Caricom (2024)

31/12/2023

A Guardian Best Sports Book.
A Waterstones Best Sports Book.
Nominated for the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize.
A lot of good reviews.

Thanks everyone.

02/11/2023

Really grateful to learn that “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game” has been shortlisted for the 2023 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize.

The Hessell-Tiltman prize is awarded annually to a non-fiction book of high literary merit that covers specifically historical content.

A huge thanks to everybody who contributed to the book in both large and small ways, this selection is for you too.

04/08/2023

𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬.⁣
⁣
“Powell’s career was studded with exceptional highs. She gained her first cap for England in 1983 aged sixteen. She earned sixty-six caps in total, and appeared in the 1995 World Cup as vice-captain. Powell also played in the 1989 FA Cup Final – a game which she decorated with two well-taken goals – and finished as Millwall Lionesses’s record highest scorer. Had her career concluded there, her legend would be set in stone.”⁣
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Excerpted from the essay 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫, which appears in the book “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”, published by . ⁣
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“A New Formation…” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

02/08/2023

𝐑𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡-𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲.⁣
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“Whether consciously or not, Raheem Sterling has, as all immigrants must, amalgamated his ancestral history with his new life in a manner that has transformed him into a more complex individual, placing him at the forefront of much of this change. His unconcealed pride in his cultural heritage, which manifests on both a micro – his mannerisms, the inflections in his voice when he’s relaxed – and macro – the creation of a shoe with Clarks, a brand so synonymous with Jamaica that many assume it originated their, work to develop and enrich British- Jamaican identity in ways that are immeasurably valuable and far-reaching.”⁣
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From the essay 𝐀 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, by Calum Jacobs – – which appears in the book “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”, published by . ⁣
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“A New Formation…” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

31/07/2023

(𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐋–𝐑) 𝐊𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬, 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟏 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬.⁣
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“Footballers are symbols, their existence on the public stage an illustration of shifting social and economic dynamics, of immigration and new communities that have taken root. I was born during a time when Lewisham and South London had been imposing their will on British football. The early nineties, a time when David Rocastle had come out of the Honor Oak Estate in Brockley, and Ian Wright had come with him.”⁣
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From the essay 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥, by Aniefiok Ekpoudom (), which features in the book “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”⁣
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“A New Formation…” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

28/07/2023

“Understanding and unpacking the impact of Black Muslim footballers on fans is as much about acknowledging the messiness of memory and fandom as it is recognising how the hyper-white British media and footballing establishment have, through targeting their vitriol at particular individuals, inadvertently built heroes for British Muslims.”⁣
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Excerpted from the essay 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 by Sanaa Qureshi (), which features in the book “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”. ⁣
⁣
“A New Formation…” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

27/07/2023

“At the turn of every generation, South London presents an icon, a player who comes to mean more, whose brilliance on the pitch and whose identity away from it shifts his rela- tionship with those who stand and support from the sidelines. Ian Wright 179 Just Done It gave way to Rio Ferdinand, with his deep ties to Peckham and his crowning as one of the finest central defenders in British history. When Ferdinand left the game, the mantle was thrust onto Wilfried Zaha.”

From the essay 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥, by Aniefiok Ekpoudom (), which features in “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”

“A New Formation…” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

26/07/2023

“Describing Powell simply as a ‘manager’ does her a gargantuan disservice and minimises the far-reaching consequences of her impact. Yes, she turned England into a serious international side, leading them in six major tournaments – including two World Cup quarter-finals (2007 and 2011) and a run to the final of the 2009 Euros, where they lost to Germany – but she also spearheaded the drive to make the women’s game credible and instilled within it a sense of purpose. Without Powell, the Women’s Super League would not exist as it does now, and even the notion of national press coverage for the women’s game would be laughable were it not for the progress she oversaw. Her legacy is obvious, wide-ranging, and ineffable.”⁣
⁣
From the essay 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫, which features in ““A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”⁣
⁣
“A New Formation…” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

26/07/2023

“Describing Powell simply as a ‘manager’ does her a gargantuan disservice and minimises the far-reaching consequences of her impact. Yes, she turned England into a serious international side, leading them in six major tournaments – including two World Cup quarter-finals (2007 and 2011) and a run to the final of the 2009 Euros, where they lost to Germany – but she also spearheaded the drive to make the women’s game credible and instilled within it a sense of purpose. Without Powell, the Women’s Super League would not exist as it does now, and even the notion of national press coverage for the women’s game would be laughable were it not for the progress she oversaw. Her legacy is obvious, wide-ranging, and ineffable.”⁣
⁣
From the essay 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫⁣
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“A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

25/07/2023

“In searching for explanations as to why a boy raised mostly in the sprawling grey landscape of West London remains so wedded to his Jamaican identity – like so many other Jamaican Brits – one might reference the obdurate antagonism of white Britain, or perhaps a deeply rooted incompatibility with the country’s social mores. After all, as the great C. L. R. James said, Caribbean migrants to the UK are ‘in but not of Europe’. ⁣
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While these interpretations ring true, to wholly endorse them would risk stripping members of the African diaspora of agency by confining their behaviour to the restrictive dynamic of oppression and resistance. Black people are not known to themselves and others purely through the forces of white supremacy. There is a deeper, far more communally grounded animus than that.”⁣
⁣
From the essay 𝐀 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 by Calum Jacobs (). ⁣
⁣
“A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

