Before I finished primary school, I could name every European capital city. I knew the difference between a city and a town and had a rough idea of where at least 50 of them were in England. I could identify over 100 national flags and had a decent ear for working out which national anthem belonged to which country. I knew the words to some of them too.*
How football books can inspire children
Author Ben Lyttleton shares why books about ‘the beautiful game’ can capture children’s attention.
Image: Nigel Baines
Ben Lyttleton
I was not an outstanding student. I wasn’t even that bothered about geography. I just loved football.
Football is woven into the fabric of our culture. We see it every weekend, across the football pyramid. Local parks on Saturday mornings are heaving with boys and girls playing football. And in the afternoon, people go and watch football – women’s and men’s.
Attendance in the Women’s Super League is up by over 200%.
In the last three years, the Women’s FA Cup Final has been hosted at Wembley Stadium and on each occasion brought in over 74,000 fans.
Meanwhile, the Premier League may get most of the attention, with matches averaging over 40,000 fans per match.
But the lower levels also produce huge numbers. Fourth Division side Bradford City averaged over 17,000 fans for home matches last season, while in the seventh division, there are 12 clubs who average over 1,000 fans per game.
At this level, football is about belonging and community. Football is for everyone – as it should be.
It can create memories, joy, and a powerful and long-lasting sense of belonging and community.
Tapping into children’s passions
Every child has something they are passionate about. And if that passion is football, the good news is that there are now plenty of books about football for them to explore this passion and expand their curiosity. (This was not the case when I was younger – there were no football books.)
I don’t believe in the phrase: ‘I’m not a reader.’ I just think you haven’t found the right book yet.
Football can be a way to light that spark, to encourage a reluctant reader into a world they already know and love.
And it doesn’t have to be a story. Non-fiction books are particularly good at encouraging football fans to consider reading – facts and stats are super important, while anecdotes about players or matches can be funny, gory and surprising!
Football is a powerful tool in our lives, a regular emotional rollercoaster of joy and heartbreak. It can also be a force for good, turning the most reluctant of readers into a passionate bookworm.
My latest book, Score Like a Striker, breaks down the art and psychology of scoring goals, with tips and drills (and plenty of jokes) for young footballers. I have two hopes for Score Like a Striker: one, that it will inspire young readers out into the fresh air to practise their new skills and to create new dreams: to score the goals that win playground kickabouts, school matches, and one day, maybe… the World Cup final!
And two, that it will encourage children to read for pleasure. Now that would be a good result!
*By the way, the national anthems of Spain, Kosovo and San Marino have no words, so don’t get upset when you see their players not singing before a match!
Score Like a Striker by Ben Lyttleton is out now.
Reading recommendations
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Fantastic football books
They don’t call it the beautiful game for nothing! It’s no wonder that lots of children enjoy watching football, with its ups and downs and twists and turns.