Harry Pearson’s classic, The Far Corner, was published in 1994 and written as a journalist and recent returnee to the North-East. This follow-up, twenty-five years on, feels more personal than its predecessor.
The humour is still there, often laugh out loud in its observations of the characters who come together at a non-league football ground – players, staff, officials, and more memorably the spectators (generally too few to be termed a crowd). But in addition, Pearson shares elements of his changed circumstances and explores how and why just attending a game on a Saturday afternoon can provide solace, companionship, and a place to feel at home with other like-minded souls who have no better place to be.
As for the content, there are twenty-three games visited and many more referred to and reflected on. Facts (probably), figures, and anecdotes burst from the pages. Even when completed, the index provides a chuckle-filled bonus.
It is warm and funny,
and for any follower of the beautiful game in its purest (or rawest) form, it
is a gem.
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