Tom Dunmore is a soccer writer and executive. In 2010, he was appointed as Vice-President of the Chicago Riot Soccer Club of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He publishes an award-winning global soccer culture blog, www.pitchinvasion.net, and he was an international soccer columnist for The Chicago Sports Weekly from 2007 to 2008.
Dunmore (English-born, Chicago-based, award-winning soccer writer)
packs a wealth of information into this dictionary on "the
beautiful game"--now better known as "the global game" for its
popularity and profitable commercialism. The brief preface prepares
the ground for the meaty 250-page dictionary section (comprising
more than 400 cross-referenced entries). Included are a list of
acronyms and abbreviations, FIFA member associations by country,
and a useful chronology (extending from 206 BCE to 2010). Dunmore's
18-page introduction is a solid, up-to-date history of soccer as it
evolved in Europe and South America, and especially in Scotland and
England--from upper-class beginnings down to the working masses.
The author covers the organization of the Laws of the Game, the
formation of regional associations, the growing importance of fans,
soccer's commercialization and globalization (especially through
television), and the growth of women's soccer in the late 20th
century, especially in North America. The dictionary section
features long and short entries, describing places, e.g.,
world-famous stadia in Rio, Mexico City, London, and elsewhere,
along with others tragically remembered for disaster and death
(e.g., Hillsborough and Ibrox). Stars like Pele, Maradona, and
Beckenbauer, and modern icons like Beckham, Messi, and Mia Hamm,
all find their places here. Soccer terminology, e.g., offside,
corner kick, foul throw, and penalty shootout, is explained for the
uninitiated. Teams like Manchester United and Liverpool, Barcelona
and Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, and many more are all highlighted
in their national and international settings through
cross-references. Rounding out the dictionary are 20 appendixes,
e.g., on FIFA presidents and players of the year; and a
bibliography, with information including periodicals and websites
of interest. No photographs, illustrations, or concluding general
index. Dunmore is to be commended for packing so much into just
300-plus pages. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates
and above; general readers.
*CHOICE*
Dunmore, a writer, blogger, and columnist for Chicago Sports
Weekly, offers a comprehensive overview of the world’s most popular
sport. The introductory essay is followed by more than 400
cross-referenced entries that cover countries, teams, terminology,
rules, championships, and people associated with the game,
including Pelé and David Beckham. Reading the entries reveals the
evolution of the game, from its earliest days as a game called cuju
(meaning “kick ball”) played during the Han dynasty in China and
popularity with working-class men in England to its spread across
the globe, the marketing of team logos and shirts, and the
international appeal of the game as created by television. There is
also a plethora of information on such topics as hooliganism,
stadiums, sanctions, and women’s soccer and its stars. The book’s
20 appendixes include listings of male and female FIFA World
Players of the Year and dates, hosts, winners, and runners-up in
the Olympics, the World Cup, and other international events. BOTTOM
LINE A must for soccer fans.
*Library Journal*
For those more interested and experienced in soccer and its
history, this volume in Scarecrow’s new historical sports
dictionaries is a welcome addition to reference literature.
Arranged in alphabetic order, more than 400 names, places, terms,
organizations, leagues and conferences, teams and schools, and
events chronicle the history of the game. Included are players (men
and women), teams, and even brief entries on countries where soccer
has become such an internationally popular game. Terminology used
in the game is briefly documented. An interesting chronology and
introduction precede the well-written entries and 20 appendixes
trace presidents of the federation of soccer, FIFA World Players,
Olympic Games, various national cups, and intercontinental cups.
Cross-references in bold lead the reader to other relevant entries.
Nearly 20 pages of bibliography conclude this useful
ready-reference book. This is an excellent reference source for
students, researchers, and the general public needing facts about
soccer on an international level.
*American Reference Books Annual*
Overall, this volume will act as a useful general reference source.
It is a worthy effort that belongs in any library where the history
of sport or soccer is either studied or the subject of serious
interest.
*s*
Tom Dunmore undertook a colossal task when he decided to write a
historical dictionary of soccer. ... Dunmore’s historical
dictionary is very well researched, written and structured. The
book is divided into several parts: editor’s foreword; preface;
acronyms and abbreviations; chronology; introduction; dictionary;
20 appendices (arranged in alphabetical order from A to T); and a
bibliography. ... [T]his is an outstanding historical dictionary
with a wide range of potential readership. It would be a great
addition to the shelves of any research or university library, not
to mention the private book collections of many soccer
aficionados.
*Sport in History*
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