‘A Football Odyssey – Passion, Politics & The Beautiful Game’ will be published by Bluemoose Books on June 12th – just as the whole world goes football crazy with the kick-off of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The book marks the end of a three-year journey for its author, Rob Potts, during which time he has visited some of the world’s most iconic football stadia to discover what fuels the global obsession with the Beautiful Game.
‘It’s been an incredible experience,’ commented Rob. ‘It’s been fascinating interacting with fans in such a diverse range of settings and experiencing the different ways that shared passion for football manifests itself in each place.’
Those experiences ranged from joining a fan march in Hamburg to being chased out of a supporters bar by ‘ultras’ in Belgrade, but there was one observation that shone through. ‘What’s really notable is how connected fans are to their clubs once you venture outside the UK,’ Rob continued. ‘The commercialisation of the Premier League has led to many traditional fans being completely disenfranchised by the sport. There’s no doubt that this experience is reflected at some of the bigger clubs like Real Madrid and PSG, but venture a little further and it’s refreshing to see how fans in Germany, Spain, Scandinavia and beyond are able to stay in control of their clubs.’
Rob’s vision has been backed by Bluemoose Books, a publisher described by The Guardian as a ‘small but mighty literary hit factory.’ Some of Bluemoose’s most celebrated titles include The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers, which was adapted for the BBC by This is England Director Shane Meadows. More recently, Leonard & Hungry Paul, by Dublin-based author Rónán Hession, was also the subject of a TV adaptation, featuring Hollywood icon Julia Roberts. Despite securing the backing of one of the industry’s most prolific underground hit factories, Rob has revealed the process of writing the book was far from salubrious.
‘I’ve slept on airport floors, grubby hostels and even on the parcel shelf of an overnight train,’ he revealed. ‘But that’s allowed me to interact with real fans and gain a genuine sense of what the game means to them. Football at the highest levels in England is barely recognisable from the game I grew up with. What I hope I’ve been able to highlight is that football doesn’t have to be a corporate plaything. More than that, what I really want my readers to get out of the book is that being a football traveller isn’t restricted to those with huge budgets either.
‘Hopefully, people will read the book and be inspired to venture on a football odyssey of their own.’
Rob’s book is already available to preorder online and will be in the shops on June 12th. Rob will also be appearing at a launch event at Serenity Booksellers in Stockport on Thursday 25th June. Ticket details are available here: https://www.ticketsource.com/serenity-booksellers/a-football-odyssey-in-conversation-with-rob-potts/e-zpxqvb
