Side by Side - A season with Collingwood

[mjp]

Anyone read it?

Comments? Thoughts?

[Sockeye Salmon]

Er, no.

You're really missing the footy, aren't you?

[BulldogBelle]

Anyone read it?

I bought the book actually as a Xmas present for a Collingwood supporting friend of mine he will pass it over to me after he has read it - he did mention it is very interesting reading.

[Remi Moses]

Just read my book . wogs shiela's and poofters . Johnny warren Biography. Very Very enjoyable read.

[LostDoggy]

Sorry mike I can't refrain from chuckling either. It's a collingwood book.

[mjp]

OK.

All the laughing and joking aside, it is the best football book I have ever read. I am pretty amazed at the access they gave too Peter Ryan and - more than that - what they let him print. I guess it presents the place in a pretty positive light generally, but it seems to expose as many character flaws as it does secrets. For anyone who has read '7 Seconds or Less' about the Phoenix Suns, it is structured in a similar way to that, with similar access.

Anyway, I kind of guessed the audience would be zero as this is a dogs place and it is a Collingwood book, but if you love footy, you need to read this.

As for me missing footy, I am too busy trying to teach supposedly elite level 17 year olds to kick to miss anything at all.

[Swoop]

More than half way through it at the moment MJP and was thinking about posting something similar the other day. Really enjoyable read and it provides great insight and inner access across all things a football club is involved in.

I feel there is a slight Collingwood bias in parts but that can't be helped considering his in depth involvement behind the scenes and no doubt Collingwood would have edited it prior to being released. Having said that there is still some really good information that they would have had doubts over releasing, I daresay it was an argument McGuire would have won over Malthouse in the end.

Nonetheless very enjoyable.

[Go_Dogs]

Might have to check this out, sounds like a reasonable read - especially during the offseason.

[Throughandthrough]

Lucky it has a happy ending, otherwise reading the book would be a ghastly experience.

[Mofra]

As for me missing footy, I am too busy trying to teach supposedly elite level 17 year olds to kick to miss anything at all.
Sounds like there is a little bit of frustration there. Not happy with this year's current crop, or is it (in your opinion) systematic of all kids coming through?

[mjp]

Sounds like there is a little bit of frustration there. Not happy with this year's current crop, or is it (in your opinion) systematic of all kids coming through?

We will struggle.

Never have I seen a group so overflowing with such high levels of self assurance following on from such low levels of actual achievement. The u16s from the last 2 years (this years squad really) have won 3 games from 10 played...yet seem to think it is just going to happen.

That said, it is always tough at this time of year pre- squad cuts.

[The Coon Dog]

A Collingwood supporter I work with has a copy & will let me borrow up. Looking forward to reading it after the recommendations on here.

[G-Mo77]

OK.

For anyone who has read '7 Seconds or Less' about the Phoenix Suns, it is structured in a similar way to that, with similar access.



Do you still have that one? I'd love to read it. I read a similar book early last year on George Karl and the Seattle Supersonics from the mid 90's. That was a great read.

[LostDoggy]

Never have I seen a group so overflowing with such high levels of self assurance following on from such low levels of actual achievement.

I think you've just described the entirety of Gen Y/Gen Z in a nutshell.

[mjp]

I think you've just described the entirety of Gen Y/Gen Z in a nutshell.

No - not really.

Gen Y discussions are worthy of discussion...not sure a footy board is the place though. Generally I find them very good and their refusal to accept the status quo drives some good initiatives.

[mjp]

Do you still have that one? I'd love to read it. I read a similar book early last year on George Karl and the Seattle Supersonics from the mid 90's. That was a great read.

Yeah - it is around somewhere.

I can track it down, or you could buy it on amazon for US$3.00!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0743298136/sr=1-1/qid=1263281729/ref=olp_tab_used?ie=UTF8&coliid=&me=&qid=1263281729&sr=1-1&seller=&colid=&condition=used

[G-Mo77]

Yeah - it is around somewhere.

I can track it down, or you could buy it on amazon for US$3.00!

Bah! I found it on Amazon for $0.01 earlier today. :D

Postage was $13 though but I'm willing to pay that for a good read. If you really like Basketball books I'd recomend the George Karl book "Full Court Pressure" It's available for 1 Cent as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Full-Court-Pressure-Curt-Sampson/dp/0385476329/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263304244&sr=8-20

I'm still reading my Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball" which has been fantastic so far.

[mjp]

I'm still reading my Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball" which has been fantastic so far.

Nice. I gave that to my brother for christmas...looking forward to having a look when he has finished. I like Simmons a lot but all the footnotes in his 'Now I can Die in Peace' drove me to complete distraction and I understand they are a big part of the new book as well.

[G-Mo77]

Nice. I gave that to my brother for christmas...looking forward to having a look when he has finished. I like Simmons a lot but all the footnotes in his 'Now I can Die in Peace' drove me to complete distraction and I understand they are a big part of the new book as well.

Yeah they are, I'm constantly checking the footnotes while reading.

[Twodogs]

"Side by Side" is OK but it's not the best footy book I've read-it's all just a little 'rah, rah, rah" for my liking.

My favorite footy books would be either "The Machine" about the 1927-1930 Collingwood premiership winning teams or a book about the South Melbourne teams in the '30s called Bloodstanined Angels or The Foreign Legion or something like that-I loaned it out a couple of years ago so I guess I'm not getting it back anytime soon. Maybe that shows my bias torward footy history. I highly reccomend a book called "The Bloodbath" about the 1945 Grand Final.

I also like a trilogy of books by a guy called Terry Keenan about the Port Melbourne footy club called Kicking Into the Wind, Unduly Rough Play and A Different Breed. Finaly there is also a book called "Footscray's royal year" about the 1954 season, it's not exactly a work of literary genius but the subjest matter keeps you interested!