The Nowhere Men: The Unknown Story of Football's True Talent Spotters

by Michael Calvin

Overview

A fascinating insight into the enclosed world of soccer scouts

A teenaged boy plays soccer in a suburban park. His name is Raheem Sterling. The call is made: "Get down here quick. This is something special." Another boy is eight, going on 28. His name is Jack Wilshere. The referee, an Arsenal scout, spirits him away from Luton Town. A young goalkeeper struggles on loan at Cheltenham Town in League Two. His name is Jack Butland. Within months he will be playing for England. Welcome to soccer's hidden tribe. Scouts are everywhere yet nowhere, faceless and nameless, despite making the informed decisions worth millions. Award-winning sportswriter Michael Calvin opens up their hidden world, examining their disconnected lifestyles, petty betrayals, and unconsidered professionalism of men who spend long, lonely hours on the road.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780099580263
Publisher:	Random House UK
Publication date:	11/01/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	390
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Michael Calvin is a sportswriter who has worked in more than 80 countries and covered seven summer Olympics and six World Cup finals. He is chief sports writer with the Independent on Sunday, and has held similar positions at the Daily Telegraph, the Times, and Mail on Sunday.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi

1 The Initiation 1

2 Billy's Boys 19

3 The Secret Room 38

4 Parklife 57

5 Hiding in Plain Sight 78

6 Mileage Men 100

7 Chat Show 125

8 Big Boys Lost 148

9 Moneyball, RIP 170

10 Ghost Games 189

11 Yellow Ten and the Custard Cream Kid 210

12 I'm Still There 230

13 The Road to Perdition 249

14 The Loneliness of the Long-distance Walker 271

15 Hunger Games 292

16 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 311

17 Glue Guys and Bad Buys 330

18 Smelling the Tulips 353

Index 375

Editorial Reviews

"A magnificent book, full of extraordinary characters and beautifully told."  —Guardian


"A book you have to read."  —The Times



“the book is full of great stories and really shows you yet another perspective into the beautiful game, one that hasn’t been told until now.”  —InternationalSoccerNetwork.com

From the Publisher