First published 2010
Russell Brand follows his beloved West Ham United through a turbulent football season while juggling his career between London's Upton Park and Hollywood. He watches matches won and lost, his faith in the Hammers constantly tested by their unpredictable performances. Between games, Brand encounters a colorful cast that spans from football legends to cultural icons like Morrissey, Gallagher, and Gascoigne. His observations weave together the drama on the pitch with his own life off it. Managerial changes at various clubs trigger philosophical reflections that reference everyone from Joe Orton to Oscar Wilde. Jose Mourinho's departure sparks personal memories, while Paolo Di Canio becomes an unlikely object of affection. Arsenal's playing style reminds him of celebrity couples, and West Ham's fortunes mirror his own romantic adventures. Brand finds profound connections between football's small moments and life's larger questions about happiness and meaning.
Genres: sports, biography-memoir, 21st-century, football
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: memoir, sports
Setting: London, Upton Park, Hollywood
Period: 21st-century
208 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins Publishers