The World Cup has been called 'The Greatest Show On Earth'. And like all big stage spectaculars, it's had those inglorious moments when the scenery falls down, global superstars horribly fluff their lines and an over-excited fan shoots his wife just as the fat lady is about to sing.
So if 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties is just the sort of entertainment you like, 'The World Cup’s Strangest Moments' is guaranteed to score - unlike singer Diana Ross, whose supreme penalty-miss at USA ’94 has never been bettered.
Along with a supporting cast of dodgy refs, eccentric mascots, manic managers and a dog who saved the Football Association’s blushes, there are shameful fixes, outrageous cheats, bespectacled strikers, gangland disputes, tragic hairstyles, and the most unpronounceable team of all time. Not to mention the odd assassination attempt and the minnows who didn’t quite make the finals after losing 31-0.
Discover the answers to all the burning questions in World Cup history: Why was an England captain arrested by Colombian police? Which team stole a bus? Where did the Mexican Wave really start? How does a trainer knock himself out treating an injured player? Was a defender really shot for scoring an own goal? Who stole Geoff Hurst’s ball? Do robots have good vision? And who was the fan who cycled over 4,000 miles to see his beloved team?
All this and much more is revealed in 'The World Cup's Strangest Matches', a marvelously entertaining collection of over 100 weird and wonderful stories for fans and novices alike.
