TITLE = Stamping Grounds: Liechstenstein's Quest for the World Cup AUTHOR = Charlie Connelly PRICE = 7.99 pounds list (EUR 12.43) SIZE = 326 pages YEAR = 2002, Little&Brown SOURCE = www.amazon.co.uk RATING = 4 1/2 stars
The great Charlie Connelly once again embarks for foreign shores, this
time an almost unbelievable adventure of following Liechtenstein's quest
for the 2002 World Cup. OK, it's not that dramatic, since the result is a
foregone conclusion. And you can't wonder whether this whole thing was the
result of Connelly losing a pub bet. Nevertheless, a well-written, amusing
account of the campaign. Connelly went to all the matches, and you can't
help but admire his account of the games and his hope against hope that
Liechstenstein might get a result. Obviously with a population about half
the capacity of Old Trafford, this is going to be a tall order. (All the
more amazing that they've produced a Serie A player, Mario Frick of
Verona.)
Much of the book concerns Connelly's general impressions of the tiny
country, and he spins his views on the local politics, economic, society.
In that sense, it is one of the best books ever on Liechtenstein, not that
there is much competition. At times he appears to try to be too funny, but
in general his good sense of humor is spot on.
Overall, this is another excellent effort by Connelly, and is a welcome
addition to the soccer library.