Book description
Arsenal's on-field success has been well documented. But what has
never been written before is the equally remarkable history of
Arsenal's rebels, both on and off the pitch. Spanning almost 120
years, and set against a backdrop of turbulent social and political
change, Rebels for the Cause assesses the legacy and impact of
Arsenal's most controversial players, officials and matches.
From hard men like '30s player Wilf Copping to the reformed wild
ones of recent years such as Tony Adams, Jon Spurling highlights the
infamous figures whose refusal to conform has made them terrace
legends. Mavericks such as '80s star Charlie Nicholas and the 'King of
Highbury' Charlie George are here, as are '70s lads Alan Hudson and
Malcolm Macdonald.
The book also focuses on the club's revolutionary founding fathers,
David Danskin and Jack Humble, the terrifying '20s 'soccer Tsar' Sir
Henry Norris and David Dein's controversial introduction of
free-market economics to Highbury in the regressive '80s. Also
investigated are the stories behind Arsenal's most infamous tabloid exposés.
Featuring extensive interviews with 15 former players, Rebels for
the Cause is an indispensable guide to the alternative history
of Arsenal Football Club, shedding new light on the origins of the
rivalry with Tottenham, on many of Highbury's cult heroes and on the
struggle of several players to adapt to life outside the game.
A schoolteacher by day, Jon Spurling is also the author of three
other books on Arsenal:
All Guns Blazing
,
Top Guns
and
Highbury
. He also contributes to
The Gooner
,
FourFourTwo
and
When Saturday Comes
.
