Farred approaches the content with the eye of a scholar and the pen of a wordsmith. The text has a natural flow that is not impeded by an intense vocabulary and loads of information. The subject matter varies greatly from Argentine dictators to racism in football to the rule of apartheid in South Africa.
It is as much about history and sociology as it is about football. Farred recalls the greatest players and the greatest moments in Liverpool’s storied history as only a fan could. It is clear that he lives by the famous words of manager Bill Shankly: “Football is not a matter of life and death. It is much more important than that.”
The author shows how his life has always been connected to Liverpool, whether he was a child, an adolescent, or an adult. You can never doubt his passion or enthusiasm for his club. Farred provides us great insight into the careers of prominent players from Howard Gayle and John Barnes to Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard. He brings the past to life by recounting groundbreaking events, such as the 2005 Champions League Final, with such detail and depth.
The most important lesson for the reader of this text is simple yet profound: the game of football is not angelic or a thing of purity. Like everything else it is affected by politics, race, class, and tradition. However, it is still the greatest game on earth, one that deserves to be loved from any distance.
