Head for the Floodlights – Around the 92 in the 1980s by Giles Goford

In 1988 and 1989, Giles Goford and his late father Jeremy toured around England and Wales visiting each of the 92 Football League grounds.

This is the story of a football-obsessed kid and a dad who wasn’t a football fan, but who had a sense of adventure and wanted to bond with his son at a time of personal difficulties.

The hundreds of photos taken on the trip reveal a snapshot of what football was like in that pre-Premier League era of crumbling stadia and muddy pitches – and how a father and son went searching for football grounds but found so much more.

When a potted version of the story and a small selection of photos were published on the BBC Sport website the flood of positive feedback was overwhelming.

“An important piece of football history. I miss those days.”

“I would have loved to have done a similar journey with my dad.”

“The last few paragraphs moved me to tears. It stirs the emotions in everyone our age.”

Now for the whole story, and photographs of all of the grounds…

 

Buy the book here

(Publisher: Conker Editions Ltd. September 2024. Paperback: 216 pages)