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Square Peg, Round Ball
- Football, TV and Me
- Narrated by: Ned Boulting
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
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Square Peg, Round Ball
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Summary
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023—SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR
Bloomsbury presents Square Peg, Round Ball by Ned Boulting, read by Ned Boulting.
Square Peg, Round Ball is a candid, insightful reminiscence on a life in football.
From time to time, as I lurched from training ground to player's tunnel, I'd be glared at by Alex Ferguson, clapped on the back by Arsène Wenger, taken out the back by Alan Pardew or banned by José Mourinho. In the time it took for the Golden Generation to come of age, dominate, disappoint and retire, I fell in—and ultimately out—of love with the game, as I was granted a uniquely privileged insight into the backstage comings and goings of the professional football circus.
Although best known as ITV's commentator on the Tour de France, Ned Boulting has spent most of his professional life covering football.
Follow Ned's journey from football supporter to reporter—from criss-crossing the country in a banger of a car hoping for a word or two from the latest big signing, to the glamour of the Champions League. Ned really has been there, done that and got the Sky Sports jacket to prove it.
Witnessing the shenanigans, the machinations and the idiocy of football at close quarters, Ned shares his best stories with affection. Whether it's treading mud into Steven Gerrard's pristine white carpets, or nearly being pushed into oncoming traffic by a menacing Vinnie Jones, or being chased away from Roman Abramovich's house by some scary looking men on quadbikes—Ned has made a fool of himself to bring us the best tales from his experiences in '90s and 2000s football.
Critic reviews
"Believable!" (Chris Kamara)
"A bouncy, amusing and honest reminiscence. This is Ned in a nutshell." (Jim Beglin, BT Sport co-commentator and former Irish professional footballer)
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What listeners say about Square Peg, Round Ball
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MAH
- 10-02-24
good review of where football went
Ned sums up how football lost a lot of us and the fun went out of watching it as money and TV took over.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andy Long
- 24-02-23
Fascinating personal backstory on the rise and fall of his passion for footy
I know Ned’s work from the world of cycling but didn’t know of the football backstory. A lovely personal account of accidentally falling into the maelstrom of the UK tv footy media pack with occasional imposter syndrome and some cracking anecdotes.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Peter Wilson
- 19-02-24
Ned's enjoyment of football and then...
I enjoyed this book, of Ned falling in and then out of love with the great game. I remember him on TV often interviewing players after a match or his pre-match programmes. He runs through his career in TV and with some interesting anecdotes about the demise of ITV digital and the rise of Sky. Like many football fans, he fell out of love with the game, perhaps because of the corporatisation and move to PR trained footballers, who give monosylabic answers and make the life of interviewers very difficult. Love Ned's cycling work and footballs loss is cycling's gain - and unlike some of the less than forthcoming footballers Ned's work with David Millar and co. is an annual summer highlight.
Overall, this is a good book well read - but it is more a recap of Neds career rather than a story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Numbnutz
- 22-05-22
Excellent
Superb book, great insight into behind the scenes football on TV and wonderful to listen to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tim
- 07-01-24
Breathless
Insightful, humorous, poignant. Non stop anecdotes, beautifully narrated.
Can’t wait for the next chapter on cycling
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ewan Melling
- 28-04-22
As much fun as How To Be A Footballer.
I really enjoyed listening to Ned and his memories of being a football journalist, there were some points where I properly laughed out loud. Listen, you'll like it.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Janet Quinn
- 07-03-24
Football as changed
Great listen on how football is imploding as a game due to money and moving away from real fans
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- CamberwellSE5
- 08-05-22
Likeable and self deprecating but..
Ned admits to coming late to football but the basic errors are an annoying distraction. He twice refers to Forest playing the County Ground and reports that Everton had to prequalify for the Champions League because Liverpool won in Istanbul; Everton played a qualifier because they’d finished 4th; it was Liverpool that had to go through pre-qualifying. Drogba’s last kick for Chelsea was not in 2012; he returned to win the league again in 2015.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Book Reviewer
- 17-09-22
A bit disappointing
An interesting insight into a football commentators life with some great stories but it just seemed as if the truth of the matter is that football commentators in the modern game don’t really get access to players and managers so don’t really have much to share.
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