Mind Games: The Ups and Downs of Life and Football

In this unique book, one of football’s greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the sport and draws upon his own experience to offer an honest assessment on one of its final remaining taboos: mental health.

The most difficult position in football? Being a goalkeeper. That’s what they say, right? You must be mad to stand between those posts and bat away shots and crosses all game long.

Neville Southall should know. He was the goalkeeper for one of the best teams of the 1980s and became an icon of the game during his 20-year career between the sticks. But what did it take to prepare himself mentally for the difficulties of the position? How did he dig so deep on the biggest occasions and in the highest-pressured moments? What scars were left at the end of his long career – a tenure that saw the highs of winning trophies, but also the lows of losing games, making mistakes and feeling the full weight of club and country on your shoulders. And how has he used his post-playing career to campaign for a better future for the next generation?

In this unique book, one of football’s greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the modern game, how some of society’s problems are reflected within it and draws upon his own experience to tackle one of its final remaining taboos: mental health. On fear of failure, confidence, sexuality and homophobia, suicide, social media and many other talking points – Neville doesn’t hold back on the biggest subjects and gets stuck in to some of the most important topics surrounding the beautiful game.

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Mind Games: The Ups and Downs of Life and Football

In this unique book, one of football’s greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the sport and draws upon his own experience to offer an honest assessment on one of its final remaining taboos: mental health.

The most difficult position in football? Being a goalkeeper. That’s what they say, right? You must be mad to stand between those posts and bat away shots and crosses all game long.

Neville Southall should know. He was the goalkeeper for one of the best teams of the 1980s and became an icon of the game during his 20-year career between the sticks. But what did it take to prepare himself mentally for the difficulties of the position? How did he dig so deep on the biggest occasions and in the highest-pressured moments? What scars were left at the end of his long career – a tenure that saw the highs of winning trophies, but also the lows of losing games, making mistakes and feeling the full weight of club and country on your shoulders. And how has he used his post-playing career to campaign for a better future for the next generation?

In this unique book, one of football’s greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the modern game, how some of society’s problems are reflected within it and draws upon his own experience to tackle one of its final remaining taboos: mental health. On fear of failure, confidence, sexuality and homophobia, suicide, social media and many other talking points – Neville doesn’t hold back on the biggest subjects and gets stuck in to some of the most important topics surrounding the beautiful game.

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Mind Games: The Ups and Downs of Life and Football

Mind Games: The Ups and Downs of Life and Football

by Neville Southall
Mind Games: The Ups and Downs of Life and Football

Mind Games: The Ups and Downs of Life and Football

by Neville Southall

eBookePub edition (ePub edition)

$10.99 

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Overview

In this unique book, one of football’s greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the sport and draws upon his own experience to offer an honest assessment on one of its final remaining taboos: mental health.

The most difficult position in football? Being a goalkeeper. That’s what they say, right? You must be mad to stand between those posts and bat away shots and crosses all game long.

Neville Southall should know. He was the goalkeeper for one of the best teams of the 1980s and became an icon of the game during his 20-year career between the sticks. But what did it take to prepare himself mentally for the difficulties of the position? How did he dig so deep on the biggest occasions and in the highest-pressured moments? What scars were left at the end of his long career – a tenure that saw the highs of winning trophies, but also the lows of losing games, making mistakes and feeling the full weight of club and country on your shoulders. And how has he used his post-playing career to campaign for a better future for the next generation?

In this unique book, one of football’s greatest cult players reflects on the travails of the modern game, how some of society’s problems are reflected within it and draws upon his own experience to tackle one of its final remaining taboos: mental health. On fear of failure, confidence, sexuality and homophobia, suicide, social media and many other talking points – Neville doesn’t hold back on the biggest subjects and gets stuck in to some of the most important topics surrounding the beautiful game.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780008403751
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 09/17/2020
Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: eBook
Pages: 304
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

Neville Southall is a goalkeeping legend who played for Everton (and many others) between 1980 and 2002. A larger-than-life Welshman, since retiring he’s become a social justice campaigner, using Twitter to campaign on issues including mental health, national politics, sex work and the conversation around LGBT issues.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Life and football 1

1 Confidence 9

2 Pressure 31

3 Fear 53

4 Abuse 69

5 Failure 83

6 Improvement 97

7 Motivation 115

8 Racism 129

9 Homophobia 141

10 Addiction 157

11 Alcohol 173

12 Social Media 185

13 Helping Others 203

14 Inequality 219

15 Lgbtq+ Issues And Sexuality 237

16 Mental Health 251

17 Getting Old 269

Epilogue: Be better 285

Acknowledgements 293

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