Collection: Blog

The theme of this year's Football Writers' Festival on 5-6 October - the fifth! - is CHANGEMAKERS. 

The people, incidents, and events that have helped change our game—those from the past, the present, and those shaping the future. 

It was 50 years ago today that the team we know as the #Socceroos made their debut in the World Cup, facing off against East Germany in Hamburg. This historic match marked the beginning of a legacy that continues to inspire football fans and young players around the country.

Chances are that most Australian football fans are not familiar with midfielder Charyl Chappuis, yet he is one of the best-known footballers from Thailand, one of our Asian Football Confederation neighbours.

For many, South America epitomises most of what we love about football. Tales of South American Football - Passion, Revolution and Glory by Jorge Knijnik weaves the fabric of culture and sport in 13 chapters that give the reader a path into the region's modern history and social realities. 

One of our books has been shortlisted for the prestigious Football Book of the Year as part of the 2024 Sports Book Awards sponsored by Charles Tyrwhitt in association with The Sunday Times. We are thrilled for author Sally Freedman and her book, "Get Your T*ts Out for the Lads". 

Our farewell and tribute to goalkeeper Ron Lord who died aged 94 on 8th April 2024, and who played 13 internationals between 1951 and 1964.

Earlier this month on International Women's Day we released three books which further demonstrate our commitment to women: women in sport, women in football, women in business and, of course, women in literature and publishing.

George Best Down Under delves into the four tours to Australia by the iconic George Best, one of world football’s greatest legends, chronicling Best’s trips to Australia starting with the tour by Manchester United in 1967, one year before United won the European Cup and Best the Ballon d’Or.

Turning the Tide by Michelle Ford Eriksson with Craig Lord is an incredible story of Olympic boycotts, death threats, the world's biggest state-sanctioned doping system, and misogyny.

Featuring more than 80 authors, writers and session hosts across more than 40 conversations, the festival is an opportunity for readers and thinkers to attend a literary festival that is intimate, accessible, and gives a platform to local and emerging authors, as well as high profile and established literary names.

This is what we did this year.

We're delighted to announce that the up-to-date Encyclopedia of Matildas Beyond the World Cup 2023 has arrived on to our shelves, and on to those of really good bookstores around the country, just in time for Christmas. 

Forget Sgt Pepper! 50 years ago today the indomitable Rale Rasic guided a bunch of part-timers to the 1974 World Cup in West Germany when Jimmy Mackay scored the goal, against South Korea in Hong Kong, that was enough to get Australia to its first World Cup finals. 

Join us for the launch of Noddy: The Untold Story of Adrian Alston by Philip Micallef on Thursday 9th November 2023 at Gleebooks.

For the first time in the history of the A-League Mens, a new book takes a look inside a championship winning season. The Vibe Manager – Inside the Central Coast Mariners 2023 A-League Championship, by former Socceroo Andy Bernal, is part-memoir, part insider account of the Central Coast Mariners run to, and ultimate success, in the A-League Men’s grand final earlier this year.

Beyond the beach and the ferry, a literary festival for Manly. Introducing the Manly Writers' Festival, 15-16 March 2024.

Fair Play Publishing is proud to be one of many Australian publishers to support The Voice to Parliament and a YES vote at the referendum on Saturday 14th October.

Now that the World Cup is over (and what a five weeks that was!), we  turn to the Socceroos and a wonderful two-volume set from Emeritus Professor John Maynard outlining the Socceroos World Cup Odyssey from 1965 to 2002 (Volume 1) and 2006 to 2022 (Volume 2). 

While everyone loves their national team, and we revel in the Matildas as they make their way through the World Cup, most of us usually start our passion for football with a club. Our latest book Football fans in their own write explores the concept of fandom. 

The Australian women's football team, who are ranked #10 in the world heading into the tournament, kick-off their campaign to win the 2023 World Cup by taking on the much-less fancied Republic of Ireland (#22).

What more can we say to convince you that the 2023 Football Writers' Festival has the best line-up of writing talent you'd ever hope to see, hear from, or meet in once place?

"I am woman, Hear me roar" is the inspiration for Hear Us Roar - an anthology of emerging women football writers which comprises 17 stories from women in 11 countries with contributions that relate to player interviews, the business of football, women’s football development, fiction, and personal stories.

Green and Golden Boots - Australia's overseas golden boot winners profiles the eleven men and one woman (Sam, of course) who have topped leagues as Golden Boot winners in overseas competitions. 

The Encyclopedia of Matildas - World Cup Edition is the only A-Z guide in the world of a national women's football team.