24/07/2023

“If you don’t remember the times, then watch the clips. Ian Wright Wright Wright 179, just done it swoosh, celebrating a goal too early, a Premier League and FA Cup double, playing off the last man, winding up the away fans, a chip on his shoulder, a gold-toothed grin, I love the lads, IAN WRIGHT WRIGHT WRIGHT the words to the chant, a pyramid on the Highbury scoreboards.”⁣
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From the essay 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 by Thomas Theodore (.slendergrass). ⁣
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“A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

19/07/2023

🇵🇸 – “It was at Sevilla, the club he joined in 2005, that Kanouté settled into an environment that would both define his career and fortify the perception of him that would outlive his playing days. In January 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, an Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip, Kanouté lifted his shirt after scoring in a cup tie against Deportivo La Coruña to display a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people.”⁣
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From the essay 𝐀 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐦 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 by Sanaa Qureshi (). ⁣
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“A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game” is available now in paperback (£8.99), as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

18/07/2023

“The environment at Arsenal challenged Anita to push on and aim for sporting greatness, but one day a week of training was not enough. So, it was back to the cage to subsidise the lack of practice with a grit and determination that cannot be taught. Anita developed into a quietly confident, technical player who was both composed and assured on the ball while also a brilliant reader of the game, solid in her decision-making as a defender. ⁣
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Alongside fellow Black players Lianne Sanderson, Mary Phillip, Alex Scott and Rachel Yankey, Anita became part of an Arsenal side who, under Vic Akers, were the pioneers of the women’s game in the early 2000s. Their side was so strong and their dominance so pronounced that in the 2006–07 season they did the unthinkable: they won four major trophies, showing the world what can be done with the right level of investment and strategy.”⁣
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From the essay 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐧 by Jeanette Kwakye (). ⁣
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“A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game” is available now in paperback, as an audiobook and in Kindle format everywhere books are sold.

13/07/2023

“It is grim to think that the name of the first Black footballer to command a transfer fee of £1 million, a sum paid in 1981 by Nottingham Forest to take him from Norwich City, is mostly remembered as a cautionary tale – a warning that sport is no place for gay male players. Yet his demise was not inevitable. When a life implodes, as Fashanu’s did, too little thought is given to the astonishing invisible pressures that are constantly exerted upon it. Too little thought is given to the choices that individuals made, or did not make, to help Fashanu when he needed them most.”⁣
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From the essay 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞 by Musa Okwonga.⁣
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Read more in “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”, available now in paperback, as an audiobook and in Kindle format. You can buy it today by clicking the link in my bio or googling the title.

12/07/2023

“In September 2011, the French-born Senegalese international Demba Ba knelt and touched his forehead to the turf at St James’ Park after scoring his first goal for Newcastle against Blackburn Rovers. Ba, prostrated in front of the Newcastle faithful, kneeling before God in an act of worship pivotal to how Muslims pray. This small but substantial gesture represented a watershed moment. The presence of Muslim players in the Premier League after this point at once became visible and normal.”⁣
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From the essay A Parallel History of Muslim Footballers by Sanaa Qureshi.⁣
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Read more in 𝑨 𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑭𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆, available now in paperback, via audiobook and in Kindle format. You can buy it today by clicking the link in my bio or searching the title.

11/07/2023

“The quiet indignities endured by his dad burrowed themselves into Andrew’s subconscious, shaping the way he related to others – including managers, coaches and teammates – but also to himself, throughout his long, successful career. Speaking to footballer-turned-psychotherapist Richie Sadlier on Second Captains podcast, The Player’s Chair, Cole repeated a phrase – ‘My dad did my hard yards’ – that begins to build a kind of cultural continuity between his life and that of his father, even as it marks a divergence in their experiences.”⁣
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Read more in “A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game”, available now in paperback, on and in Kindle format. You can buy it today by clicking the link in my bio or searching the title.

29/06/2023

‘A New Formation: How Black Footballers Shaped The Modern Game’ explores the sociocultural and historical factors that contributed to the formation of Black British identity, adds context to the lives of people who are often caricatured or reduced to footnotes and explores the variance of Black life.⁣
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It does all of this using nine individual essays focused on the lives of Justin Fashanu, Ian Wright, Andy Cole, Hope Powell, Anita Asante, Danny Rose, Raheem Sterling, an array of Black Muslim footballers and the fandom that surrounds them, and the south London communities that have produced some of the most gifted Black footballers to play in the Premier League. I think it’s a really original piece of work and, as much as I do love football, you don’t need to in order to enjoy this book.⁣
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It’s out now in paperback and is £8.99 I think. Click the link in my bio to purchase a copy.

Caricom

31/12/2023

02/11/2023

04/08/2023

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31/07/2023

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25/07/2023

24/07/2023

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