Behind the Glory: 100 Years of the PFA

Behind the Glory: 100 Years of the PFAThis title tells the story of the Professional Footballers' Association and the role they played in shaping the nation's favourite game. It gives fascinating insight into many great football characters. Ever since professionalism in soccer was legalised in 1885, the stars of the game have been the object of fascination, envy and adulation, but for much of the last century, professional players struggled to gain respectability and a fair wage.

This title tells the story of the Professional Footballers' Association and the role they played in shaping the nation's favourite game. It gives fascinating insight into many great football characters.

Ever since professionalism in soccer was legalised in 1885, the stars of the game have been the object of fascination, envy and adulation, but for much of the last century, professional players struggled to gain respectability and a fair wage.

Footballers were the poor relations of the entertainment world, they were often exploited by their clubs and regularly treated with disdain by the game's administrators.

Today, the lives and loves of football's young millionaires are scrutinised by the broadsheets and on TV while for a new generation of devoted young fans they are fashion icons and role models.

"Behind The Glory!" is the story of how the Player's Union - the Professional Footballers' Association - played such a crucial role in this extraordinary transformation.

About the Author

John Harding began writing a series of books on sporting history in the early 1980s, the first being a biography of Billy Meredith, a legendary Edwardian football star and founder of the PFA.

He has since written numerous books on football and boxing including the biographies of Arsenal legend Alex James and East End Jewish boxing hero, Ted Kid Lewis.

He has worked on various Sky and BBC TV and radio programmes and contributes articles to publications such as The London Magazine, When Saturday Comes and Soccer Review, as well as the website www.givemefootball.com.