Unfit and Improper Persons: An Idiots Guide to Owning a Football Club FROM THE PRICE OF FOOTBALL PODCAST
By (Author) Kevin Day
By (author) Kieran Maguire
By (author) Guy Kilty
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Sport
4th March 2025
26th September 2024
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Sports management and facilities
Finance and the finance industry
Humour
Sports teams and clubs
Hospitality, sports, leisure and tourism industries
796.334
Paperback
304
Width 129mm, Height 198mm
A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues. Gary Lineker Ever dreamed of setting up your own football club Join the team behind The Price of Football podcast as they start a (fictional) football club and discover whats really going on behind the scenes of the beautiful game. Buying a football club will set you back a few quid, but youve also got to pass the Premier League and EFL's fit and proper persons test. That all seems like a bit of a faff to the team behind the award-winning podcast The Price of Football, so acclaimed comedy writer Kevin Day, football finance expert Kieran Maguire and producer Guy Kilty start an imaginary club instead. In Unfit and Improper Persons they take West Park Rovers on a hilarious journey from the lowest level of the FA pyramid right up to the English Football League, the Premier League and, if fortune favours the fictional, into the heart of Europe. At least thats the plan, but inevitably they face a few challenges along the way. Where to find a shirt sponsor What should the mascot be is a dog called Rover too obvious Can they pay the womens team the same as the mens team (Spoiler alert: hardly anyone else does.) And how can they get Messi to the Kleanwell Stadium next season, like they promised the fans Roofing over the toilets, paying the electric on the floodlights, salary caps, parachute payments and avoiding bankruptcy, never mind relegation owning a football club isnt all about stuffing prawn sarnies and quaffing champagne in the directors box. Unfit and Improper Persons is informed, funny and, thanks to exclusive interviews with those whove been there, done that, it lays bare the labyrinthine world of football finance.
A very funny book that tackles some serious football issues. * Gary Lineker *
Brilliant. Blows the lid off football. Hilarious, detailed and insightful. * Alan Davies *
Witty and wise. * Clare Balding *
I loved this book ... Great authors, terrible football club owners. * Josh Widdicombe *
This helpful, entertaining and funny book is written by a Palace fan and a Brighton fan so I just want to know who won the fight! * Jo Brand *
Kevin Day asks the right questions and Kieran Maguire is impressive with his research... The machinations of football finance are laid bare, and somehow this sheds light on to the actual games themselves. -- Miranda Sawyer * the Guardian *
A great read and level of detail wherever your club is in the pyramid therell be something of interest for you. * Tony Livesey, BBC Radio 5 Live *
The writers fuse humour and fiction with rigorous analysis ... An entertaining and often intriguing book. * FourFourTwo *
Kevin Day is an acclaimed stand-up comedian and one of the country's leading comedy writers. He writes for Have I Got News for You and A League of Their Own and has worked with stars ranging from Dave Allen to Alfie Boe (hell go through the whole alphabet if you like). He regularly appears on Talksport and BBC Radio 5 Live and is currently working on a musical based on the legendary Pawsons Arms pub (honestly). @kevinhunterday Kieran Maguire is the go-to expert on football finance matters. When not regularly appearing on television and radio commentating on matters related to club finance, he teaches the Football Industries MBA at the University of Liverpool Management School. Forbes describes Maguire as a 'soccer finance expert' and his expertise has earned him nicknames such as the 'Columbo of football finance'. @KieranMaguire Guy Kilty, known to listeners of The Price of Football as Producer Guy, has enjoyed a journeyman footballer-style professional career, which has seen him produce and present radio and TV shows at the BBC like Breakfast on BBC One and Wake Up To Money on BBC Radio 5 Live. Now he runs the specialist podcast production company Dap Dip. @GuyKilty