October 2007 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of Sheffield FC and there will be considerable celebrations both in England and among the wider footballing and sporting community, with Inter Milan, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Barcelona keen to be involved. Sheffield is the true birthplace of football, having had a huge influence on the Football Association. The Sheffield Football Association was once a rival to the game’s ruling body and had a large say in the forming of the Laws of the game. Unfortunately Sheffield decided not to embrace professionalism in the late 19th century and so allowed the rise and growth of Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United. But they have kept going and in 2007 were promoted to the Unibond League Division One South.

Newcastle United and Sunderland football clubs generate a rivalry that assumes a greater importance than any other in English football. Perhaps in British football only that between Rangers and Celtic in Glasgow can match it and that is fuelled by sectarian bigotry. Newcastle and Sunderland are not even in the same city. Fifteen miles separates the rivers Tyne and the Wear but the rivalry is stronger than that which exists even in cities with more than one club like Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. The most detailed history of Newcastle v Sunderland derbies ever produced; it includes match reports of every league and cup derby game between these old rivals with descriptions of every goal scored. Key players are profiled and every player who has played in Tyne-Wear derbies is assessed.

The definitive masterwork on what was the world’s most famous football stadium. All 386 of the big matches – internationals and FA and League Cup finals and replays etc from the very first ‘White Horse’ final of 1923 to the World Cup final of 1966 and the final defeat by Germany in 2000 – have a report in this ultimate reference book as well as the teams, scorers and attendance while the teams and attendances from all the other games - schoolboy internationals, lesser cup finals – have details only. A full list of clubs and their records, plus all the League players who played underneath the Twin Towers is also included in the book.

Beautifully designed, affectionately written, and lavishly illustrated, this is a football book for boys and girls of all ages, written and presented in the spirit and style of the annuals that adorned the game's golden age. "The Bumper Book of Football" delivers a feast of facts, feats and anecdotes relating to every conceivable aspect of the world's most popular game: how it began, and how its rules developed; the stories of the great clubs, legendary managers, epic games and great players (including today's top premiership stars); bizarre facts and records; origins of footballing words and phrases; famous football quotes; plus footballing nicknames and superstitions. But "The Bumper Book of Football" is not merely a rich source of football information and entertainment, it also provides practical guidance on such matters as how to become a footballer, how to start and manage a collection of footballing memorabilia, and how to become a demon autograph-hunter.