Every time one of the big clubs show up on this humble podcast, the audience is a little larger - and maybe I should do more on the likes of Bayern or Liverpool. But I always shirk back a bit. Too mainstream, I think. And if you like Liverpool, wouldn't you have found another, more professional media outlet already? If that is you, I think you need to buy this book. And, first, hear about it: Alan McDougall has written what the subtitle says is a peoples’ history of Liverpool F.C. I would say it’s a global people’s history. Published by Cambridge University Press, the book is very readable and accessible, but with high scholarly standards. Not a straight up club history, always with an eye on culture, society and football more broadly, but never far from the club the author has grown up to love. It's a story of deindustrialization, migration, the tragedies of Heysel and Hillsborough, and Bill Shankly and Jürgen Klopp.

Alan McDougall is a professor of history at the University of Guelph in Canada, and he has been on before to talk about his fabulous older book The People’s Game about soccer in Eastern Germany. For this one, he has returned to his football home, and done what not many club histories do: a book you’ll enjoy reading, following its connections and learning about its world even if you don’t support Liverpool.

HELPFUL LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE:

Alan McDougall, professional page

Dreams and Songs to Sing, book website

Hillsborough Law campaign

Heysel Stadium catastrophe, TV footage (warning, graphic imagery)

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Artwork for The Assistant Professor of Football is by Saige Lind

Instrumental music for this podcast, including the introduction track, is by the artist Ketsa and used under a Creative Commons license through Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/