Sometimes scoring isn’t the only thing when you’re a striker, as top tier footballer, Scott, has found out. He’s awoken to find himself in over his head—he’s just shagged someone who’s not his wife, rather his best friend’s wife, to be precise. Keeping such indiscretion under wraps isn’t easy, especially when your every move is fastidiously documented on every tabloid and broadsheet all over the world, your every thought tweeted and followed by millions. It is especially difficult when there are reporters in woodwork, eager to sniff out a story that will expose the corruption, decay and sleaze that fuels this fraudulent and multi-billion dollar industry known as the Premier League. In a world where the currency is fame, how much is Scott willing to lose to keep everything he’s gained? If you’ve ever wanted to know what goes on behind-the-scenes of one of the most prestigious football leagues in the world, consider this book your grandstand season ticket.

This book explores how recent football fiction has negotiated the decisive political developments in English football after the 1989/90 publication of the 'Taylor Report'. A direct response to the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster and growing concerns of hooliganism, the 'Taylor Report' suggested a number of measures for stricter regulation of fan crowds. In consequence, stadiums in the top divisions were turned into all-seated venues and were put under CCTV surveillance. The implementation of these measures reduced violent incidents drastically, but it also led to an unparalleled increase in ticket prices, which in turn significantly altered the demographics of the crowd. This development, which also enabled football's entry into other mainstream cultural forms, changed the game decisively. Piskurek traces patterns across prose and film to detect how these fictions have responded to the changed circumstances of post-Taylor football. Lending a cultural lens to these political changes, this book is pioneering in its analysis of football fiction as a whole, offering a fresh perspective to a range of scholars and students interested in cultural studies, sociology, leisure and politics.

An all-in-one collection of Neil Humphrey’s trilogy: Notes from an even Smaller Island, Scribbles from the Same Island and Final Notes from a Great Island. In 2003, his second book, Scribbles from the Same Island, a compilation of his popular humour columns in WEEKEND TODAY, was launched in Singapore and Malaysia and also became an immediate best-seller. In 2006, Final Notes from a Great Island: A Farewell Tour of Singapore completed the trilogy. The book went straight to No.1 and decided to stay there for a few months. Having run out of ways to squeeze ‘island’ into a book title, Humphreys moved to Geelong, Australia. He now writes for several magazines and newspapers in Singapore and Australia and spends his weekends happily looking for echidnas and platypuses. But he still really misses roti prata.

Knowing nothing of Singapore in the 1990s, a young Englishman, Neil Humphreys, arrives in the land of “air-conned” shopping centres and Lee Kuan Yew. From the aunties in the hawker centres to expats dressed as bananas, from Singlish to kiasuism, and from Singaporeans at home to Singaporeans abroad, Humphreys explores all aspects of Singaporean life, taking in the sights, dissecting the culture and illuminating each place and person with his perceptive and witty observations. Written by someone who is at once both insider and outsider, the book is a wonderfully funny and disarmingly honest portrait of Singapore and its people. That was the original synopsis. And a cult classic was born. First published in 2001, Notes from an Even Smaller Island became an extraordinary success, selling tens of thousands of copies. It popped up on the national bestseller several times over the years and launched Neil’s stellar writing career. This 20th anniversary edition contains new material; Neil has gone back and re-evaluated his first book, looking at what he got right, what he definitely got wrong and updating readers on key characters, stories and crazy incidents. He also includes never-previously published photos to prove – once and for all – that every word of his irreverent work was true.

With Singapore evolving at blistering pace, old Singapore is being left behind, neglected or just plain dying? As a result, active citizenry is taking off like never before with Singaporeans campaigning to save Bukit Brown, Joo Chiat HDB flats, Rochor Centre, with Jalan Besar, Balestier and Tiong Bahru championed for their history/heritage. Basically, as Singapore becomes more of a global metropolis, the search to save its soul has been taken up like never before. Nostalgia is spreading through the country. Old Singapore has never been more hip, more trendy as Singaporeans cling to the last vestiges of what actually makes them Singaporean. The race is on to save an even sexier island. So as the nation celebrates its 50th anniversary, Neil Humphreys heads off on a tour of old Singapore to find 50 sights and sounds that are at risk of being overlooked, forgotten or even bulldozed and lost forever. Some are historically significant (like Queenstown or Tiong Bahru). Some are environmentally significant (like Pulau Hantu or Lazarus Island). Some are culturally significant (like Cafe Colbar and Thieves Market). Some are politically significant (like LKY's house!). And some are just quirky and a tad surreal (a remote bus stop, a viewing tower in Upper Seletar, Haw Par Villa and Zouk). But Humphreys tracks them all down in a funny, insightful and unashamedly sentimental search for what's left of Singapore's soul.

Singapore got sexy and the country’s best-selling author got jealous. After five years chasing echidnas and platypuses in Australia, Neil Humphreys returns to Singapore to see if the rumours are true. Like an old girlfriend getting a lusty makeover, the island transformed while Humphreys was away. Singapore is not just a sexier island, it’s a different world. So Humphreys embarked upon a nationwide tour to test that theory. He went in search of new Singapore, visiting only locations that either did not exist five years ago or had been extensively rebuilt, renovated or revamped in his absence. From the cloud-topped heights of Marina Bay Sands and Pinnacle@Duxton to making ill-advised bomb jokes at the subterranean tunnels of Labrador Park, Humphreys walks, cycles, kayaks and swims across a rapidly evolving country, meeting Guinness-swigging aunties in Resorts World Sentosa, eccentric toy museum owners in Bugis, political activists in Aljunied and a security guard at Marina Barrage ready to ‘tekan’ anyone who crosses his path. In new Singapore, Humphreys discovers a country still grappling between the economic rewards of progress at Biopolis and Fusionopolis and the historical cost at Bukit Brown Cemetery.

Through attending games and talking to players, coaches, media and fans from the past and the present, seasoned football correspondent John Duerden charts the history of the rivalry in the past, captures a snapshot of the rivalry as it is and casts a look at the future. It won't be just about the big games but about players from one country that played in another and the recent sojourn of Lions XII in Malaysia and Harimau Muda in the S-League. From meetings between the two national teams and clubs to tales from the times when they both sent teams to compete in the other’s league, Lions and Tigers describes how Singapore and Malaysia feel about each other and how it all looks to an outsider between the two countries with comments from both nations—from coaches, players and key stakeholders, and also journalists and fans of the beautiful game.