Seven Dials nets Eccleshare's beautiful poetry of football commentary anthology

Seven Dials has signed The Beautiful Poetry of Football Commentary by Athletic football journalist Charlie Eccleshare, “a glorious anthology of iconic lines, set out as poems, celebrating the best commentators that have ever graced a microphone”.

Shyam Kumar, commissioning editor, acquired world rights directly from Eccleshare, who alongside his coverage of Tottenham Hotspur for the Athletic is also a co-host of “The Football Cliches” podcast, which takes a satirical look at the language of football. 

The book, described by Kumar “the ideal stocking filler for any football fans“, will be published on 1st September 2022.  

The publisher synopsis reads: “Whether it’s the brevity of Barry Davies, the boundless enthusiasm of Clive Tyldesley or the sheer eloquence of Peter Drury’s monologues, the canon of football commentary is replete with memorable lines that would have some of the great classical orators nodding in appreciation. 

“Curated by football journalist Charlie Eccleshare, The Beautiful Poetry of Football Commentary is a glorious anthology of iconic lines, set out as poems, celebrating the best commentators that have ever graced a microphone. Each poem is accompanied by ‘scholarly’ analysis capturing the enduring power of language on the beautiful game.” 

Kumar said football and poetry are often regarded as being on polar opposite ends of the cultural spectrum, but that for many people John Motson is more quotable than John Keats. 

“This book celebrates the, dare I say, underrated commentator with scholarly/tongue-in-cheek analysis of classic football commentary moments from the likes of David Coleman, Martin Tyler, Peter Drury, and many more,” he explained. “Given his pedigree for taking apart the language of football on the hilarious Football Cliches podcast Charlie Eccleshare is the perfect author for this book, and with a winter World Cup on the horizon, this is the ideal stocking filler for any football fan.”     

Eccleshare added:  “Ever since I became obsessed with football as a seven-year-old, I’ve been fascinated with the commentary that goes with it. It genuinely amazes me how much of my vocabulary as a young child was shaped by hearing the often fairly archaic language that they used. But I’m probably not alone in being influenced in some way by football commentators, who seem to have a disproportionate impact on so many supporters. This then is an homage to their greatness, and an attempt to unpack the genius, often classical, way they have in describing the most dramatic moments in the sport.”