SOURCE: Carr, J. L. “You Have Not Delighted Us Long Enough.” Spectator 268, no. 8539 (7 March 1992): 27-8.

In the following review, Carr offers a mixed assessment of The Faber Book of Soccer, edited by Hamilton.

Quite often, sitting through a parish church council meeting, I think that if an earnest pagan were present he would suppose that Christianity was about saving the steeple. And thus, this anthology. By and large, its soccer is a resurrection of superstars, ego-maniacal managers and solemn pronunciamentos. So, on p.130 [of The Faber Book of Soccer], we find Mr Hopcraft hanging upon Mrs Charlton's words, ‘Our Bobby now, the one thing we worried about was he was slow off the mark.’

‘Rarely, rarely comest thou, spirit of delight …’

For top football is a serious business. Even at Sale Price, Gazza costs £5,000,000 and the Maxwells buy up clubs like job-lots. A Manchester City manager puts it...