Red on Red: Liverpool, Manchester United and the fiercest rivalry in world football cover art

Red on Red: Liverpool, Manchester United and the fiercest rivalry in world football

Liverpool, Manchester United and the fiercest rivalry in world football

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Red on Red: Liverpool, Manchester United and the fiercest rivalry in world football

By: Phil McNulty, Jim White
Narrated by: Luke Francis
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About this listen

The untold story of the most contested fixture in world football

‘A must read.’ Henry Winter

'Superb.' Daniel Taylor

Liverpool and Manchester. Two gloriously independent-minded, eclectic, culturally vibrant places. Yet the inhabitants dislike each other with a passion that is visceral. It is a divide that spans generations, across class, gender and ethnicity. And it has grown over the years, largely driven by one thing: football.

The dark, malignant loathing shared by the followers of Liverpool and Manchester United has seeped into every aspect of life in the two cities. Football is not a barometer of disdain, as it is in places like Glasgow or Istanbul or Moscow. In northwest England, it is the engine of animosity.

How did it come to this? Why did things turn so nasty? And what does it say about the two cities in which the clubs are based?

Written by a Scouser and a Manc in a rare collaboration, Red on Red addresses the divide by talking to those involved in ten seminal football matches. It speaks to the characters who patrolled and provoked the rivalry: Alex Ferguson, Kenny Dalglish, Steven Gerrard and Gary Neville, among many others. Also questioned are the fans, the administrators, the referees, the police, and politicians. And through each legendary game, its authors tell the full story of the most extraordinary division not just in football, but in modern Britain.

This is Red on Red, a rivalry like no other.

20th Century Football (American) Football (Soccer) Modern Sociology of Sports Sports Psychology Sports

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Critic reviews

‘A great insight into this ancient rivalry, the rants, duels, the reasons… A must read.’ Henry Winter, The Times

'Superb – if you have been brought up on the greatest rivalry in football, you will love this book.'
Daniel Taylor, The Athletic

‘Fascinating…a must-read not just for the fans of both of these great clubs but anyone with a passion for football.’
John Cross, The Daily Mirror

'White and McNulty’s writing is so astonishingly powerful and vivid. It brings back so many memories – of famous battles on the pitch, and on the streets outside. They capture it all – the noise, the tension, even the smell. The glory and the fear. This isn’t just football history, it’s football literature.' Michael Crick, author of The Boss: The Many Sides of Alex Ferguson

‘Phil McNulty and Jim White have delved into the most ferocious of rivalries. Two clubs. Two winners. The animosity for each other was a natural spin-off from their geographical closeness. As a player, you couldn’t show weakness. The way it should be. Red v Red.’ Jim Beglin, Liverpool and Republic Of Ireland defender

Praise for Jim White’s Manchester United: A Biography

‘A wonderfully entertaining history.’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Championship sportswriting.’ The Guardian

‘Engaging.’ The Independent

‘When historians 1,000 years from now try to fathom the cult of Manchester United Football Club, White will be a good place to start.' Financial Times

Praise for Jim White’s You'll Win Nothing With Kids: Fathers, Sons and Football

‘The Fever Pitch of the junior league.’ Sunday Times

‘A fizzingly funny, sad, thoughtful book.’ Sunday Telegraph

‘Touching, involving and really quite enthralling.’ Daily Telegraph

‘A pleasure to read.’ The Independent

All stars
Most relevant
To hate can be great , every incoming player or manager of both clubs should be made to read or listen to this brilliant book

Brilliant

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did not disappoint. listened to it all en route from Perth to Liverpool. Time flew by. Great stories and well structured.

loved it

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I was never a big football fan growing up & didn’t understand the rivalry history, so didn’t really think that I’d enjoy this as much as I did. I listened avidly over a few days and would certainly recommend it to anyone who loves football or just likes football. It’s a fascinating tale of fierce conflict between the two teams years of competition past and present.

Rivalry

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Whilst I don’t regret downloading this, I wish the performance of the narration was better. There are numerous mispronunciations - of people’s names, of teams, of words. It’s really off-putting and was clearly never listened to by an editor with even basic knowledge of football.

Worse than that though is the performance of a highly offensive song about the Munich air disaster. I have no issue with the lyrics being printed, or narrated in this case, as it’s important to explain the content and why these words are so hurtful. However there is no need whatsoever for the narrator to actually sing a song like this, in pretty full voice. Completely bizarre.

The story is very well-told, with the focus on individual matches working well as a device for explaining the overarching story of the rivalry. There are some interesting insights from a range of characters. However I wish I’d chosen the hardback or Kindle version.

Well-written but poorly performed

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As a United fan I soo enjoyed this book Red on Red as it was written in such a balanced and entertaining way. A must read for both sets of supporters

Great history of the two clubs in the context of where both clubs sit in their respective cities.

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