John Toshack

For most football players winning three Welsh Cups, three English First Division League titles, an FA Cup and two UEFA Cups would amount to a job extremely well done. For John Toshack, the haul underpinned a career in management which across four decades, has taken in ten countries across Europe and Africa. Toshack's Way: My Journey in Football, tells his story in full for the first time: the decade at the top as a player in one of football's most famous institutions; unprecedented success as a manager; glories across the Mediterranean and constant cultural discovery elsewhere in the globe.

Amidst the constant stream of overly technical and excitable books heralding a blockchain revolution that’s destined to be more disruptive than the Internet, this book stands apart for its more nuanced take, focusing on the potential for these new technologies to change developing countries for the better. Chain Reaction divides the world into two: for some, blockchain seems a poor substitute for an efficient banking and regulatory system in which transactions are settled instantly and contracts are underpinned by solid institutions. For others, it will be truly life-changing – namely those living in countries where rule of law is weak, concepts of ownership are vague and, consequently, trust in institutions is in scarce supply.With blockchain, we are about to witness a leapfrogging – one that will bring the next billion emerging consumers into the formal economy by creating reliable institutions of contract, ownership and trust among people previously denied such luxuries. The authors humanize the technology by taking the reader on a global journey through a multitude of applications – from registering property to voting and delivering aid. In place of the usual abstract lessons in complex technology, this book is instead filled with lively anecdotes of places where trust is so weak that a crisp dollar bill sells at a premium to a better-used version. The book’s goal is to create the first truly approachable, entirely comprehensible and enjoyable read on the wonders to come from blockchain.

For most football players winning three Welsh Cups, three English First Division League titles, an FA Cup and two UEFA Cups would amount to a job extremely well done. For John Toshack, the haul underpinned a career in management which across four decades, has taken in ten countries across Europe and Africa. Having become the youngest player in Cardiff City's history, Toshack would accrue legendary status at Liverpool where he quickly formed a potent centre forward partnership with Kevin Keegan under the guidance of the great Bill Shankly. With a stack of winners' medals, Toshack would return to Wales again but this time with Swansea City, where, as a player-manager, he inspired his side from the Fourth Division to the top flight, a level they had never reached before. Such a thrilling period was enough for Europe's elite to take note, and after a year in charge of Sporting Lisbon, Toshack moved to Real Sociedad, becoming their first ever non-Basque boss. Toshack fell in love with the city, and the people fell in love with him after a Copa del Rey title in 1987. A title with Real Madrid would follow during a season where Toshack's team scored a record-breaking 107 goals. He would manage Sociedad three times and Madrid twice, becoming one of the most influential foreign coaches in Spanish football. Never afraid of the unknown, Wales' most recognisable manager also took charge of his country's national team, Deportivo La Coruña, Beşiktaş, Saint-Étienne, Catania, Macedonia, Khazar Lankaran and Wydad Casablanca. John Toshack: My System, tells his story in full for the first time: the decade at the top as a player in one of football's most famous institutions; unprecedented success as a manager; glories across the Mediterranean and constant cultural discovery elsewhere in the globe

The goalkeeper of Don Revie's triumphant Leeds United team of the late 1960s and early '70s, Gary Sprake made over 500 appearances for the club in a career that saw him win domestic and European honours and make thirty-seven appearances for Wales - yet for many people he will always be remembered as the man who threw the ball into his own net in a game against Liverpool.A handful of high-profile errors, and the resultant reputation as something of a liability, have taken precedence over the view held by many contemporary players and commentators that he was one of the best 'keepers of his generation. His heroics won many matches for Leeds, including the 1965 FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United and the 1968 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final against Ferencvaros - yet still the one time 'Hero of Budapest' is more often remembered as 'Careless Hands', his name associated with the goalkeeping gaffes and with the infamous Revie match-fixing scandal, while team-mates have taken the plaudits for the side's tremendous achievements on the pitch.This fully authorised biography, written in conjunction with Gary himself, at last gives his side of the story and reminds us of the forgotten truth about this often unfairly maligned player. Whatever preconceptions people may have about Gary Sprake, they will find here an honest, balanced account of what really went on, and as such this book should not be missed.

The goalkeeper of Don Revie's triumphant Leeds United team of the late 1960s and early '70s, Gary Sprake made over 500 appearances for the club in a career that saw him win domestic and European honours and make thirty-seven appearances for Wales - yet for many people he will always be remembered as the man who threw the ball into his own net in a game against Liverpool. A handful of high-profile errors, and the resultant reputation as something of a liability, have taken precedence over the view held by many contemporary players and commentators that he was one of the best 'keepers of his generation. His heroics won many matches for Leeds, including the 1965 FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United and the 1968 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final against Ferencvaros - yet still the one time 'Hero of Budapest' is more often remembered as 'Careless Hands', his name associated with the goalkeeping gaffes and with the infamous Revie match-fixing scandal, while team-mates have taken the plaudits for the side's tremendous achievements on the pitch. This fully authorised biography, written in conjunction with Gary himself, at last gives his side of the story and reminds us of the forgotten truth about this often unfairly maligned player. Whatever preconceptions people may have about Gary Sprake, they will find here an honest, balanced account of what really went on, and as such this book should not be missed.