32 Programmes by Dave Roberts

I was given this book as a Christmas present and it took me two days to read. It owes a lot to the Nick Hornby-era style of 'Fever Pitch', and whilst it is a shorter book than its famous predecessor it has the same depth and nostalgia.
The pitch (excuse the pun) is that Dave had to select 32 programmes to take with him when he emigrated to the States, leaving the rest of his collection of 1134 football programmes behind. He then describes each of matches in depth from which he has chosen his 32 programmes. The games stretch from 1964 until the present day; and his remarkable memory, allied to his meticulous notes, mean that you get a real sense of what it was like to be at each of the games. Some games are chosen for life-changing reasons (his first ever game, the first game that he attended with his wife), and others simply for quirks and oddities. The richness of football folklore in the Sixties and Seventies is addressed, and some insights that you will not find in the history books become apparent.
The nice thing about this book is that it enjoyable for fans of all teams. As Dave was a fan of Bromley, he did not follow one big team, and as a result a wide range of teams get a mention; including Leeds, Plymouth and Bury. There is something here for everybody. Despite a fanatical devotion to Bromley he appears to have been a genuine fan of all football.
There is a twist, and surprisingly football does not dominate all of his life, but you need to read up to programme 32 to find out.

32 Programmes, by Dave Roberts, Bantam Books.
292 pages, ISBN 978-0-857-50050-2
£8.99