Winner Stays On

Winner Stays On journeys into the heart of English football using FA Cup fixtures to plan the route.

This unique adventure takes us across the entire spectrum of the English game, from Tuffley Rovers to Burton Albion, Luton Town to Manchester City, revealing the people and places that make football tick. With original research and rich, thought-provoking prose, the book blends elements of travel writing with football culture and barstool sociology. It's also funny.

A frank account of the state of modern football as well as a heartfelt celebration, the book uncovers where the game is going wrong. Amateur footballers are afforded the same curiosity as Premier League stars; faltering industrial towns are treated with the same respect as upmarket villages and prosperous, world-leading cities.

Over 14 matches and 14 locations, Winner Stays On brings us a fascinating first-hand take on modern England and the sport its inhabitants turn to for escapism.