaty columns with their own personal take on a topic that tickled their fancy last season. And former Republic of Ireland star Tony Cascarino adds the footballer's perspective, making this a cut above any other football factbook you will have read this year.
Dickinson casts a suspicious eye over UEFA's decision to discuss why none of the 'big' sides managed to win Euro 2004. "Was a great day for Greece a bad one for football? From the reaction of some people, including the highly influential Michel Platini, you would have guessed that UEFA had no sooner presented the European Championship trophy to the most unlikely winners in the tournament's history, than they were working out how to make sure it never happened again," he wrote.
If you want fence-sitting articles then this isn't the book for you, but it also bombards you with stats.
For instance…Wolves became only the second team in 11 years to go a full season without an away win in the Premiership…Southampton have not finished below Portsmouth in the league since the 1959-60 season…Manchester city have not won any of their past 25 games away to Manchester United… and so and so on.
There are six or seven bite-sized facts on each team, not forgetting a feature on their player of the year. Throw in comprehensive coverage of the European Leagues and the Champions League and you have a terrific package.
This is by far and away the best statistical based book I have read for many years. Here's to next year and many more to come…
The Times Football Yearbook 2004-05
Edited by Richard Whitehead and Keith Pike
HarperCollins publishers £19.99
